Ifאִםyou fearתִּירְאוּYHWHאֶת יְהוָהand serveוַעֲבַדְתֶּםhimאֹתוֹand listenוּשְׁמַעְתֶּםto his voiceבְּקֹלוֹand do notוְלֹאrebel againstתַמְרוּthe commandאֶת פִּיof YHWH,יְהוָהand bothוִ גַּםyouאַתֶּםandוְגַםthe kingהַמֶּלֶךְwhoאֲשֶׁרreignsמָלַךְover youעֲלֵיכֶםare followingהְיִתֶםafterאַחַרYHWHיְהוָהyour Elohim…אֱלֹהֵיכֶם
1 Samuel 12:14
Study it in the app“If you fear YHWH and serve him and listen to his voice and do not rebel against the command of YHWH, and both you and the king who reigns over you are following after YHWH your Elohim…”
With the Hebrew beneath
1 Samuel 12:14, word by word
- you fearתִּירְאוּtiru
revere
To revere God, or honor one's parents.
Where else “tiru” appears- YHWHיְהוָהyehva
YHWH
The personal name of the God of Israel, written in Hebrew with four letters, Y-H-W-H, without vowels. Out of reverence Jews stopped pronouncing it and read "Adonai" (Lord), so many Bibles put "the LORD" or "Jehovah". This translation keeps the four letters. The name is related to the verb "to be" (Exodus 3:14-15). He is not a god other than Elohim: "YHWH Elohim" is the same Creator God, called by his name.
Where else “yehva” appears- and serveעֲבַדְתֶּםavadtem
worship
To honor and obey God, or other gods, as his people.
Where else “avadtem” appears- and listenשְׁמַעְתֶּםshematem
obey
To obey: "listen to the voice" of someone.
Where else “shematem” appears- to his voiceקֹלkol
voice
What is heard when someone speaks or sings; also the voice of God.
Where else “kol” appears- rebel againstתַמְרוּtamru
rebel
Rebel, resist what is commanded.
Where else “tamru” appears- the commandפִּיpi
command
Literally "the mouth": what someone says or decrees.
Where else “pi” appears- the kingמֶּלֶךְmelech
king
A king who rules a people.
Where else “melech” appears- reignsמָלַךְmalach
reign
To be king of a people, or to begin ruling it as king.
Where else “malach” appears- are followingהְיִתֶםheyitem
be
To be: "I will be their Elohim".
Where else “heyitem” appears- your Elohim…אֱלֹהֵיelohe
Elohim
The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.
Where else “elohe” appears
Translation note
The Hebrew sentence may be left unfinished (then “it will go well with you” is understood), or its last words may be the conclusion: “then both you and the king… will follow YHWH your Elohim.”
The context
13And now, look, the king whom you have chosen, whom you asked for; and look, YHWH has set a king over you.
14 · This verse (above)
15But if you do not listen to the voice of YHWH and rebel against the command of YHWH, then the hand of YHWH will be against you and against your fathers.