Deuteronomy 4:6

Deuteronomy 4:6 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.
• New International Version (NIV)Observe them carefully, for this will show your wisdom and understanding to the nations, who will hear about all these decrees and say, “Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.”
• English Standard Version (ESV)Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, 'Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.'
• New King James Version (NKJV)Therefore be careful to observe them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples who will hear all these statutes, and say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’

Context of Deuteronomy 4:6

4But you were loyal to the Lord your God and are still alive today. 5I have taught you laws and rules as the Lord my God commanded me. You must obey them when you’ve entered the land and taken possession of it. Faithfully obey these laws. This will show the people of the world your wisdom and insight. When they hear about all these laws, they will say, “What wise and insightful people there are in this great nation!” 7What great nation ever had their gods as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we pray to him? 8Or what other great nation has such fair laws and rules as all these teachings I am giving you today?

Deuteronomy 4:6 word by word

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֒ כִּ֣י הִ֤וא חָכְמַתְכֶם֙ וּבִ֣ינַתְכֶ֔ם לְעֵינֵ֖י הָעַמִּ֑ים אֲשֶׁ֣ר יִשְׁמְע֗וּן אֵ֚ת כָּל־הַחֻקִּ֣ים הָאֵ֔לֶּה וְאָמְר֗וּ רַ֚ק עַם־חָכָ֣ם וְנָב֔וֹן הַגּ֥וֹי הַגָּד֖וֹל הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
• therefore and doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• your wisdomחׇכְמָהchokmâh · wisdomH2451
• and your understandingבִּינָהbîynâh · understandingH998
• in the sightעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eye: seeingH5869
• of the nationsעַם‛am · peopleH5971
• which shall hearשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• all these statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
• and sayאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
• Surely this greatגָּדוֹלgâdôl gâdôl · great: largeH1419
• nationגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
• a wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• and understandingבִּיןbîyn · to understandH995

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:6

• Job 28:28So he told humans, ‘The fear of the Lord is wisdom! To stay away from evil is understanding.’ ”
• Psalms 19:7The teachings of the Lord are perfect. They renew the soul. The testimony of the Lord is dependable. It makes gullible people wise.
• Psalms 111:10The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. Good sense is shown by everyone who follows ⌞God’s guiding principles⌟. His praise continues forever.
• Psalms 119:98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, because your commandments are always with me.
• Proverbs 1:7The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge. Stubborn fools despise wisdom and discipline.
• Proverbs 14:8The wisdom of a sensible person guides his way of life, but the stupidity of fools misleads them.
• Jeremiah 8:9Wise people are put to shame, confused, and trapped. They have rejected the Lord’s word. They don’t really have any wisdom.
• 2 Timothy 3:15From infancy you have known the Holy Scriptures. They have the power to give you wisdom so that you can be saved through faith in Christ Jesus.
• James 3:13Do any of you have wisdom and insight? Show this by living the right way with the humility that comes from wisdom.
• 1 Kings 4:34People came from every nation to hear his wisdom; they came from all the kings of the earth who had heard about his wisdom.
• 1 Kings 10:6She told the king, “What I heard in my country about your words and your wisdom is true!
• Psalms 119:99I have more insight than all my teachers, because your written instructions are in my thoughts.
• Daniel 1:20Whenever the king asked them about things that required wisdom and insight, he found that they knew ten times more than all the magicians and psychics in his whole kingdom.
• Daniel 4:9“Belteshazzar, head of the magicians, I know the spirit of the holy gods is in you. No secret is too hard for you ⌞to uncover⌟. Tell me the meaning of the visions I had in my dream.
• Daniel 5:11There’s a man in your kingdom who has the spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your grandfather, he was found to have insight, good judgment, and wisdom like the wisdom of the gods. Your grandfather, King Nebuchadnezzar, made him head of the magicians, psychics, astrologers, and fortunetellers.
• Zechariah 8:20This is what the Lord of Armies says: People and citizens from many cities are going to come.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:6

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Keep - and do them; for this is your wisdom - There was no mode of worship at this time on the face or the earth that was not wicked, obscene, puerile, foolish, or ridiculous, except that established by God himself among the Israelites. And every part of this, taken in its connection and reference, may be truly called a wise and reasonable service. The nations - and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people - Almost all the nations…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6Observe … wisdom and intelligence: Wisdom is linked to obedience. Obeying the Lord is the essence of wisdom (see 10:12–13; Proverbs 1:7; 9:10; 15:33). If God’s people were wise and careful enough to keep the Lord’s perfect covenant, the nations would see this and be amazed. Their obedience would display God’s wisdom to the world.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 5-65-6. this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes--Moses predicted that the faithful observance of the laws given them would raise their national character for intelligence and wisdom. In point of fact it did do so; for although the heathen world generally ridiculed the Hebrews for what they considered a foolish and absurd exclusiveness, some of the most eminent philosophers expressed the…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:6

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Obedience
• Wisdom
• Word of God

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Consider
• Consuming
• Diminish
• Furnace
• Hearken
• Baruch, Book of
• Deuteronomy
• Law in the Old Testament
• Pentateuch

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings