New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 4:6
6Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’
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 all of you who were faithful to the Lord your God are still alive today—every one of you. 5“Look, I now teach you these decrees and regulations just as the Lord my God commanded me, so that you may obey them in the land you are about to enter and occupy. Obey them completely, and you will display your wisdom and intelligence among the surrounding nations. When they hear all these decrees, they will exclaim, ‘How wise and prudent are the people of this great nation!’ 7For what great nation has a god as near to them as the Lord our God is near to us whenever we call on him? 8And what great nation has decrees and regulations as righteous and fair as this body of instructions that I am giving you today?
Read all of Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 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 this is what he says to all humanity: ‘The fear of the Lord is true wisdom; to forsake evil is real understanding.’”
- Psalms 19:7The instructions of the Lord are perfect, reviving the soul. The decrees of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
- Psalms 111:10Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true wisdom. All who obey his commandments will grow in wisdom. Praise him forever!
- Psalms 119:98Your commands make me wiser than my enemies, for they are my constant guide.
- Proverbs 1:7Fear of the Lord is the foundation of true knowledge, but fools despise wisdom and discipline.
- Proverbs 14:8The prudent understand where they are going, but fools deceive themselves.
- Jeremiah 8:9These wise teachers will fall into the trap of their own foolishness, for they have rejected the word of the Lord. Are they so wise after all?
- 2 Timothy 3:15You have been taught the holy Scriptures from childhood, and they have given you the wisdom to receive the salvation that comes by trusting in Christ Jesus.
- James 3:13If you are wise and understand God’s ways, prove it by living an honorable life, doing good works with the humility that comes from wisdom.
- 1 Kings 4:34And kings from every nation sent their ambassadors to listen to the wisdom of Solomon.
- 1 Kings 10:6She exclaimed to the king, “Everything I heard in my country about your achievements and wisdom is true!
- Psalms 119:99Yes, I have more insight than my teachers, for I am always thinking of your laws.
- Daniel 1:20Whenever the king consulted them in any matter requiring wisdom and balanced judgment, he found them ten times more capable than any of the magicians and enchanters in his entire kingdom.
- Daniel 4:9“I said to him, ‘Belteshazzar, chief of the magicians, I know that the spirit of the holy gods is in you and that no mystery is too great for you to solve. Now tell me what my dream means.
- Daniel 5:11There is a man in your kingdom who has within him the spirit of the holy gods. During Nebuchadnezzar’s reign, this man was found to have insight, understanding, and wisdom like that of the gods. Your predecessor, the king—your predecessor King Nebuchadnezzar—made him chief over all the magicians, enchanters, astrologers, and fortune-tellers of Babylon.
- Zechariah 8:20“This is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies says: People from nations and cities around the world will travel to Jerusalem.
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
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 Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
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