Deuteronomy 15:5 kjv
Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.
Deuteronomy 15:5 nkjv
only if you carefully obey the voice of the LORD your God, to observe with care all these commandments which I command you today.
Deuteronomy 15:5 niv
if only you fully obey the LORD your God and are careful to follow all these commands I am giving you today.
Deuteronomy 15:5 esv
if only you will strictly obey the voice of the LORD your God, being careful to do all this commandment that I command you today.
Deuteronomy 15:5 nlt
You will receive this blessing if you are careful to obey all the commands of the LORD your God that I am giving you today.
Deuteronomy 15 5 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Deut 28:1-2 | "If you diligently obey the voice of the Lord your God... all these blessings shall come upon you..." | Blessings tied to diligent obedience. |
| Lev 26:3-4 | "If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments... I will give your rains in their season..." | Covenant blessings conditional on obedience. |
| Exod 19:5 | "Now therefore, if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you shall be My treasured possession..." | Foundation of the Sinai covenant condition. |
| Deut 11:26-28 | "See, I am setting before you today a blessing and a curse: the blessing, if you obey... and the curse, if you do not obey..." | Clear dichotomy of obedience outcomes. |
| Josh 1:7-8 | "Only be strong and very courageous, being careful to do according to all the law... that you may have success wherever you go." | Success dependent on doing God's law. |
| Psa 1:1-3 | "Blessed is the man who walks not in the counsel of the wicked... but his delight is in the law of the Lord... and whatever he does prospers." | Blessedness found in delighting and meditating on God's law. |
| Psa 119:1-2 | "Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the Lord! Blessed are those who keep His testimonies, who seek Him with their whole heart..." | Focus on keeping God's laws wholeheartedly. |
| 1 Sam 15:22 | "Has the Lord as great delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices, as in obeying the voice of the Lord? Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice..." | Obedience valued above ritual offerings. |
| Isa 1:19 | "If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land..." | Prosperity promised to the willing and obedient. |
| Jer 7:23 | "But this command I gave them: ‘Obey My voice, and I will be your God, and you shall be My people. And walk in all the way that I command you, that it may be well with you.’" | Core relationship defined by obedience. |
| Ezek 36:27 | "And I will put My Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes and be careful to obey My rules." | God enables future obedience through His Spirit. |
| Mal 3:10 | "Bring the whole tithe into the storehouse... and test Me now in this, says the Lord of hosts, if I will not open for you the windows of heaven and pour out for you a blessing..." | Specific example of blessing tied to obedience (tithing). |
| Matt 7:24-27 | "Everyone then who hears these words of Mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on the rock..." | Jesus' teaching on the importance of 'doing' His words. |
| Jas 1:22-25 | "But be doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving yourselves." | Emphasis on active doing rather than mere hearing. |
| Rom 2:13 | "For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but the doers of the law who will be justified." | Righteousness comes from obeying the law. |
| John 14:15 | "If you love Me, you will keep My commandments." | Obedience as a demonstration of love for Christ. |
| Heb 3:7-8 | "Therefore, as the Holy Spirit says, 'Today, if you hear His voice, do not harden your hearts as in the rebellion...'" | Urgency of hearing and responding to God's voice. |
| Deut 6:24-25 | "And the Lord commanded us to do all these statutes... for our good always, that He might preserve us alive..." | Obedience for Israel's good and preservation. |
| Deut 4:1-2 | "Now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules that I am teaching you... You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it..." | Implies comprehensive obedience to "all this commandment." |
| 1 Kgs 11:38 | "And if you will listen to all that I command you and will walk in My ways, and do what is right in My eyes by keeping My statutes and My commandments..." | Similar conditional language for an individual's reign. |
| Acts 5:29 | "But Peter and the apostles answered, 'We must obey God rather than men.'" | Primacy of obeying God's voice/commands. |
| Phil 2:12-13 | "Therefore, my beloved, as you have always obeyed, so now much more in My absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling, for it is God who works in you..." | Believers are called to ongoing obedience. |
Deuteronomy 15 verses
Deuteronomy 15 5 Meaning
Deuteronomy 15:5 posits a direct correlation between Israel's scrupulous obedience to God's commandments and the flow of His blessings, specifically implying the fulfillment of the preceding promise of no poor among them. It emphasizes that this desired state of national prosperity and well-being is entirely conditional upon their active and wholehearted adherence to every instruction given by Yahweh.
Deuteronomy 15 5 Context
Deuteronomy 15 forms part of Moses' farewell speeches to the second generation of Israelites before they enter the Promised Land. This chapter specifically details laws concerning the "Year of Release" (the Sabbatical year), which mandated the cancellation of debts among Israelites (vv. 1-6) and the release of Hebrew slaves (vv. 12-18). Verse 5 acts as a critical bridge, setting the condition for the ideal economic state envisioned in verse 4 ("there will be no poor among you")—namely, complete and earnest obedience to God's entire covenant. It establishes that the blessings promised to Israel are not automatic but are contingent upon their faithfulness. The broader Deuteronomic context consistently links the well-being and prosperity of the nation in the land to their careful adherence to God's law, contrasting this with the practices and beliefs of the surrounding pagan nations where blessings were sought through various non-covenantal means.
Deuteronomy 15 5 Word analysis
- רק (rak): 'Only if,' 'provided that.' This Hebrew adverb emphasizes a strong condition, highlighting that the fulfillment of the previous promise (no poor) is exclusively dependent on Israel's full obedience. It negates other possible routes to prosperity, underlining divine sovereignty and their direct relationship.
- אם (im): 'If.' Introducing a conditional clause, pointing to a necessary prerequisite for what follows.
- שָׁמוֹעַ תִּשְׁמַע (shamoa tishmá): 'Diligently obey,' 'surely listen,' 'hear indeed.' This is an infinitive absolute combined with a finite verb (often called an intensive construction in Hebrew grammar). It stresses the completeness, earnestness, and totality of the listening and obeying. It implies not just hearing with the ears but truly taking heed, understanding, and committing to action from the heart.
- בְּקוֹל (beqol): 'To the voice of.' 'Qol' (voice) signifies not just sound, but communication, command, and authority. To obey "the voice" is to obey the speaker's authoritative word and instruction.
- יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ (Yahweh Eloheykha): 'The Lord your God.' 'Yahweh' is God's covenant name, signifying His personal, redemptive relationship with Israel. 'Eloheykha' (your God) makes it specific and intimate. This phrase identifies the unique source of authority and truth, distinguishing Him from any other purported deity.
- לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת (lishmor la'asot): 'To keep and to do,' 'to observe and to perform.' These two verbs often appear together in Deuteronomy. 'Shamar' (keep/observe) implies guarding, protecting, preserving, or faithfully holding onto a command, suggesting careful internal adherence. 'Asah' (do/perform) signifies carrying out the command in practical action and daily life. Both inner disposition and outward conduct are required.
- אֶת-כָּל-הַמִּצְוָה (et-kol-ha-mitzvah): 'All this commandment,' 'the entirety of this command.' 'Kol' (all) signifies completeness; nothing is to be omitted. 'Mitzvah' (commandment) here likely refers not to a single precept but to the whole body of laws and instructions Moses is delivering in Deuteronomy, encompassing ethical, social, and ritual commands. This requires comprehensive obedience, leaving no room for selective adherence.
- הַזֹּאת (ha-zot): 'This.' Referring to the specific and entire corpus of laws being conveyed by Moses.
- אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ הַיּוֹם (asher anokhi metzavveka ha-yom): 'Which I command you today.' 'Anokhi' (I) highlights the divine authority behind the commands, channeled through Moses. 'Metzavveka' (command you) uses a verb implying forceful, authoritative instruction. 'Ha-yom' (today) emphasizes the immediacy, urgency, and ongoing relevance of the covenant for the current generation, reminding them of their present responsibility and the contemporary demand for faithfulness.
Deuteronomy 15 5 Bonus section
This verse encapsulates a fundamental Deuteronomic theology: the well-being of the nation is tied to its spiritual faithfulness. This theological framework directly countered the prevailing Canaanite mindset where fertility and prosperity were attributed to various Baal and Ashtoreth cults, often through immoral practices. Deuteronomy asserts that the true source of all blessing is Yahweh, and His blessings are received through moral and ethical obedience, not pagan rituals or appeasement of multiple gods. The specific phrase "I command you today" reiterates Moses' authority as God's mediator, reminding the Israelites that the covenant is a present, living reality requiring ongoing commitment from each generation. This also prepares the ground for understanding future prophetic messages, which consistently called Israel back to the "voice of the Lord."
Deuteronomy 15 5 Commentary
Deuteronomy 15:5 acts as the crucial qualification for the preceding promise of a poverty-free society within Israel (Deut 15:4). The verse unequivocally states that this blessed condition is not guaranteed automatically but is contingent upon Israel's meticulous and unreserved obedience to the entirety of God's commands. The language "diligently obey" (an intensified Hebrew construction) and "careful to do all this commandment" highlights the demand for a comprehensive, heartfelt, and active commitment to every facet of God's law. This is a deliberate polemic against any notion that blessings arise from mere presence in the land, external ritual, or human effort alone; instead, it underscores that the source of Israel's national prosperity and well-being flows directly from their covenant relationship with Yahweh, defined by faithful hearing and doing His authoritative word. This principle of conditional blessing through obedience resonates throughout the Law and the Prophets, establishing the pattern for Israel's historical successes and failures.