Deuteronomy 28:13

“And YHWH will make you the head and not the tail; and you will be only on top and you will not be underneath, if you listen to the commandments of YHWH your Elohim that I am commanding you today, to keep and to do them,”

Deuteronomy 28:13 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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With the Hebrew beneath

13

Deuteronomy 28:13, word by word

And 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
will make youנְתָנְnetan

make

To make someone something: "I have made you a father".

Where else “netan” appears
the headרֹאשׁrosh

head

The upper part of the body, where the face and hair are.

Where else “rosh” appears
the tailזָנָבzanav

tail

An animal's hindmost part, or the lowest place.

Where else “zanav” appears
and you will beהָיִיתָhayita

be

To be: "I will be their Elohim".

Where else “hayita” appears
on topמַעְלָmala

above

Upward, above; with ages, "twenty years old or more".

Where else “mala” appears
underneathמָטָּהmata

below, downward

Below, downward, beneath.

Where else “mata” appears
you listenתִשְׁמַעtishma

listen

To pay close attention, or heed a plea.

Where else “tishma” appears
the commandmentsמִצְוֺתmitsvot

commandment

An order of God that must be kept.

Where else “mitsvot” appears
your Elohimאֱלֹהֶיelohe

Elohim

The one true God, the Creator; the word is plural but means one.

Where else “elohe” appears
am commanding youמְצַוְּmetsav

command

To give an order: "as YHWH had commanded".

Where else “metsav” appears
todayיּוֹםyom

today

This very day in which one speaks, the present moment.

Where else “yom” appears
to keepשְׁמֹרshemor

keep

To obey the covenant or the commands.

Where else “shemor” appears
and to do themעֲשׂוֹתasot

do

To carry out an act or to deal with someone in a certain way, for good or ill.

Where else “asot” appears

The context

12YHWH will open to you his good storehouse, the heavens, to give the rain of your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hand; and you will lend to many nations, but you will not borrow.

13 · This verse (above)

14and do not turn aside from any of the words that I am commanding you today, to the right or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.

Read all of Deuteronomy 28

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