Deuteronomy 5:32

So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites gathered at the border of the Promised Land, transmitting the covenant stipulations God delivered to him on the mountain.

The words — The Hebrew שְׁמַרְתֶּם (shemartem) means "you will keep" or "take care," directly governing לַעֲשׂוֹת (la'asot, "to do") to frame obedience as active preservation.

The thread — The exact warning against swerving from the commanded path appears in Proverbs 4:27, Joshua 1:7, and Joshua 23:6.

Why it lands — The text commands strict compliance with divine instruction and explicitly forbids adding to, subtracting from, or deviating from the given path.

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

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣םu./she.mar.Temand/ you will take care לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla./'a.Sotto/ do כַּאֲשֶׁ֥רka./'a.Sherjust/ as צִוָּ֛הtzi.Vahhe has commanded יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם'e.lo.hei./KhemGod/ your אֶתְכֶ֑ם'et./Khem<obj.>/ you לֹ֥אlo'not תָסֻ֖רוּta.Su.ruyou must turn aside יָמִ֥יןya.Minright [hand]וּשְׂמֹֽאל׃u./se.Moland/ left [hand]

King James Version

Ye shall observe to do therefore as the Lord your God hath commanded you: ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

Cross-references

Proverbs 4:27 Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
Joshua 23:6 Be very strong, then, so that you can keep and obey all that is written in the Book of the Law of Moses, not turning aside from it to the right or to the left.
Joshua 1:7 Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that you may prosper wherever you go.
Deuteronomy 17:20 Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.
Deuteronomy 28:14 Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy 8:1 You must carefully follow every commandment I am giving you today, so that you may live and multiply, and enter and possess the land that the LORD swore to give your fathers.
Deuteronomy 11:32 be careful to follow all the statutes and ordinances that I am setting before you today.
Deuteronomy 12:32 See that you do everything I command you; do not add to it or subtract from it.
Deuteronomy 24:8 In cases of infectious skin diseases, be careful to diligently follow everything the Levitical priests instruct you. Be careful to do as I have commanded them.
Ezekiel 37:24 My servant David will be king over them, and there will be one shepherd for all of them. They will follow My ordinances and keep and observe My statutes.