Deuteronomy 30: Return to Yahweh, and choose life
A free study, verse by verse. Text: World English Bible. Notes come from the Hebrew. How to read a study
What happens?
Moses tells Israel that after the blessing and the curse have come on them, if they return to Yahweh with all their heart, Yahweh will bring them back from the nations, gather them, and circumcise their hearts to love him. He says the commandment is not too hard or far away: it is not in heaven or beyond the sea, but very near, in their mouth and in their heart. He sets before them life and good, death and evil, calls heaven and earth as witnesses, and tells them to choose life.
Who is speaking?
Moses speaks to Israel in all 20 verses. In verses 12 and 13 he gives words someone might say ("Who will go up for us to heaven?"). God's words are not in gold in this chapter. God's own words are printed in gold, and those verses are marked God speaks
1It shall happen, when all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you,
In plain English: When all these things have come on you, the blessing and the curse that I have set before you, and you take them to heart (literally: bring them back to your heart) among all the nations where Yahweh your God has driven you,
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.
2and return to Yahweh your God and obey his voice according to all that I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,
In plain English: and you return to Yahweh your God and obey his voice in everything I command you today, you and your children, with all your heart and with all your soul,
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.
3that then Yahweh your God will release you from captivity, have compassion on you, and will return and gather you from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you.
In plain English: then Yahweh your God will bring you back from captivity (or: restore your fortunes) and have compassion on you. He will gather you again from all the peoples where Yahweh your God has scattered you.
The Hebrew words: "Release you from captivity" is literally "turn back your captivity", with the word shevut. The dictionary gives it as "exile, concretely, prisoners; figuratively, a former state of prosperity".
How it is translated: This is the only verse in Deuteronomy with shevut. In the whole Bible this Bible says "captivity" in 17 of its 26 verses and "fortunes" in 7.
What changes: Read as "bring you back from captivity", the verse speaks of captives coming home. Read as "restore your fortunes", it speaks of Yahweh making things good again, as they were before. The rest of the verse speaks of gathering them from the peoples.
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.
4If your outcasts are in the uttermost parts of the heavens, from there Yahweh your God will gather you, and from there he will bring you back.
In plain English: Even if your outcasts are at the ends of the heavens, Yahweh your God will gather you from there and bring you back from there.
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.
5Yahweh your God will bring you into the land which your fathers possessed, and you will possess it. He will do you good, and increase your numbers more than your fathers.
In plain English: Yahweh your God will bring you into the land your fathers possessed, and you will possess it. He will do you good and make you more in number than your fathers.
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.
6Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart, and the heart of your offspring, to love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, that you may live.
In plain English: Yahweh your God will circumcise your heart and the heart of your offspring, so that you love Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul, and so that you live.
Good to know: In Moses tells the people, "Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart." Here he says that Yahweh will circumcise their heart. These are the only 2 verses in Deuteronomy with this Hebrew word for "circumcise".
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.
7Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you, who persecuted you.
In plain English: Yahweh your God will put all these curses on your enemies and on those who hate you and persecuted you.
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.
8You shall return and obey Yahweh’s voice, and do all his commandments which I command you today.
In plain English: You will return and obey Yahweh's voice, and do all his commandments that I command you 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.
9Yahweh your God will make you prosperous in all the work of your hand, in the fruit of your body, in the fruit of your livestock, and in the fruit of your ground, for good; for Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers,
In plain English: Yahweh your God will make you prosper in all the work of your hands, in the fruit of your body (literally: your womb), the young of your livestock, and the crops of your ground, for good. For Yahweh will again rejoice over you for good, as he rejoiced over your fathers,
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.
10if you will obey Yahweh your God’s voice, to keep his commandments and his statutes which are written in this book of the law, if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
In plain English: if you obey the voice of Yahweh your God and keep his commandments and his statutes written in this book of the law, and if you turn to Yahweh your God with all your heart and with all your soul.
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.
11For this commandment which I command you today is not too hard for you or too distant.
In plain English: This commandment that I command you today is not too hard for you, and it is not far away.
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.
12It is not in heaven, that you should say, “Who will go up for us to heaven, bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?”
In plain English: It is not in heaven, so that you would have to say, "Who will go up to heaven for us, bring it to us, and tell it to us, so that we can do it?"
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.
13Neither is it beyond the sea, that you should say, “Who will go over the sea for us, bring it to us, and proclaim it to us, that we may do it?”
In plain English: It is not beyond the sea, so that you would have to say, "Who will cross the sea for us, bring it to us, and tell it to us, so that we can do it?"
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.
14But the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, that you may do it.
In plain English: No, the word is very near to you, in your mouth and in your heart, so that you can do it.
Good to know: to uses words from verses 12 to 14 ("Who will ascend into heaven?", "The word is near you, in your mouth and in your heart") and says of the near word, "that is, the word of faith which we preach".
Church tradition: Jewish and Christian readers differ on how Paul's use in Romans fits these verses, and on what the law of Moses means for Christians. Here Moses says that the commandment he gives today is near, and that they can do it.
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.
15Behold, I have set before you today life and prosperity, and death and evil.
In plain English: Look, today I have set before you life and good (or: prosperity), and death and evil.
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.
16For I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his ordinances, that you may live and multiply, and that Yahweh your God may bless you in the land where you go in to possess it.
In plain English: I command you today to love Yahweh your God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments, his statutes, and his rules, so that you live and grow in number, and Yahweh your God blesses you in the land you are going into to possess.
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.
17But if your heart turns away, and you will not hear, but are drawn away and worship other gods, and serve them,
In plain English: But if your heart turns away and you will not listen, but are drawn away and bow down to other gods and serve 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.
18I declare to you today that you will surely perish. You will not prolong your days in the land where you pass over the Jordan to go in to possess it.
In plain English: I tell you today that you will surely perish. You will not live long in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to go in and possess.
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.
19I call heaven and earth to witness against you today that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. Therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your descendants,
In plain English: Today I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse. So choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,
Good to know: Moses calls heaven and earth as witnesses also in and , and the song in chapter 32 begins by calling on the heavens and the earth to listen ().
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.
20to love Yahweh your God, to obey his voice, and to cling to him; for he is your life, and the length of your days, that you may dwell in the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.
In plain English: by loving Yahweh your God, obeying his voice, and holding fast to him. For he is your life (or: that is your life) and the length of your days, so that you may live in the land Yahweh swore to give to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob.
The Hebrew word: "He is" is the small word hu, which the dictionary gives as "he (she or it)", and "sometimes (as demonstrative) this or that".
What changes: Read as "he is your life", Yahweh himself is their life. Read as "that is your life", loving and obeying him is what gives them life and long days in the 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.