Deuteronomy 4:40

Keep His statutes and commandments, which I am giving you today, so that you and your children after you may prosper, and that you may live long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for all time.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, concluding his fourth discourse by linking covenant obedience to national survival. The statement follows the declaration of Yahweh's exclusive sovereignty over heaven and earth and immediately precedes the geographical arrangement of the eastern cities.

The words — וְ/שָׁמַרְתָּ֞ (ve./sha.mar.Ta) translates "and you will keep," governing חֻקָּ֣י/ו (chu.Ka/v) "his statutes" and מִצְוֹתָ֗י/ו (mitz.vo.Ta/v) "his commandments" with third-person masculine suffixes. The verb מְצַוְּ/ךָ֙ (me.tza.ve./Kha) renders "[am] commanding/ you," marking the speaker's present act of delivering the law.

The thread — The conditional promise of prosperity and longevity appears in Deuteronomy 6:3 and is cited in Ephesians 6:3. The parallel imperative to observe statutes is recorded in Leviticus 22:31.

Why it lands — The text conditions communal prosperity and territorial inheritance on the precise observance of divine statutes. It requires the reader to treat covenant obedience as the structural mechanism for survival across generations.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֞ve./sha.mar.Taand/ you will keep אֶת־'et-<obj.>חֻקָּ֣יוchu.Ka/vstatutes/ his וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>מִצְוֹתָ֗יוmitz.vo.Ta/vcommandments/ his אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich אָנֹכִ֤י'a.no.KhiI מְצַוְּךָ֙me.tza.ve./Kha[am] commanding/ you הַיּ֔וֹםhai./Yomthis/ day אֲשֶׁר֙'a.Sherthat יִיטַ֣בyi.Tavit will go wellלְךָ֔le./Khafor/ youוּלְבָנֶ֖יךָu./le./va.Nei./khaand/ for/ children/ your אַחֲרֶ֑יךָ'a.cha.Rei./khaafter/ you וּלְמַ֨עַןu./le.Ma.'anand/ so that תַּאֲרִ֤יךְta.'a.Rikhyou may prolong יָמִים֙ya.Mimdays עַל־'al-on הַ֣אֲדָמָ֔הha./'a.da.Mahthe/ land אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.Sherwhich יְהוָ֧הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your נֹתֵ֥ןno.Ten[is] about to giveלְךָ֖le./Khato/ youכָּל־kol-all הַיָּמִֽים׃ פhai./ya.Mimthe/ days

King James Version

Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days upon the earth, which the Lord thy God giveth thee, for ever.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 6:3 Hear, O Israel, and be careful to observe them, so that you may prosper and multiply greatly in a land flowing with milk and honey, just as the LORD, the God of your fathers, has promised you.
Ephesians 6:3 “that it may go well with you and that you may have a long life on the earth.”
Leviticus 22:31 You are to keep My commandments and practice them. I am the LORD.
Deuteronomy 5:16 Honor your father and your mother, as the LORD your God has commanded you, so that your days may be long and that it may go well with you in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.
Deuteronomy 12:25 Do not eat it, so that it may go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is right in the eyes of the LORD.
Deuteronomy 12:28 Be careful to obey all these things I command you, so that it may always go well with you and your children after you, because you will be doing what is good and right in the eyes of the LORD your God.
Deuteronomy 6:18 Do what is right and good in the sight of the LORD, so that it may be well with you and that you may enter and possess the good land that the LORD your God swore to give your fathers,
Deuteronomy 22:7 You may take the young, but be sure to let the mother go, so that it may be well with you and that you may prolong your days.
Deuteronomy 4:1 Hear now, O Israel, the statutes and ordinances I am teaching you to follow, so that you may live and may enter and take possession of the land that the LORD, the God of your fathers, is giving you.
Deuteronomy 4:6 Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the peoples, who will hear of all these statutes and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”