Deuteronomy 4:6

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.

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Word by word — the Hebrew

Word	Hebrew	Strong’s	Meaning
Keep	וּשְׁמַרְתֶּם֮ u.she.mar.Tem	H8104	properly · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine plural
do	וַעֲשִׂיתֶם֒ va.'a.si.Tem	H6213	to do or make · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 2nd person masculine plural
wisdom	חָכְמַתְכֶם֙ cha.khe.mat.Khem	H2451	wisdom (in a good sense) · noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine plural
understanding	וּבִ֣ינַתְכֶ֔ם u.Vi.nat.Khem	H998	understanding · conjunction + noun, common feminine singular construct + pronominal suffix, 2nd person masculine plural
sight	לְעֵינֵ֖י le.'ei.Nei	H5869	an eye (literally or figuratively) · preposition + noun, common feminine dual construct
nations	הָעַמִּ֑ים ha.'a.Mim	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
hear	יִשְׁמְע֗וּן yish.me.'Un	H8085	to hear intelligently (often with implication of attent… · verb, qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural + paragogic nun
statutes	הַחֻקִּ֣ים ha.chu.Kim	H2706	an enactment · definite article + noun, common masculine plural absolute
say	וְאָמְר֗וּ ve.'a.me.Ru	H559	to say (used with great latitude) · conjunction + verb, qal sequential perfect, 3rd person common plural
great	הַגָּד֖וֹל ha.ga.Dol	H1419	great (in any sense) · definite article + adjective, masculine singular absolute
nation	הַגּ֥וֹי ha.Goy	H1471	a foreign nation · definite article + noun, common masculine singular absolute
wise	חָכָ֣ם cha.Kham	H2450	wise · adjective, masculine singular absolute
understanding	וְנָב֔וֹן ve.na.Von	H995	to separate mentally (or distinguish) · conjunction + verb, niphal active participle, masculine singular absolute
people	עַם 'am-	H5971	a people (as a congregated unit) · noun, common masculine singular absolute

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance (James Strong, 1890/1894), public domain; digitized by Open Scriptures (CC BY-SA). KJV word tagging: eBible.org (public domain). Original-language text, parsing and brief lexicon: STEPBible.org data from Tyndale House, Cambridge (CC BY 4.0).

Cross-references

Job 28:28 And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.
Psalms 111:10 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of wisdom: a good understanding have all they that do his commandments: his praise endureth for ever.
2 Timothy 3:15 And that from a child thou hast known the holy scriptures, which are able to make thee wise unto salvation through faith which is in Christ…
1 Kings 4:34 And there came of all people to hear the wisdom of Solomon, from all kings of the earth, which had heard of his wisdom.
1 Kings 10:6-9 And she said to the king, It was a true report that I heard in mine own land of thy acts and of thy wisdom.
Psalms 19:7 The law of the LORD is perfect, converting the soul: the testimony of the LORD is sure, making wise the simple.
Proverbs 1:7 The fear of the LORD is the beginning of knowledge: but fools despise wisdom and instruction.
Jeremiah 8:9 The wise men are ashamed, they are dismayed and taken: lo, they have rejected the word of the LORD; and what wisdom is in them?

Cross-references from OpenBible.info (CC BY), in the lineage of the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain).

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 4:1-40

This most lively and excellent discourse is so entire, and the particulars of it are so often repeated, that we must take it altogether in the exposition of it, and endeavour to digest it into proper heads, for we cannot divide it into paragraphs. I. In general, it is the use and application of the foregoing history; it comes in by way of inference from it: Now therefore harken, O Israel, Deu 4:1. This use we should make of the review of God's providences concerning us, we should by them be quickened and engaged to duty and obedience. The histories of the years of ancient times should in like manner be improved by us. II. The scope and drift of his discourse is to persuade them to keep close…

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Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 4:5

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 highest admiration of the fundamental principle in the Jewish religion--the unity of God; and their legislators borrowed some laws from the constitution of the Hebrews.

John Gill on Deuteronomy 4:6

Keep therefore and do them,..... Observe them, take notice of what is expressed by them, and perform them, both as to matter and manner, as they require: for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations; that is, their wisdom and understanding would appear to other nations by their observance of the commands of God: which hear all these statutes; which they had a report, got knowledge of by some of the philosophers who travelled into those parts, and by the translation of the Bible into the Greek language: and say, surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people; that had such a body of laws, in which they were instructed, and according to which they…

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Dictionary and topics

Bezer — Ore of gold or silver. (1.) A city of the Reubenites; one of the three cities of refuge on the east of Jordan (Deut. 4: 43; Josh. 20:8). It has been identified with the modern ruined village of…
Phylacteries — (Gr. phulakteria; i.e., “defences” or “protections”), called by modern Jews tephillin (i.e., “prayers”) are mentioned only in Matt. 23:5. They consisted of strips of parchment on which were inscribed…
Church Of Israel · Established by God — Established by God
Law Of Moses, The · All Israelites required: To observe — All Israelites required: To observe
Obedience · ENJOINED — ENJOINED

Dictionary: Easton's (1897) and Smith's (1863), public domain. Topics: Nave's Topical Bible (1896) and Torrey's Topical Textbook (1897), public domain. Both as parsed by NEUU (CC BY 4.0).

Deuteronomy 4:6

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 4:1-40

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 4:5

John Gill on Deuteronomy 4:6

Dictionary and topics

Deuteronomy 4:6

Word by word — the Hebrew

Cross-references

Commentary

Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 4:1-40

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 4:5

John Gill on Deuteronomy 4:6

Dictionary and topics

John Calvin on Deuteronomy 4:3-11

Keil & Delitzsch on Deuteronomy 4:1-8

Tyndale Open Study Notes on Deuteronomy 4:6

Rashi on Deuteronomy 4:6