Deuteronomy 10:12–13
Moses sums up what God asks: fear him, walk in his ways and love him
Study it word by word12And now, Israel, what is YHWH your Elohim asking of you but to fear YHWH your Elohim, to walk in all his ways, to love him, and to serve YHWH your Elohim with all your heart and with all your soul,
13to keep the commandments of YHWH and his statutes that I am commanding you today, for your good?
In its context
10I stood on the mountain, as in the first days, forty days and forty nights; and YHWH listened to me that time also; YHWH was not willing to destroy you.
11YHWH said to me, “Get up, go on the journey before the people, so that they may go in and take possession of the land that I swore to their fathers to give them.”
…
14Look, to YHWH your Elohim belong the heavens and the heavens of the heavens, the earth and all that is in it.
15Yet on your fathers YHWH set his affection to love them, and he chose their offspring after them, you, out of all the peoples, as it is this day.
Its words in the original
- יִשְׂרָאֵלyisrael· Israel
Israel, the new name Jacob received from God, explained as "you have striven with God" (Genesis 32:28); then the name of the people that came from him and, after the division, of the northern kingdom.
- יְהוָהyehva· 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.
- אֱלֹהֶיelohe· Elohim, God, gods
The Hebrew word usually translated "God". This translation keeps "Elohim" when it speaks of the one true God, the Creator, the God of Israel. The word ends like a plural, but it does not mean several: for him the verb is singular ("Elohim created"); the plural form expresses greatness. The same word as a common noun names the "gods" of other peoples, and there it is a true plural, translated "gods". It is also used of mighty ones or judges.
- שֹׁאֵלshoel· ask
Ask, inquire; request.
- יִרְאָהyira· fear
Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.
- לֶכֶתlechet· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- דְּרָכָיderachay· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- אַהֲבָהahava· love
Love, have affection for someone: a parent for a child, a husband for a wife, a friend for a friend, a person for God; also like, desire.
- עֲבֹדavod· work, serve
Work; serve. Till the ground, serve a person, or serve God (worship him). In the causative form, make someone serve, enslave.
- לְבָבְlevav· heart
Heart: the inner part of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- נַפְשֶׁnafshe· soul, living being, life
A breathing being, a living being. It is translated "living being" (people and animals), "life" (when living or dying is at stake), "person" (in counts and laws), "soul" (the person at the innermost: desires, joy, anguish) or "myself". In the Old Testament it names the whole living being, not only a part of it.
- שְׁמֹרshemor· keep, guard
Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.
- מִצְוֺתmitsvot· commandment
Commandment: an order given by one in authority; above all, those of God.
- חֻקֹּתָיchukotay· statute
Statute: a fixed rule, laid down to be kept always.
- מְצַוְּmetsav· command
Command, give an order; give charge to someone.
- יּוֹםyom· day
Day: the hours of light, or a whole day from one evening to the next. Also an indefinite time or age ("in the day that...", "in those days").
- טוֹבtov· good
Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".