Deuteronomy 6 10

Deuteronomy 6:10 kjv

And it shall be, when the LORD thy God shall have brought thee into the land which he sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give thee great and goodly cities, which thou buildedst not,

Deuteronomy 6:10 nkjv

"So it shall be, when the LORD your God brings you into the land of which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, to give you large and beautiful cities which you did not build,

Deuteronomy 6:10 niv

When the LORD your God brings you into the land he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, to give you?a land with large, flourishing cities you did not build,

Deuteronomy 6:10 esv

"And when the LORD your God brings you into the land that he swore to your fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give you ? with great and good cities that you did not build,

Deuteronomy 6:10 nlt

"The LORD your God will soon bring you into the land he swore to give you when he made a vow to your ancestors Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. It is a land with large, prosperous cities that you did not build.

Deuteronomy 6 verses

Deuteronomy 6 10 Meaning

Deuteronomy 6:10 articulates the fulfillment of God's ancient covenant promises to Israel's patriarchs, where the Lord will bring the people into the land of Canaan. This land will provide them with established blessings, specifically "great and goodly cities" and other provisions, which they did not build or cultivate themselves. This verse highlights God's faithfulness and the unmerited nature of Israel's forthcoming inheritance, setting the foundational truth for the subsequent warnings against forgetting the Lord in times of prosperity.

Deuteronomy 6 10 Context

Deuteronomy 6 falls within Moses's second address to Israel, delivered on the plains of Moab just before they cross into the Promised Land. This chapter immediately follows the declaration of the Shema (vv. 4-9), which emphasizes the singular identity of Yahweh and calls for total, unwavering love for Him. Verses 10-19 then introduce a critical section that addresses the potential spiritual dangers of prosperity in the new land. Specifically, verse 10 sets the scene by detailing the rich inheritance Israel is about to receive, one characterized by blessings they did not earn or prepare. This highlights God's boundless grace and faithfulness, but also immediately frames the subsequent warning: receiving unmerited abundance carries the risk of forgetting the Provider. The historical context shows Israel at the cusp of entering Canaan, a fertile land inhabited by established peoples with their own developed infrastructure and pagan deities, against which the Israelites must be distinct.

Deuteronomy 6 10 Word analysis

• And it shall come to pass (וְהָיָה - vehayah): A common Hebrew prophetic or transitional idiom. It denotes certainty and often introduces a new stage or development. Here, it emphasizes the sure fulfillment of God's promise.
• when the LORD your God (יְהוָה אֱלֹהֶיךָ - YHWH Eloheykha):
  • LORD (YHWH): The covenant name of God, emphasizing His personal, relational, and unchanging faithfulness to His promises.
  • your God (אֱלֹהֶיךָ - Eloheykha): Denotes His sovereignty as Creator and Ruler, but made intimate and specific as their God through the covenant. This combination highlights both His omnipotence and His unique bond with Israel.
• brings you (מֵבִיאֲךָ - mevi'akha): An active verb indicating God's direct, personal agency. Israel's entry into the land is not a human accomplishment but a divine act.
• into the land (אֶל הָאָרֶץ - el ha'aretz): Refers specifically to Canaan, the geographic and spiritual heart of the Abrahamic covenant promises. It is the destination and fulfillment of their journey from Egypt.
• which He swore (אֲשֶׁר נִשְׁבַּע - asher nishba): Highlights the solemnity and unbreakable nature of God's covenant oath. An oath from God guarantees its performance.
• to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob: Directly links the present generation to the foundational, generational promises made to the patriarchs. This establishes continuity of divine faithfulness through history.
• to give you (לָתֶת לָךְ - latet lakh): Emphasizes God's generous act of provision. The land and its riches are a gracious gift, not something earned or owed.
• great and goodly cities (עָרִים גְּדֹלֹת וְטֹבוֹת - arim gedolot vetovot):
  • great (גְּדֹלֹת - gedolot): Implying size, strength, and strategic importance, signifying established urban centers.
  • goodly (וְטֹבוֹת - vetovot): Signifying desirable, prosperous, well-built, and well-provisioned cities. This is not about building new settlements but inheriting thriving ones.
• which you did not build (אֲשֶׁר לֹא בָנִיתָ - asher lo banita): This is a crucial qualifying phrase. It starkly emphasizes the unearned nature of the blessings. The prosperity Israel is about to receive comes from the labor of others and is a direct, undeserved gift from God, contrasting with human efforts to build prosperity. This forms the basis for the warning in the following verses against pride and forgetting the Giver.

Words-group by words-group analysis:

• "And it shall come to pass, when the LORD your God brings you": This initial phrase establishes divine initiative and certainty. The sovereign God, Yahweh, is personally and actively bringing them. It underscores His covenant power and love.
• "into the land which He swore to your fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob": This clearly identifies the land as the promised inheritance and firmly roots its bestowal in the ancient, unchangeable covenant made with the patriarchs. It's an act of divine faithfulness across generations.
• "to give you great and goodly cities which you did not build": This central phrase reveals the nature of the promised inheritance. It is not a wilderness but a land of established wealth and comfort. The emphasis on "which you did not build" profoundly communicates that their upcoming prosperity is solely due to God's gracious provision, setting the stage for the ethical injunctions against pride and forgetfulness. It serves as a direct polemic against any notion that their prosperity results from their own merit or local deities.

Deuteronomy 6 10 Bonus section

• The concept of inheriting "cities which you did not build" also points to the pre-existence of God's plans and provisions for His people. It’s not just about what they will receive, but that God had prepared it for them long before.
• This verse can be seen as an archetype for God's blessings that come not from human effort, but from divine grace and pre-planned provision. In a spiritual sense, believers inherit spiritual blessings (salvation, eternal life, spiritual gifts) through Christ that they did not earn or build (Eph 2:8-9).
• The emphasis on "fathers, to Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob" ensures that the new generation entering the land understands their present blessings are a continuation and fulfillment of an ancient divine purpose, not merely a new, disconnected event.
• This instruction against forgetting God in prosperity has ongoing relevance. It speaks to the temptation in any generation to become complacent or prideful when things are going well, and to slowly drift away from the foundational truths and the God who blessed them.

Deuteronomy 6 10 Commentary

Deuteronomy 6:10 is a pivotal verse that undergirds Moses's exhortation to Israel as they stand on the threshold of the Promised Land. It functions as a powerful reminder of God's absolute faithfulness to His covenant vows made generations earlier. The phrase "great and goodly cities which you did not build" is particularly significant. It vividly paints a picture of an inheritance beyond imagination—not barren land they must toil to make productive, but well-developed, prosperous urban centers ready for their occupation. This highlights the truly gracious, unmerited nature of divine blessing.

This unearned prosperity is precisely what makes the subsequent warning in Deuteronomy 6:11-12 so vital. Moses understands human nature: when blessings come too easily, there is a profound temptation to forget the Source. The ease with which they would inherit such wealth could lead to self-reliance, spiritual apathy, and eventually, the worship of other gods or an attribution of their prosperity to their own strength or local Canaanite deities. The verse preemptively corrects any thought that Israel’s future abundance is a result of their efforts, skill, or worthiness, constantly pointing them back to Yahweh, the covenant-keeping God. It’s a profound theological statement: our greatest blessings often come as unmerited gifts, demanding humility and consistent remembrance of the Giver. This divine act of bestowing an unearned inheritance demands an ethical response of undivided love and obedience to God, ensuring that physical blessings lead to spiritual devotion rather than decline.