Deuteronomy 7:12

If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant and the loving devotion that He swore to your fathers.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel on the plains of Moab, concluding the covenant renewal before they cross the Jordan. He links their immediate obedience to the statutes he is giving that day with God's future faithfulness.

The words — עֵקֶב ('ekev) literally means "consequence" or "because of this," establishing the conditional framework. תִּשְׁמְעוּ (tishme'u) and שְׁמַרְתֶּם (shamartem) command active listening and careful keeping of the judgments.

The thread — The obedience-blessing pattern repeats in Leviticus 26:3 and Deuteronomy 28:1, while the promise of God maintaining His covenantal commitment parallels Deuteronomy 7:9.

Why it lands — The verse explicitly states that covenant faithfulness is triggered by the people's careful observance of the ordinances. It requires the reader to treat obedience as the active condition for receiving, not assuming, divine promise.

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

וְהָיָ֣ה׀ve./ha.Yahand/ it will be עֵ֣קֶב'E.kevconsequence תִּשְׁמְע֗וּןtish.me.'U/nyou will hear/ !אֵ֤ת'et<obj.>הַמִּשְׁפָּטִים֙ha./mish.pa.Timthe/ judgments הָאֵ֔לֶּהha./'E.leh<the>/ these וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥םu./she.mar.Temand/ you will take care וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֖םva./'a.si.Temand/ you will observe אֹתָ֑ם'o.Ta/m<obj.>/ them וְשָׁמַר֩ve./sha.Marand/ he will keep יְהוָ֨הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ yourלְךָ֗le./Khato <the>/ youאֶֽת־'et-<obj.>הַבְּרִית֙ha./be.Ritthe/ covenant וְאֶת־ve./'Etand/ <obj.>הַחֶ֔סֶדha./Che.sed<the>/ covenant loyalty אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich נִשְׁבַּ֖עnish.Ba'he swore לַאֲבֹתֶֽיךָ׃la./'a.vo.Tei./khato/ ancestors/ your

King James Version

Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers:

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 7:9 Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Deuteronomy 28:1 “Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
Leviticus 26:3 If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments,
Psalms 105:8 He remembers His covenant forever, the word He ordained for a thousand generations—
Luke 1:72 to show mercy to our fathers and to remember His holy covenant,
Micah 7:20 You will show faithfulness to Jacob and loving devotion to Abraham, as You swore to our fathers from the days of old.
Luke 1:55 as He promised to our fathers, to Abraham and his descendants forever.”