Deuteronomy 6:25 kjv
And it shall be our righteousness, if we observe to do all these commandments before the LORD our God, as he hath commanded us.
Deuteronomy 6:25 nkjv
Then it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to observe all these commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded us.'
Deuteronomy 6:25 niv
And if we are careful to obey all this law before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us, that will be our righteousness."
Deuteronomy 6:25 esv
And it will be righteousness for us, if we are careful to do all this commandment before the LORD our God, as he has commanded us.'
Deuteronomy 6:25 nlt
For we will be counted as righteous when we obey all the commands the LORD our God has given us.'
Deuteronomy 6 25 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Lev 18:5 | You shall therefore keep my statutes and my rules; if a person does them, he shall live by them... | OT righteousness through obedience for life. |
| Eze 20:11 | I gave them my statutes and made known to them my rules, by which, if a person does them, he shall live. | Reiterates living by divine rules. |
| Ps 119:1-2 | Blessed are those whose way is blameless, who walk in the law of the LORD!... | Blessedness tied to keeping God's law. |
| Ps 119:9 | How can a young man keep his way pure? By guarding it according to your word. | Purity through adherence to God's word. |
| Ps 119:34 | Give me understanding, that I may keep your law and observe it with my whole heart. | Desire for understanding to obey wholeheartedly. |
| Prov 16:17 | The highway of the upright turns aside from evil; whoever guards his way preserves his life. | Wisdom teaching of uprightness and preservation. |
| Isa 1:19 | If you are willing and obedient, you shall eat the good of the land... | Covenant blessings contingent on obedience. |
| Ps 14:3 | They have all turned aside; together they have become corrupt; there is none who does good, not even one. | Universal human failure to perfectly obey. |
| Ps 143:2 | Enter not into judgment with your servant, for no one living is righteous before you. | No one can be justified by works alone before God. |
| Rom 3:20 | For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. | Law reveals sin, cannot justify. |
| Gal 3:11 | Now it is evident that no one is justified before God by the law, for 'The righteous shall live by faith.' | Justification is by faith, not law. |
| Rom 7:12 | So the law is holy, and the commandment is holy and righteous and good. | The law itself is good, but humanity is flawed. |
| Jer 13:23 | Can the Ethiopian change his skin or the leopard his spots? Then also you can do good who are accustomed to do evil. | Illustrates inability to change human nature. |
| Rom 1:17 | For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith for faith, as it is written, 'The righteous shall live by faith.' | Righteousness found through faith. |
| Rom 3:21-22 | But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law... through faith in Jesus Christ... | God's righteousness by faith in Christ. |
| Phil 3:9 | and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but that which comes through faith in Christ... | Paul renounces legal righteousness for Christ's. |
| Gal 2:16 | yet we know that a person is not justified by works of the law but through faith in Jesus Christ. | Justification is exclusively by faith in Christ. |
| 2 Cor 5:21 | For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God. | Believers receive God's righteousness in Christ. |
| Eph 2:8-9 | For by grace you have been saved through faith... not a result of works, so that no one may boast. | Salvation is a gift of grace through faith. |
| Matt 5:17-18 | Do not think that I have come to abolish the Law or the Prophets; I have not come to abolish them but to fulfill them. | Jesus fulfills the law, not abolishes it. |
| Rom 8:3-4 | For God has done what the law, weakened by the flesh, could not do... in order that the righteous requirement of the law might be fulfilled in us... | Christ enables believers to fulfill the law's righteous demands. |
| Tit 2:11-12 | For the grace of God has appeared, bringing salvation for all people, training us to renounce ungodliness... | Grace trains believers for godly living. |
| Jas 2:17 | So also faith by itself, if it does not have works, is dead. | Works demonstrate living faith. |
| 1 John 3:7 | Little children, let no one deceive you. Whoever practices righteousness is righteous, as he is righteous. | Practicing righteousness indicates true righteousness. |
Deuteronomy 6 verses
Deuteronomy 6 25 Meaning
Deuteronomy 6:25 declares that diligently observing and doing all of God's commandments before the LORD our God, as He has commanded, will be accounted as their righteousness. This means that for ancient Israel, faithful and comprehensive obedience to the Mosaic Law was the way they were to maintain a right standing and relationship with God within the covenant framework He established with them. This righteousness was not an inherent quality but a relational status affirmed by God based on their adherence to His revealed will.
Deuteronomy 6 25 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 6, often called the "Shema" (Hear!), is a pivotal chapter in the book, reiterating the core covenant obligations for Israel before their entry into the Promised Land. Moses, addressing a new generation, calls them to radical and singular devotion to the LORD their God, who delivered them from Egypt. He commands them to love God with all their heart, soul, and might (Dt 6:5) and to diligently teach these commands to their children (Dt 6:7). The chapter outlines the importance of remembering God's faithfulness, teaching the law diligently, and fearing God alone, in anticipation of a life in Canaan filled with prosperity, warning them not to forget God. Verse 25 concludes a section where Moses explains why these commandments are given, highlighting that future generations should ask about the meaning of these statutes (Dt 6:20). The response roots their purpose in God's saving acts (Dt 6:21-24) and frames obedience as resulting in their "righteousness." This verse sets forth the principle that right living, based on the covenant, confirms their identity and right relationship with their covenant God.
Deuteronomy 6 25 Word analysis
- And it shall be our righteousness:
- "righteousness": Hebrew צְדָקָה (tzedakah). This term means more than mere ethical uprightness. In this covenantal context, it signifies a right standing or right relationship with God. It is God who declares them "righteous" or "just" (acquitted, in good standing) based on their diligent observance of His commands. This is not about earning salvation but about being in conformity with the divine will within the established covenant relationship. It points to a corporate, covenantal, and behavioral understanding of righteousness.
- if we observe to do all these commandments:
- "observe to do": Hebrew לִשְׁמֹר לַעֲשׂוֹת (lishmor la'asot). Lishmor means "to guard, watch, keep, preserve." La'asot means "to do, make, perform." The combination emphasizes not only careful adherence and attentiveness to the law but also active performance. It's not passive knowledge but diligent application and practice.
- "all these commandments": Hebrew כָּל־הַמִּצְוָה הַזֹּאת (kol-hammitzvah hazzot). The stress on "all" (kol) signifies comprehensiveness and totality. It underscores that partial obedience is not enough; the covenant demands complete submission to God's instructions. This totality highlights the seriousness of their commitment.
- before the LORD our God:
- Hebrew לִפְנֵי יְהוָה אֱלֹהֵינוּ (lifnei YHWH Eloheinu). "Before" here implies that their obedience is not for mere societal benefit or human approval, but is performed consciously in God's sight, as a direct act of worship and covenant fidelity to Him. It establishes God as the witness, judge, and the one whose favor is sought through this obedience. It grounds the act in a relationship with their covenant God (YHWH Eloheinu).
- as he hath commanded us:
- This phrase emphasizes divine authority and initiation. Their obedience is not arbitrary or self-derived, but is a direct response to God's specific, revealed will. It highlights that the commands are divine and authoritative, originating from the One who saved them and with whom they are in covenant.
Deuteronomy 6 25 Bonus section
The concept of "tzedakah" (righteousness) in Deuteronomy, and the Old Testament broadly, often encompasses actions of justice and social welfare. While Dt 6:25 specifically links it to covenant obedience (keeping statutes), this obedience was never separated from the ethical demands to love neighbor and care for the vulnerable (e.g., justice for the orphan, widow, sojourner throughout Deut). Thus, their "righteousness" before God included their ethical conduct towards one another, as commanded by the law. Furthermore, this corporate righteousness applied to the nation as a whole; Israel's corporate standing depended on their collective obedience. Failure led to corporate judgment. The verse speaks to a nation, reminding them of their corporate responsibility to reflect God's holiness through their distinct obedience among the nations.
Deuteronomy 6 25 Commentary
Deuteronomy 6:25 presents the foundational principle of righteousness under the Mosaic Covenant. For Israel, their right standing before God was inextricably linked to their obedient fulfillment of His commandments. This righteousness was not an internal moral perfection or inherent goodness, but a relational status that God bestowed upon them as they faithfully lived according to the covenant He had given. The verse emphasizes that this obedience must be comprehensive ("all these commandments"), active ("observe to do"), and God-focused ("before the LORD our God").
While this verse defines righteousness within the Old Covenant, it is crucial to understand its fulfillment and transformation in the New Covenant through Christ. The Old Testament repeatedly shows Israel's failure to perfectly keep "all these commandments," revealing the law's inability to ultimately justify humanity (Rom 3:20). This highlights humanity's need for a righteousness that comes from God by a different means. In the New Covenant, Jesus Christ fulfills the law, providing the perfect obedience and atonement that humanity could not (Matt 5:17). Righteousness is now imputed to believers by God through faith in Christ, not through works of the law (Rom 3:21-26; Phil 3:9). However, this imputed righteousness does not nullify the call to obedience. Instead, it enables it. True faith is active and results in "works of righteousness" that are Spirit-empowered expressions of gratitude and love, not attempts to earn salvation (Eph 2:10; Jas 2:17-26). Deuteronomy 6:25, therefore, sets the stage for understanding both the purpose of the Law in revealing God's will and sin, and the necessity of a Savior to perfectly fulfill its demands on humanity's behalf.