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 who remained faithful to the Lord your God are still alive to this very day, every one of you. 5Look! I have taught you statutes and ordinances just as the Lord my God told me to do, so that you might carry them out in the land you are about to enter and possess. So be sure to do them, because this will testify of your wise understanding to the people who will learn of all these statutes and say, “Indeed, this great nation is a very wise people.” 7In fact, what other great nation has a god so near to them like the Lord our God whenever we call on him? 8And what other great nation has statutes and ordinances as just as this whole law that I am about to share with 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 28:28And he said to mankind, ‘The fear of the Lord – that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
• Psalms 19:7The law of the Lord is perfect and preserves one’s life. The rules set down by the Lord are reliable and impart wisdom to the inexperienced.
• Psalms 111:10To obey the Lord is the fundamental principle for wise living; all who carry out his precepts acquire good moral insight. He will receive praise forever.
• Psalms 119:98Your commandments make me wiser than my enemies, for I am always aware of them.
• Proverbs 1:7Fearing the Lord is the beginning of moral knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
• Proverbs 14:8The wisdom of the shrewd person is to discern his way, but the folly of fools is deception.
• Jeremiah 8:9Your wise men will be put to shame. They will be dumbfounded and be brought to judgment. Since they have rejected the word of the Lord, what wisdom do they really have?
• 2 Timothy 3:15and how from infancy you have known the holy writings, which are able to give you wisdom for salvation through faith in Christ Jesus.
• James 3:13Who is wise and understanding among you? By his good conduct he should show his works done in the gentleness that wisdom brings.
• 1 Kings 4:34People from all nations came to hear Solomon’s display of wisdom; they came from all the kings of the earth who heard about his wisdom.
• 1 Kings 10:6She said to the king, “The report I heard in my own country about your wise sayings and insight was true!
• Psalms 119:99I have more insight than all my teachers, for I meditate on your rules.
• Daniel 1:20In every matter of wisdom and insight the king asked them about, he found them to be ten times better than any of the magicians and astrologers that were in his entire empire.
• Daniel 4:9saying, “Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, in whom I know there to be a spirit of the holy gods and whom no mystery baffles, consider my dream that I saw and set forth its interpretation!
• Daniel 5:11There is a man in your kingdom who has within him a spirit of the holy gods. In the days of your father, he proved to have insight, discernment, and wisdom like that of the gods. King Nebuchadnezzar your father appointed him chief of the magicians, astrologers, wise men, and diviners.
• Zechariah 8:20The Lord who rules over all says, ‘It will someday come to pass that people – residents of many cities – will 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