Deuteronomy 5:9

“You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I, YHWH your Elohim, am a jealous El, calling to account the iniquity of fathers upon children, and upon the third and upon the fourth generation of those who hate me,”

Deuteronomy 5:9 · direct translation from the Hebrew
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9

Deuteronomy 5:9, word by word

bow downתִשְׁתַּחֲוֶהtishtachave

worship

To bow before God in adoration.

Where else “tishtachave” appears
serve themתָעָבְדֵtaavde

worship

To honor and obey God, or other gods, as his people.

Where else “taavde” 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
your Elohimאֱלֹהֶיelohe

Elohim

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

Where else “elohe” appears
am a jealousקַנָּאkana

jealous

Jealous: who allows no rival. Said only of God.

Where else “kana” appears
Elאֵלel

El, God, god

"El", an ancient Hebrew word for "God". Alone or with another title it is a name of the God of Israel: El Elyon (God Most High), El Shaddai (God Almighty). Neighboring peoples used the same word for their gods; then this translation writes "god" in lower case. It also means "mighty".

Where else “el” appears
calling to accountפֹּקֵדpoked

punish

To call to account, punish.

Where else “poked” appears
the iniquityעֲוֺןavon

iniquity

A serious wrong.

Where else “avon” appears
of fathersאָבוֹתavot

father

The man who begets a child and heads his household.

Where else “avot” appears
childrenבָּנִיםbanim

son

The male born of a father and mother; in the plural, also sons and daughters.

Where else “banim” appears
the thirdשִׁלֵּשִׁיםshileshim

third generation

Descendants of the third generation: great-grandchildren.

Where else “shileshim” appears
the fourth generationרִבֵּעִיםribeim

fourth generation

Those of the fourth generation: the great-great-grandchildren.

Where else “ribeim” appears
of those who hate meשֹׂנְאָsona

hate

To feel rejection and hostility toward someone, to the point of wishing him harm.

Where else “sona” appears

The context

8You shall not make for yourself a carved image, any form of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is on the earth below, or that is in the waters under the earth.

9 · This verse (above)

10but showing loyal love to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.

Read all of Deuteronomy 5

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