Deuteronomy 29: The covenant in the land of Moab, and the secret things
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
These are the words of the covenant Yahweh commanded Moses to make with Israel in Moab, besides the covenant at Horeb. Moses reminds the people of what they saw in Egypt and of the forty years in the wilderness, and says that all of them, from leaders to water carriers, stand before Yahweh today to enter his covenant, made also with those who are not there. He warns that anyone who turns to other gods and thinks he is safe will bring the curses on himself, and that later generations and foreigners will see the ruined land and ask why; the answer will be that the people left Yahweh's covenant. Moses ends: the secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and our children, so that we may do all the words of this law.
Who is speaking?
Verse 1 is the narrator's heading. From verse 2 Moses speaks to all Israel. Inside his words he gives what a man who turns away says in his heart (verse 19), and what the nations and other people will say when they see the ruined land (verses 24 to 28). No verse is in gold: verse 1 tells what Yahweh commanded but gives no words of his, and the rest is Moses speaking. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1These are the words of the covenant which Yahweh commanded Moses to make with the children of Israel in the land of Moab, in addition to the covenant which he made with them in Horeb.
In plain English: These are the words of the covenant Yahweh commanded Moses to make with the Israelites in the land of Moab, besides the covenant he had made with them at Horeb.
Good to know: In the Hebrew Bible this verse is the last verse of chapter 28 (28:69), so verses 2 to 29 here are 29:1 to 29:28 there. The covenant "in Horeb" is the one Moses spoke of in . Deuteronomy calls that mountain Horeb; Exodus 19 calls the mountain of the covenant Mount Sinai ().
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
2Moses called to all Israel, and said to them: Your eyes have seen all that Yahweh did in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, and to all his servants, and to all his land;
In plain English: Moses called all Israel together and said to them: You have seen everything Yahweh did before your eyes in the land of Egypt, to Pharaoh, to all his servants, and to all his land:
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
3the great trials which your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.
In plain English: the great trials (or: tests) your eyes saw, the signs, and those great wonders.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
4But Yahweh has not given you a heart to know, eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day.
In plain English: But to this day Yahweh has not given you a heart to understand, eyes to see, or ears to hear.
Good to know: uses words like these: "God gave them a spirit of stupor, eyes that they should not see, and ears that they should not hear, to this very day."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
5I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not grown old on you, and your sandals have not grown old on your feet.
In plain English: I have led you forty years in the wilderness. Your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandals have not worn out on your feet.
Good to know: Moses is speaking, but in verses 5 and 6 his words speak as Yahweh: "I have led you" and "that you may know that I am Yahweh your God". The text does not mark a change of speaker, so these verses are not printed in gold. also says their clothes did not wear out in the forty years.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
6You have not eaten bread, neither have you drunk wine or strong drink, that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.
In plain English: You have not eaten bread or drunk wine or strong drink, so that you may know that I am Yahweh your God.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
7When you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out against us to battle, and we struck them.
In plain English: When you came to this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon and Og the king of Bashan came out to fight us, and we defeated them.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
8We took their land, and gave it for an inheritance to the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites.
In plain English: We took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Reubenites, the Gadites, and half the tribe of Manasseh.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
9Therefore keep the words of this covenant and do them, that you may prosper in all that you do.
In plain English: So keep the words of this covenant and do them, so that you may succeed (or: act wisely) in everything you do.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
10All of you stand today in the presence of Yahweh your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Israel,
In plain English: Today all of you are standing before Yahweh your God: your leaders, your tribes, your elders, your officers, all the men of Israel,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
11your little ones, your wives, and the foreigners who are in the middle of your camps, from the one who cuts your wood to the one who draws your water,
In plain English: your little ones, your wives, and the foreigners in your camps, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
12that you may enter into the covenant of Yahweh your God, and into his oath, which Yahweh your God makes with you today,
In plain English: so that you may enter (literally: pass into) the covenant of Yahweh your God, and his oath (or: his curse), which Yahweh your God is making with you today,
The Hebrew word: "Oath" is alah, which the dictionary gives as "an imprecation": a spoken curse, often part of an oath. It is the word for "curse" in to .
How it is translated: In Deuteronomy alah is in 6 verses, all in chapters 29 and 30. This Bible says "oath" in 2 (verses 12 and 14) and "curse" or "curses" in 4.
What changes: Read as "oath", Israel enters a sworn promise. Read as "curse", Israel accepts the curses that fall on those who break the covenant. Here the two belong together.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
13that he may establish you today as his people, and that he may be your God, as he spoke to you and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
In plain English: so that today he may make you his people, and he may be your God, as he told you and as he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
14Neither do I make this covenant and this oath with you only,
In plain English: I am not making this covenant and this oath with you alone,
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
15but with those who stand here with us today before Yahweh our God, and also with those who are not here with us today
In plain English: but with those who stand here with us today before Yahweh our God, and also with those who are not here with us today.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
16(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the middle of the nations through which you passed;
In plain English: (You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we passed through the middle of the nations you went through.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
17and you have seen their abominations and their idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which were among them);
In plain English: You have seen their detestable things (this Bible: abominations) and their idols of wood and stone, silver and gold, which they had.)
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
18lest there should be among you man, woman, family, or tribe whose heart turns away today from Yahweh our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that produces bitter poison;
In plain English: Make sure there is no man or woman, family or tribe among you whose heart turns away today from Yahweh our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that grows poison and wormwood (a bitter plant).
The Hebrew words: "Bitter poison" is literally "poison and wormwood". The dictionary gives rosh as "a poisonous plant, probably the poppy", and generally "poison", and la'anah as "wormwood (regarded as poisonous, and therefore accursed)".
Good to know: warns against "any root of bitterness springing up" that would "trouble you" and by which "many be defiled".
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
19and it happen, when he hears the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying, “I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart,” to destroy the moist with the dry.
In plain English: When such a person hears the words of this oath (or: curse), he may bless himself in his heart and say, "I will be safe (literally: I will have peace), though I follow my own stubborn heart." So the watered would be swept away with the dry (this Bible: to destroy the moist with the dry).
The Hebrew words: "The moist" is raveh, which the dictionary gives as "sated (with drink)", and "the dry" is tsame, "thirsty". "Destroy" is saphah, "to scrape ... away (i.e. to scatter, remove, or ruin)".
What changes: Read with the land in mind, the watered ground and the dry ground are swept away together. Read with drink in mind, the one who has drunk his fill and the thirsty one are swept away together. The text does not explain the saying further.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
20Yahweh will not pardon him, but then Yahweh’s anger and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book will fall on him, and Yahweh will blot out his name from under the sky.
In plain English: Yahweh will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, Yahweh's anger and jealousy will smoke against that man. Every curse written in this book will settle (literally: lie down) on him, and Yahweh will wipe out his name from under heaven.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
21Yahweh will set him apart for evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law.
In plain English: Yahweh will set him apart from all the tribes of Israel for harm, according to all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the law.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
22The generation to come—your children who will rise up after you, and the foreigner who will come from a far land—will say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses with which Yahweh has made it sick,
In plain English: The generation to come, your children who come after you, and the foreigner who comes from a far land, will speak when they see the plagues of that land and the sicknesses Yahweh has made it suffer:
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
23that all of its land is sulfur, salt, and burning, that it is not sown, doesn’t produce, nor does any grass grow in it, like the overthrow of Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah, and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger, and in his wrath.
In plain English: that the whole land is sulfur, salt, and burned ground, not sown, growing nothing, with no grass coming up in it, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which Yahweh overthrew in his anger and his rage.
Good to know: and tell how Yahweh overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah with sulfur and fire. Admah and Zeboiim are named with them in , and with each other in .
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
24Even all the nations will say, “Why has Yahweh done this to this land? What does the heat of this great anger mean?”
In plain English: All the nations will say, "Why has Yahweh done this to this land? Why this great, burning anger?"
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
25Then men will say, “Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt,
In plain English: Then people will say, "Because they abandoned the covenant of Yahweh, the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
26and went and served other gods and worshiped them, gods that they didn’t know and that he had not given to them.
In plain English: They went and served other gods and bowed down to them, gods they had not known and that he had not given (or: assigned) to them.
Good to know: "Gods ... that he had not given to them" points back to , where the sun, moon and stars are things "Yahweh your God has allotted to all the peoples". The Hebrew word is the same in both verses.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
27Therefore Yahweh’s anger burned against this land, to bring on it all the curses that are written in this book.
In plain English: So Yahweh's anger burned against this land, to bring on it every curse written in this book.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
28Yahweh rooted them out of their land in anger, in wrath, and in great indignation, and thrust them into another land, as it is today.”
In plain English: Yahweh uprooted them from their land in anger, in rage, and in great fury, and threw them into another land, as it is today."
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.
29The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.
In plain English: The secret (hidden) things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may do all the words of this law.
The Hebrew words: "The secret things" is nistarot, from satar, which the dictionary gives as "to hide (by covering)". "The things that are revealed" is niglot, from galah, which the dictionary gives as "to denude", and also "to reveal". The verse has no word for "belong": it says "the hidden things to Yahweh our God, and the revealed things to us and to our children forever".
How it is translated: This Bible says "hide" or another form of it (hid, hidden, hides, hiding) in 76 of the 80 verses that use satar, and "secret" or "secretly" in 5.
What changes: The verse can be read two ways. Read one way, the hidden things are what Yahweh has not made known, and the revealed things are the law he has given, which Israel is to do. Read the other way, coming after the man who turns away in his heart in and , the hidden things are wrongs done in secret, which Yahweh will deal with, and the revealed things are wrongs done openly, which the people must deal with. The text does not say which it means.
Show the HebrewHide the Hebrew
How to say it (the stressed part in bold), the Hebrew word, and what it means. Tap a word with a dotted line to open its word study.