Deuteronomy 30:16 kjv
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.
Deuteronomy 30:16 nkjv
in that I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in His ways, and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His judgments, that you may live and multiply; and the LORD your God will bless you in the land which you go to possess.
Deuteronomy 30:16 niv
For I command you today to love the LORD your God, to walk in obedience to him, and to keep his commands, decrees and laws; then you will live and increase, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land you are entering to possess.
Deuteronomy 30:16 esv
If you obey the commandments of the LORD your God that I command you today, by loving the LORD your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules, then you shall live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you in the land that you are entering to take possession of it.
Deuteronomy 30:16 nlt
For I command you this day to love the LORD your God and to keep his commands, decrees, and regulations by walking in his ways. If you do this, you will live and multiply, and the LORD your God will bless you and the land you are about to enter and occupy.
Deuteronomy 30 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Love for God | ||
| Dt 6:5 | "You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart... soul and... might." | The foundational command to love God wholly. |
| Dt 10:12 | "...to love him, to walk in all his ways and to serve the Lord your God." | Love for God necessitates walking in His ways. |
| Mt 22:37-38 | "'You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart...'" | Jesus affirms the greatest commandment. |
| 1 Jn 5:3 | "For this is the love of God, that we keep his commandments." | Love for God is defined by obedience. |
| Walking in His Ways & Keeping Commands | ||
| Dt 8:6 | "So you shall keep the commandments of the Lord your God, walking in his ways..." | Direct correlation between keeping commands and walking in His ways. |
| Dt 11:13 | "...to love the Lord your God and to serve him with all your heart... keep his commandments..." | Conditions for rain and blessing are active love and service. |
| Ps 1:1-3 | "Blessed is the man... [who] delights in the law of the Lord... and whatever he does prospers." | Meditating on God's law leads to fruitfulness. |
| Prov 3:1-2 | "My son, do not forget my teaching... for length of days and years of life..." | Keeping commands brings long life and peace. |
| Jn 14:15 | "If you love me, you will keep my commandments." | Christ emphasizes love evidenced by obedience. |
| 2 Jn 1:6 | "And this is love, that we walk according to his commandments..." | Repeating the New Testament emphasis on walking in obedience as love. |
| Eph 2:10 | "For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them." | We are created in Christ for good works/His ways. |
| Life & Multiplied Blessings | ||
| Lev 18:5 | "You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them..." | Obedience to statutes and rules grants life. |
| Dt 4:1 | "So now, O Israel, listen to the statutes... that you may live, and go in..." | Heeding laws leads to life and entry into the land. |
| Dt 5:33 | "...that you may live, and that it may go well with you, and that you may prolong your days in the land..." | Obedience brings well-being and long life in the land. |
| Rom 10:5 | "For Moses writes about the righteousness that comes from the law, that 'The person who does the commandments shall live by them.'" | Citing the Mosaic principle of life through law. |
| Ez 20:11 | "...I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live." | God's statutes are for life. |
| Gal 3:12 | "But the law is not of faith, rather, 'The one who does them shall live by them.'" | Contrasting law and faith, acknowledging law's promise of life. |
| Possession of the Land | ||
| Gen 12:7 | "Then the Lord appeared to Abram and said, 'To your offspring I will give this land.'" | The initial promise of the land to Abraham's descendants. |
| Dt 9:5 | "Not because of your righteousness... but because of the wickedness of these nations the Lord your God is driving them out before you..." | Entry to land not based on merit, but grace and judgment on others. |
| Ps 37:29 | "The righteous shall inherit the land and dwell upon it forever." | Righteousness is linked to inheriting the land. |
| Mt 5:5 | "Blessed are the meek, for they shall inherit the earth." | Jesus' spiritualizing of the land promise. |
| Heb 11:8-10 | "By faith Abraham obeyed... and he went out, not knowing where he was going. For he was looking forward to the city that has foundations..." | Faith leads to seeking a better, heavenly land/city. |
| Rev 21:1-4 | "...new heaven and a new earth... God himself will be with them as their God." | The ultimate fulfillment in the new creation. |
Deuteronomy 30 verses
Deuteronomy 30 16 Meaning
Deuteronomy 30:16 articulates God's central command to Israel, calling them to active and loyal love for the Lord their God. This love is to be expressed through a consistent lifestyle of obedience to His revealed will, specifically by walking in His ways and keeping His commandments, statutes, and rules. The ultimate purpose and direct consequence of this covenant obedience are defined blessings: to live (experience spiritual and physical vitality), to multiply (increase in numbers and prosperity), and to be divinely blessed in the promised land that they were about to inherit and possess. It presents a clear choice with life-affirming consequences tied to faithful allegiance.
Deuteronomy 30 16 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 30 forms the climax of Moses' second speech, which is a call to covenant renewal with the generation about to enter the Promised Land. This chapter presents Israel with a stark choice: blessing or curse, life or death, contingent upon their obedience or disobedience to God's covenant stipulations. Verses 15-20 summarize this pivotal choice, laying out the consequences of choosing God and His ways versus turning away from Him. Verse 16 specifically reiterates the content of the covenant command and the immediate benefits associated with it, serving as an encouragement before Moses makes his final impassioned plea in verse 19 to "choose life." Historically, it prepares the nation for their responsibilities and blessings as they transition from wilderness wanderings to life in the land of Canaan, emphasizing that their continued prosperity and dwelling in the land are conditional on their fidelity to God.
Deuteronomy 30 16 Word analysis
- in that I command you today: This phrase highlights the present, direct, and authoritative nature of the divine mandate. "Today" (
הַיּוֹם- hayyom) emphasizes urgency and immediate relevance to that generation, yet its principles remain timeless. It stresses a fresh encounter with God's will. - to love the Lord your God:
אָהֵב(ahav) means "to love," but in this covenantal context, it signifies a deep commitment, loyalty, and allegiance that expresses itself in active obedience, not merely an emotion. It echoes the Great Commandment of Dt 6:5, presenting love as the foundation of all other commands. - to walk in His ways:
לָלֶכֶת בִּדְרָכָיו(lalekhet bidrakhav) literally "to go in His paths."דֶּרֶךְ(derekh) refers to a path, road, or way of life/conduct. This means aligning one's entire lifestyle, actions, and character with God's nature and revealed will, reflecting His values and principles in daily living. It implies sustained, intentional conduct. - and to keep His commandments, His statutes, and His rules: These three terms specify the scope of the obedience.
- commandments:
מִצְוֹתָיו(mitzvotav) - General divine commands or instructions. - statutes:
חֻקּוֹתָיו(chuqqotav) - Established decrees, often having a permanent or fixed nature, sometimes associated with ritual or cultic laws. - rules:
מִשְׁפָּטָיו(mishpatav) - Judgments, ordinances, or legal decisions, often pertaining to justice, civil order, and societal interactions.Together, they encapsulate the totality of God's revealed Law, requiring comprehensive obedience across all areas of life—moral, ceremonial, and civil.
- commandments:
- that you may live and multiply: This states the immediate, tangible benefits of obedience.
- live:
וְחָיִיתָ(vechayita) means "and you shall live." This refers to both physical life (avoiding premature death, war, famine) and a full, flourishing, vital life (חָיָה- chayah) – blessed existence, well-being. - multiply:
וּרְבִיתָ(u'revita) means "and you shall be multiplied." This relates to fertility, increased population, prosperity, and the expansion of the covenant community.
- live:
- and the Lord your God will bless you:
וּבֵרַכְךָ יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ(u'verakhkha Yahweh Eloheykha).בָּרַךְ(barakh) signifies divine favor, provision, prosperity, and bestowal of good. It's an overarching promise encompassing all forms of well-being, both material and spiritual. - in the land that you are entering to take possession of it: The specific geographical context of the promise, the land of Canaan (
אֶרֶץ- eretz), promised to their ancestors. This emphasizes that their tenure and prosperity in the land were contingent upon their ongoing covenant faithfulness.לְרִשְׁתָּהּ(le'rishtah) "to possess it" (יָרַשׁ- yarash) highlights the idea of inheritance and occupancy.
Deuteronomy 30 16 Bonus section
The verse powerfully presents a covenantal reciprocity, yet it is rooted in God's prior initiative and grace. God commands because He first loved and chose them. The blessings outlined—life, multiplication, and the land—are not earned wages but rather the fruit of a faithful relationship enabled by God. This passage anticipates the internal transformation prophesied later in Ezekiel and Jeremiah, where God promises to put His law within their hearts, making obedience possible not just externally, but from genuine desire (Jer 31:33, Ez 36:26-27). Thus, while it lays out the choice for life through obedience, it also subtly points to God's ultimate desire to empower that obedience.
Deuteronomy 30 16 Commentary
Deuteronomy 30:16 profoundly establishes the essence of Israel's relationship with God under the Mosaic covenant. It asserts that true love for the Lord is not merely a sentiment but a demonstrated loyalty expressed through comprehensive obedience to His will. This means actively embracing His way of life ("walk in His ways") and diligently observing the specifics of His commands, statutes, and rules. God's demands are not arbitrary but purposeful, aiming for the well-being of His people. The verse outlines direct, tangible blessings that are the natural consequence of such faithfulness: flourishing life, sustained multiplication, and divine favor within the Promised Land. This prosperity and secure habitation are intrinsically linked to their covenant fidelity. While tied to a specific historical and geographical context for ancient Israel, the underlying theological principle resonates through all Scripture: genuine devotion to God is inseparable from humble obedience to His Word, leading to true flourishing and experiencing His favor in the sphere of life He provides. This concept finds its ultimate fulfillment and spiritual depth in the New Covenant through Christ, where obedience flows from a heart transformed by grace, leading to spiritual life and an eternal inheritance.