New English Translation
Deuteronomy 4:9
9Again, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren.
Deuteronomy 4:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons’ sons;
- New International Version (NIV)Only be careful, and watch yourselves closely so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen or let them fade from your heart as long as you live. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children's children—
- New King James Version (NKJV)Only take heed to yourself, and diligently keep yourself, lest you forget the things your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. And teach them to your children and your grandchildren,
Context of Deuteronomy 4:9
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? Again, however, pay very careful attention, lest you forget the things you have seen and disregard them for the rest of your life; instead teach them to your children and grandchildren. 10You stood before the Lord your God at Horeb and he said to me, “Assemble the people before me so that I can tell them my commands. Then they will learn to revere me all the days they live in the land, and they will instruct their children.” 11You approached and stood at the foot of the mountain, a mountain ablaze to the sky above it and yet dark with a thick cloud.
Read all of Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 4:9 word by word
רַ֡ק הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֩ וּשְׁמֹ֨ר נַפְשְׁךָ֜ מְאֹ֗ד פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֨ח אֶת־הַדְּבָרִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־רָא֣וּ עֵינֶ֗יךָ וּפֶן־יָס֙וּרוּ֙ מִלְּבָ֣בְךָ֔ כֹּ֖ל יְמֵ֣י חַיֶּ֑יךָ וְהוֹדַעְתָּ֥ם לְבָנֶ֖יךָ וְלִבְנֵ֥י בָנֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Only take heedשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: carefulH8104
- to thyself, and keepשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: obeyH8104
- thy soulנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soulH5315
- diligentlyמְאֹדme'ôd · muchH3966
- lest thou forgetשָׁכַחshâkach shâkêach · to forgetH7911
- the thingsדָּבָרdâbâr · word: thingH1697
- which thine eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
- have seenרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
- and lest they departסוּרsûr ώûr · to turn aside: departH5493
- from thy heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- all the daysיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- of thy lifeחַיִּיםchay · lifeH2416
- but teachיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
- them thy sonsבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:9
- Deuteronomy 4:15Be very careful, then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.
- Proverbs 3:1My child, do not forget my teaching, but let your heart keep my commandments,
- Proverbs 4:20My child, pay attention to my words; listen attentively to my sayings.
- Luke 8:18So listen carefully, for whoever has will be given more, but whoever does not have, even what he thinks he has will be taken from him.”
- Hebrews 2:3how will we escape if we neglect such a great salvation? It was first communicated through the Lord and was confirmed to us by those who heard him,
- James 2:22You see that his faith was working together with his works and his faith was perfected by works.
- Joshua 1:18Any man who rebels against what you say and does not obey all your commands will be executed. But be strong and brave!”
- Psalms 119:11In my heart I store up your words, so I might not sin against you.
- Proverbs 4:4he taught me, and he said to me: “Let your heart lay hold of my words; keep my commands so that you will live.
- Proverbs 7:1My child, keep my words and treasure up my commands in your own keeping.
- Hebrews 2:1Therefore we must pay closer attention to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
- Revelation 3:3Therefore, remember what you received and heard, and obey it, and repent. If you do not wake up, I will come like a thief, and you will never know at what hour I will come against you.
- Deuteronomy 6:7and you must teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.
- Deuteronomy 11:19Teach them to your children and speak of them as you sit in your house, as you walk along the road, as you lie down, and as you get up.
- Deuteronomy 29:29Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those that are revealed belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we might obey all the words of this law.
- Deuteronomy 31:19Now write down for yourselves the following song and teach it to the Israelites. Put it into their very mouths so that this song may serve as my witness against the Israelites!
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:9
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 9Only take heed to thyself - Be circumspect and watchful. Keep thy soul diligently - Be mindful of thy eternal interests. Whatever becomes of the body, take care of the soul. Lest thou forget - God does his work that they may be had in everlasting remembrance; and he that forgets them, forgets his own mercies. Besides, if a man forget the work of God on his soul, he loses that work. Lest they depart from thy heart - It is not sufficient to lay up Divine…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9-11Verses 9-11 A full stop should end Deuteronomy 4:9; and Deuteronomy 4:10 begin, At the time that thou stoodest, etc. Deuteronomy 4:11 then ye came near, etc. Moses, exhorting to heedful observance of the Law, strives to renew the impressions of that tremendous scene which attended its promulgation at Sinai.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-40Moses gave a long speech to the Israelites because of their recent failures and what he thought would happen in Canaan.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 7-97-9. what nation is there so great--Here he represents their privileges and their duty in such significant and comprehensive terms, as were peculiarly calculated to arrest their attention and engage their interest. The former, their national advantages, are described (De 4:7, 8), and they were twofold: 1. God's readiness to hear and aid them at all times; and 2. the excellence of that religion in which they were instructed, set forth in the "statutes and…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:9
In the dictionaries
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
New English Translation — © 1996-2016 Biblical Studies Press, L.L.C.
Commentaries