Deuteronomy 6:12

be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, immediately after listing the unearned houses, wells, and vineyards they will inherit, and right before commanding them to fear and serve Yahweh alone.

The words — הִשָּׁמֵר (hiššāmer) means “take heed,” and תִּשְׁכַּח (tišḵaḥ) means “you should forget,” forming a direct warning against spiritual amnesia.

The thread — The verse anchors the covenant reminder in Deuteronomy 6 by linking future prosperity to past deliverance, echoing the Exodus motif found in Exodus 20:2 and Deuteronomy 5:6.

Why it lands — It demands that the reader actively preserve the memory of Yahweh’s rescue rather than attributing current comfort to personal effort or chance.

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

הִשָּׁ֣מֶרhi.Sha.mertake heedלְךָ֔le./Khato/ yourselfפֶּן־pen-lest תִּשְׁכַּ֖חtish.Kachyou should forget אֶת־'et-<obj.>יְהוָ֑הYah.wehYahweh אֲשֶׁ֧ר'a.Sherwho הוֹצִֽיאֲךָ֛ho.tzi.'a./Khahe brought out/ you מֵאֶ֥רֶץme./'E.retzfrom/ [the] land of מִצְרַ֖יִםmitz.Ra.yimEgypt מִבֵּ֥יתmi./Beitfrom/ a house of עֲבָדִֽים׃'a.va.Dimslaves

King James Version

Then beware lest thou forget the Lord, which brought thee forth out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.