Deuteronomy 6:20–25

In its context

Its words in the original

• יִשְׁאָלְyishal· ask

  Ask, inquire; request.

• בִנְvin· 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).

• מָחָרmachar· tomorrow, hereafter

  Tomorrow; in time to come, in the future.

• אמֹרmor· say

  Say, speak. The most common verb for bringing in what someone says; sometimes "think" (say to oneself) or "command".

• עֵדֹתedot· testimony, witness

  Testimony, witness: something that serves as evidence, such as a heap of stones or a gift set up as proof.

• 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.

• צִוָּהtsiva· command

  Command, give an order; give charge to someone.

• 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.

• 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.

• עֲבָדִיםavadim· slave, servant

  Slave, servant: someone who belongs to another or is in his service. It can be a slave, a worker or a high official of the king; before God, one who serves him. "Your servant" is a polite way to say "I".

• הָיִינוּhayinu· be, become, happen

  Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".

• פַרְעֹהfaro· Pharaoh

  Pharaoh: the title of the kings of Egypt, not a personal name.

• מִצְרָיִםmitsrayim· Egypt, Mizraim

  Mizraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt; also the Egyptians. As a person, a son of Ham, ancestor of the Egyptians.

• יּוֹצִיאֵyotsie· go out, bring out

  Go out, come out. In the causative form, "make go out", "bring out", "lead out", "produce".

• יָדyad· hand, power

  Hand. Figuratively, power or control ("into the hand of" = into the power of); also side, part, or share. Also a projecting piece, such as a tenon.

• חֲזָקָהchazaka· strong, hard

  Strong, mighty ("a strong hand"); also hard, stubborn ("hard of heart").

• יִּתֵּןyiten· give, put, set

  Give, in a very wide sense: hand over, put, place, grant, allow, make something be.

• אוֹתֹתotot· sign

  Sign: something visible that serves to show or recall something else (a mark, a warning, a proof). The heavenly bodies are signs that mark days, seasons and years; in other passages it is an extraordinary deed by which God shows something.

• מֹפְתִיםmoftim· wonder, portent

  Wonder: an extraordinary deed that serves as a sign of God's power; also a sign or token.

• גְּדֹלִיםgedolim· great

  Great in size, number, age or importance; also "the elder" of two; "high priest" is "great priest".

• רָעִיםraim· evil, bad, harm

  Bad; evil. It includes what is morally wrong and also what does harm: misfortune, disaster, distress.

• בֵּיתbet· house, household

  House. Also the family that lives in it ("the house of Noah") and someone's descendants ("the house of David"); also a temple, "the house of God".

• עֵינֵיene· eye

  Eye. "In someone's eyes" means "in his opinion"; "find favor in the eyes of" is to please him. Also a spring of water.

• הָבִיאhavi· come, go in, bring

  Come, arrive, go in, enter. In the causative form, "bring" or "carry in". "Go in to" a woman is to have marital relations with her.

• 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").

• נִשְׁבַּעnishba· swear

  Swear: bind oneself solemnly, calling on God as witness; in the causative form, make someone swear. In Hebrew the verb looks like the word "seven".

• אֲבֹתֵיavote· father

  Father; also ancestor ("our fathers"), and the founder or head of a family or group.

• עֲשׂוֹתasot· do, make

  Do, make, in the widest sense: build, produce, carry out, keep (a command), prepare.

• יִרְאָהyira· fear

  Fear. It can be fright before a danger or deep reverence before God ("fear YHWH"). In some forms, be fearsome, awesome.

• טוֹבtov· good

  Good in the widest sense: pleasant, beautiful, useful, right, of good quality. As a noun, "good", "good things", "well-being".

• 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").

• חַיֹּתֵchayote· live

  Live, have life; recover. In the causative form, give life, keep alive, revive.

• צְדָקָהtsedaka· righteousness

  Righteousness: being right with God and acting rightly with others; justice.

• נִשְׁמֹרnishmor· keep, guard

  Keep: watch over, guard, protect; also keep a command or a covenant, observe.

• מִּצְוָהmitsva· commandment

  Commandment: an order given by one in authority; above all, those of God.

• פְנֵיfene· face, presence

  Face. From there "surface" (the face of something) and "presence" (being before someone's face); with a preposition it means "before" or "in front of".