New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 6:20
20“In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’
Deuteronomy 6:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying, What mean the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which the Lord our God hath commanded you?
- New International Version (NIV)In the future, when your son asks you, “What is the meaning of the stipulations, decrees and laws the Lord our God has commanded you?”
- English Standard Version (ESV)"When your son asks you in time to come, 'What is the meaning of the testimonies and the statutes and the rules that the Lord our God has commanded you?'
- New King James Version (NKJV)“When your son asks you in time to come, saying, ‘What is the meaning of the testimonies, the statutes, and the judgments which the Lord our God has commanded you?’
Context of Deuteronomy 6:20
18Do what is right and good in the Lord’s sight, so all will go well with you. Then you will enter and occupy the good land that the Lord swore to give your ancestors. 19You will drive out all the enemies living in the land, just as the Lord said you would. “In the future your children will ask you, ‘What is the meaning of these laws, decrees, and regulations that the Lord our God has commanded us to obey?’ 21“Then you must tell them, ‘We were Pharaoh’s slaves in Egypt, but the Lord brought us out of Egypt with his strong hand. 22The Lord did miraculous signs and wonders before our eyes, dealing terrifying blows against Egypt and Pharaoh and all his people.
Read all of Deuteronomy 6Deuteronomy 6:20 word by word
כִּֽי־יִשְׁאָלְךָ֥ בִנְךָ֛ מָחָ֖ר לֵאמֹ֑ר מָ֣ה הָעֵדֹ֗ת וְהַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְהַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵ֖ינוּ אֶתְכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- when thy sonבֵּןbên · son: childH1121
- askethשָׁאַלshâ'al shâ'êl · to askH7592
- thee in time to comeמָחָרmâchâr · tomorrowH4279
- sayingאָמַר'âmar · to sayH559
- the testimoniesעֵדָה‛êdâh · testimonyH5713
- and the statutesחֹקchôq · statute: decreeH2706
- and the judgmentsמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justice: judgementH4941
- which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- hath commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 6:20
- Deuteronomy 6:7Repeat them again and again to your children. Talk about them when you are at home and when you are on the road, when you are going to bed and when you are getting up.
- Exodus 12:26Then your children will ask, ‘What does this ceremony mean?’
- Exodus 13:14“And in the future, your children will ask you, ‘What does all this mean?’ Then you will tell them, ‘With the power of his mighty hand, the Lord brought us out of Egypt, the place of our slavery.
- Joshua 4:6We will use these stones to build a memorial. In the future your children will ask you, ‘What do these stones mean?’
- Proverbs 22:6Direct your children onto the right path, and when they are older, they will not leave it.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 6:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20And when thy son asketh thee, etc. - "Here," as Mr. Ainsworth justly remarks, "followeth a brief catechism, containing the grounds of religion." What mean the testimonies, etc. - The Hebrew language has no word to express to mean or signify, and therefore uses simply the substantive verb what is, i. e., what mean or signify, etc. The seven thin ears Are, i. e., signify, seven years of famine. This form of speech frequently occurs.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 10-25Verses 10-25 The Israelites were at the point of quitting a normal, life for a fixed and settled abode in the midst of other nations; they were exchanging a condition of comparative poverty for great and goodly cities, houses and vineyards. There was therefore before them a double danger; (1) a God-forgetting worldliness, and (2) a false tolerance of the idolatries practiced by those about to become their neighbors. The former error Moses strives to guard…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 17-25Verses 17-25 Moses gives charge to keep God's commandments. Negligence will ruin us; but we cannot be saved without diligence. It is our interest, as well as our duty, to be religious. It will be our life. Godliness has the promise of the continuance and comfort of the life that now is, as far as it is for God's glory. It will be our righteousness. It is only through the Mediator we can be righteous before God. The knowledge of the spirituality and…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-25Moses here explains how the stipulations in the following sections should be applied and handed on to future generations.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2520-25. when thy son asketh thee in time to come, saying--The directions given for the instruction of their children form only an extension of the preceding counsels.Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 6:20
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 6
- 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
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
New Living Translation — © 1996, 2004, 2015 Tyndale House Foundation
Commentaries