Deuteronomy 28:13

Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath; if you listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you today, to observe and to do,

World English Bible

Learn

Your notes

Private to you. Anything you write on this verse, here or while reading, shows up here and in My study.

Other translations

WEBBE

The LORD will make you the head, and not the tail. You will be above only, and you will not be beneath, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you today, to observe and to do,

BSB

The LORD will make you the head and not the tail; you will only move upward and never downward, if you hear and carefully follow the commandments of the LORD your God, which I am giving you today.

KJV

And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

ASV

And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them],

BBE

The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; and you will ever have the highest place, if you give ear to the orders of the Lord your God which I give you today, to keep and to do them;

Original Hebrew

Look up a word

Tap a word to see what it means and everywhere else it's used.

וּנְתָנְךָ u·ne·ta·ne·kha and he will make you H5414 יְהוָה yah·weh Yahweh H3068 לְרֹאשׁ le·rosh into [the] head H7218 וְלֹא ve·lo' and not H3808 לְזָנָב le·za·nav into [the] tail H2180 וְהָיִיתָ ve·ha·yi·ta and you will be H1961 רַק rak only H7535 לְמַעְלָה le·ma'·lah (to) upwards (towards) H4605 וְלֹא ve·lo' and not H3808 תִהְיֶה tih·yeh you will be H1961 לְמָטָּה le·ma·tah (to) downwards H4295 כִּי־ ki- if H3588 תִשְׁמַע tish·ma' you will listen H8085 אֶל־ 'el- to H413 מִצְוֹת mitz·vot [the] commandments of H4687 יְהוָה yah·weh Yahweh H3068 אֱלֹהֶיךָ 'e·lo·hei·kha God your H430 אֲשֶׁר 'a·sher which H834 אָנֹכִי 'a·no·khi I H595 מְצַוְּךָ me·tza·ve·kha [am] commanding you H6680 הַיּוֹם hai·yom this day H3117 לִשְׁמֹר lish·mor to take care H8104 וְלַעֲשׂוֹת ve·la·'a·sot and to do H6213

Commentary

Matthew Henry · Verses 1–14

This chapter is a very large exposition of two words, the blessing and the curse. They are real things and have real effects. The blessings are here put before the curses. God is slow to anger, but swift to show mercy. It is his delight to bless. It is better that we should be drawn to what is good by a child-like hope of God's favour, than that we be frightened to it by a slavish fear of his wrath. The blessing is promised, upon condition that they diligently hearken to the voice of God. Let them keep up religion, the form and power of it, in their families and nation, then the providence of God would prosper all their outward concerns.

Read Matthew Henry on Deuteronomy 28 →

Cross-references

Cross-references: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge. Hebrew and Greek data from STEPBible.org (Tyndale House, Cambridge), CC BY 4.0. Library: sources.