Deuteronomy 5:28–33
God wishes the people would always have such a heart to obey him
Study it word by word28YHWH heard the voice of your words when you spoke to me, and YHWH said to me, “I have heard the voice of the words of this people, which they have spoken to you. They have done well in all that they have spoken.
29If only they had this heart of theirs to fear me and to keep all my commandments all the days, so that it might go well with them and with their children forever!
30Go, say to them, ‘Return to your tents.’
31But you, stand here with me, and I will speak to you the whole commandment, the statutes and the rules that you shall teach them, so that they may carry them out in the land that I am giving them to take possession of it.”
32Be careful to do as YHWH your Elohim has commanded you; do not turn aside to the right or to the left.
33In all the way that YHWH your Elohim has commanded you you shall walk, so that you may live and it may go well with you, and you may prolong your days in the land that you will take possession of.
In its context
26For who of all flesh is there that has heard the voice of the living Elohim speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
27You go near and hear all that YHWH our Elohim will say; and you will speak to us all that YHWH our Elohim speaks to you, and we will hear and do it.”
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Its words in the original
- יִּשְׁמַעyishma· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- 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.
- קוֹלkol· voice, sound
Voice or sound: what is heard, from a person, an animal or a thing (thunder, steps).
- דִּבְרֵיdivre· word, matter, thing
Word; what is said. Also "matter" or "thing": what is spoken about, an affair, an event.
- דַבֶּרְdaber· speak
Speak, talk, say; also promise or command.
- יֹּאמֶרyomer· say
Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".
- עָםam· people
People: a human group joined by kinship, history and destiny. "My people", said by God, is Israel. Also the people as a crowd, or troops.
- הֵיטִיבוּhetivu· do well, be good
Do well, act well; go well for someone; please. Also set something right, prepare it.
- יִתֵּןyiten· give, put, set
Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.
- הָיָהhaya· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- לְבָבָlevava· heart
Heart: the inner part of the person, where one thinks, feels and decides.
- יִרְאָהyira· fear
Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.
- שְׁמֹרshemor· keep, guard
Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.
- מִצְוֺתַmitsvota· commandment
Commandment: an order given by one in authority; above all, those of God.
- יָּמִיםyamim· 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").
- בְנֵיvene· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).
- עֹלָםolam· forever, eternal
A very long time whose end cannot be seen: looking forward, "forever"; looking back, "of old", "ancient".
- לֵךְlech· go, walk
Go, walk, depart; in the causative form, lead or bring.
- שׁוּבוּshuvu· return, turn back
Turn back, return. Also turn away; in the causative form, bring back, give back, answer. Figuratively, turn back to God (change course). Often adverbial: "again".
- אָהֳלֵיahole· tent
Tent: the dwelling of shepherds who move from place to place; also a home.
- עֲמֹדamod· stand
Stand; stay, remain, endure. "Stand before" someone is to serve him or be in his presence. In another form of the verb, set up, place, appoint.
- עִמָּדִimadi· with me
With me, beside me.
- חֻקִּיםchukim· statute, allotted portion
What is fixed: an allotted portion, a rule, a statute; a limit.
- מִּשְׁפָּטִיםmishpatim· justice, judgment
What is right and the decision that establishes it: the judgment of a judge, someone's right, a rule or ordinance, a custom. "Do righteousness and justice" is to treat each one as is due.
- תְּלַמְּדֵtelamde· teach, learn
Teach; in another form of the verb, learn.
- עָשׂוּasu· do, make
Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.
- אָרֶץarets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- רִשְׁתָּrishta· possess, drive out
Take possession of something; inherit. Also take from others what they had: drive out, dispossess.
- צִוָּהtsiva· command
Command, give an order; give charge to someone.
- אֱלֹהֵיelohe· 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.
- תָסֻרוּtasuru· turn aside, remove
Turn aside, turn away; remove, take away.
- יָמִיןyamin· right hand, south
Right, right hand. Facing the east, the right is the south. It is also the side of honor and of strength.
- שְׂמֹאלsemol· left, north
Left, left hand. Facing the east, the left is the north.
- דֶּרֶךְderech· way
Way, road, journey. Figuratively, the way one lives or acts.
- תִּחְיוּtichyu· live
Live, have life; recover. In the causative form, give life, keep alive, revive.
- טוֹבtov· be good, go well
Be good, go well, do well.
- הַאֲרַכְתֶּםhaarachtem· be long, prolong
Be long, last long; prolong.