Deuteronomy 26:16
New International Version
The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these decrees and laws; carefully observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

New Living Translation
“Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey all these decrees and regulations. So be careful to obey them wholeheartedly.

English Standard Version
“This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and rules. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Berean Standard Bible
The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.

King James Bible
This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

New King James Version
“This day the LORD your God commands you to observe these statutes and judgments; therefore you shall be careful to observe them with all your heart and with all your soul.

New American Standard Bible
“This day the LORD your God commands you to perform these statutes and ordinances. Therefore you shall be careful to perform them with all your heart and with all your soul.

NASB 1995
“This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

NASB 1977
“This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Legacy Standard Bible
“This day Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and judgments. You shall therefore be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Amplified Bible
“This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and judgments (precepts). Therefore, you shall be careful to do them with all your heart and with all your soul (your entire being).

Christian Standard Bible
“The LORD your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. Follow them carefully with all your heart and all your soul.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
The LORD your God is commanding you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and all your soul.

American Standard Version
This day Jehovah thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

Contemporary English Version
Today the LORD your God has commanded you to obey these laws and teachings with all your heart and soul.

English Revised Version
This day the LORD thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thine heart, and with all thy soul.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Today the LORD your God is commanding you to obey these laws and rules. You must faithfully obey them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Good News Translation
"Today the LORD your God commands you to obey all his laws; so obey them faithfully with all your heart.

International Standard Version
"The LORD your God is commanding you this very day to observe these statutes and judgments. Be careful to obey them with all your heart and soul.

Majority Standard Bible
The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul.

NET Bible
Today the LORD your God is commanding you to keep these statutes and ordinances, something you must do with all your heart and soul.

New Heart English Bible
This day the LORD your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances: you shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart, and with all your soul.

Webster's Bible Translation
This day the LORD thy God hath commanded thee to perform these statutes and judgments: thou shalt therefore keep and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

World English Bible
Today Yahweh your God commands you to do these statutes and ordinances. You shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
This day your God YHWH is commanding you to do these statutes and judgments; and you have listened and done them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Young's Literal Translation
'This day Jehovah thy God is commanding thee to do these statutes and judgments; and thou hast hearkened and done them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul,

Smith's Literal Translation
This day Jehovah thy God commands thee to do these laws and judgments: and watch thou to do them with all thy heart and with all thy soul.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee to do these commandments and judgments: and to keep and fulfil them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

Catholic Public Domain Version
Today the Lord your God has instructed you to carry out these commandments and judgments, and to keep and fulfill them, with all your heart and with all your soul.

New American Bible
This day the LORD, your God, is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances. Be careful, then, to observe them with your whole heart and with your whole being.

New Revised Standard Version
This very day the LORD your God is commanding you to observe these statutes and ordinances; so observe them diligently with all your heart and with all your soul.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
This day the LORD your God has commanded you to do these statutes and judgments; you shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart and with all your soul.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Today LORD JEHOVAH your God commands you to do these laws and keep the judgments and do them from all your heart and from all your soul.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
This day the LORD thy God commandeth thee to do these statutes and ordinances; thou shalt therefore observe and do them with all thy heart, and with all thy soul.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
On this day the Lord thy God charged thee to keep all the ordinances and judgments; and ye shall observe and do them, with all your heart, and with all your soul.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Obey the LORD's Commands
16The LORD your God commands you this day to follow these statutes and ordinances. You must be careful to follow them with all your heart and with all your soul. 17Today you have proclaimed that the LORD is your God and that you will walk in His ways, keep His statutes and commandments and ordinances, and listen to His voice.…

Cross References
Joshua 1:8
This Book of the Law must not depart from your mouth; meditate on it day and night, so that you may be careful to do everything written in it. For then you will prosper and succeed in all you do.

Psalm 119:4
You have ordained Your precepts, that we should keep them diligently.

James 1:22-25
Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves. / For anyone who hears the word but does not carry it out is like a man who looks at his face in a mirror, / and after observing himself goes away and immediately forgets what he looks like. ...

Matthew 7:24-27
Therefore everyone who hears these words of Mine and acts on them is like a wise man who built his house on the rock. / The rain fell, the torrents raged, and the winds blew and beat against that house; yet it did not fall, because its foundation was on the rock. / But everyone who hears these words of Mine and does not act on them is like a foolish man who built his house on sand. ...

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Romans 2:13
For it is not the hearers of the law who are righteous before God, but it is the doers of the law who will be declared righteous.

1 John 5:3
For this is the love of God, that we keep His commandments. And His commandments are not burdensome,

Exodus 19:5-6
Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations—for the whole earth is Mine. / And unto Me you shall be a kingdom of priests and a holy nation.’ These are the words that you are to speak to the Israelites.”

Leviticus 18:4-5
You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God. / Keep My statutes and My judgments, for the man who does these things will live by them. I am the LORD.

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Jeremiah 7:23
but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Ezekiel 11:20
so that they may follow My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them. Then they will be My people, and I will be their God.

Matthew 5:19
So then, whoever breaks one of the least of these commandments and teaches others to do likewise will be called least in the kingdom of heaven; but whoever practices and teaches them will be called great in the kingdom of heaven.

Luke 11:28
But He replied, “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it.”

John 15:10
If you keep My commandments, you will remain in My love, just as I have kept My Father’s commandments and remain in His love.


Treasury of Scripture

This day the LORD your God has commanded you to do these statutes and judgments: you shall therefore keep and do them with all your heart, and with all your soul.

This day

Deuteronomy 4:1-6
Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you…

Deuteronomy 6:1
Now these are the commandments, the statutes, and the judgments, which the LORD your God commanded to teach you, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go to possess it:

Deuteronomy 11:1,8
Therefore thou shalt love the LORD thy God, and keep his charge, and his statutes, and his judgments, and his commandments, alway…

keep

Deuteronomy 6:5,17
And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might…

Deuteronomy 8:2
And thou shalt remember all the way which the LORD thy God led thee these forty years in the wilderness, to humble thee, and to prove thee, to know what was in thine heart, whether thou wouldest keep his commandments, or no.

Deuteronomy 13:3,4
Thou shalt not hearken unto the words of that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams: for the LORD your God proveth you, to know whether ye love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul…

Jump to Previous
Careful Carefully Commanded Commandeth Commanding Commands Decrees Hearkened Heart Judgments Laws Observe Orders Ordinances Perform Soul Statutes Today
Jump to Next
Careful Carefully Commanded Commandeth Commanding Commands Decrees Hearkened Heart Judgments Laws Observe Orders Ordinances Perform Soul Statutes Today
Deuteronomy 26
1. The confession of him who offers the basket of firstfruits
12. The prayer of him who gives his third year's tithes
16. The covenant between God and his people














The LORD your God commands you this day
This phrase emphasizes the immediacy and authority of God's command. The use of "The LORD your God" highlights the covenant relationship between God and Israel, reminding them of His sovereignty and their obligation to obey. The phrase "this day" underscores the urgency and present relevance of the command, indicating that obedience is not a future consideration but a present duty. This reflects the historical context of Deuteronomy, where Moses is addressing the Israelites on the plains of Moab, preparing them to enter the Promised Land.

to follow these statutes and ordinances
"Statutes and ordinances" refer to the specific laws and decrees given by God to Israel. These laws were meant to set Israel apart as a holy nation and guide them in righteous living. The term "follow" implies not just passive acknowledgment but active obedience and implementation in daily life. This reflects the broader biblical theme of obedience to God's law as a demonstration of faith and commitment, as seen in other scriptures like Psalm 119:1-2 and James 1:22-25.

You must be careful to follow them
The call to be "careful" indicates the need for diligence and intentionality in obedience. It suggests that following God's commands requires attention and effort, not casual or half-hearted observance. This aligns with the biblical principle that true obedience involves both hearing and doing, as emphasized in passages like Joshua 1:8 and Matthew 7:24-27. The historical context of Israel's journey and the challenges they faced in maintaining faithfulness to God further underscore the importance of careful adherence to His laws.

with all your heart and with all your soul
This phrase calls for wholehearted devotion and commitment to God's commands. "Heart" and "soul" together represent the entirety of a person's being, including emotions, will, and intellect. This comprehensive devotion is a recurring theme in Deuteronomy, as seen in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), which Jesus later cites as the greatest commandment (Matthew 22:37-38). It underscores the idea that obedience to God is not merely external compliance but involves an internal, sincere dedication to His will. This reflects the broader biblical narrative of God desiring a relationship with His people that is characterized by love and faithfulness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who is delivering God's commandments to the people. He serves as the mediator between God and Israel.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God who are receiving the commandments as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

3. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant God of Israel who is giving these statutes and ordinances to His people.

4. Promised Land
The land of Canaan, which the Israelites are about to enter, representing God's promise and blessing.

5. Statutes and Ordinances
The laws and commands given by God to guide the Israelites in their covenant relationship with Him.
Teaching Points
Wholehearted Obedience
God desires complete devotion, not just outward compliance. Our obedience should stem from a heart fully committed to Him.

Covenant Relationship
Observing God's commands is part of maintaining a covenant relationship with Him. It is an expression of our love and commitment.

Intentional Living
We are called to be intentional in our walk with God, ensuring that our actions align with His statutes and ordinances.

Spiritual Discipline
Regular study and meditation on God's Word help us to observe His commands with understanding and dedication.

Heart and Soul Engagement
True obedience involves both our emotions and intellect, engaging our entire being in following God's will.Deuteronomy 26:16-19. CLOSE OF THE EXHORTATION.

(16) This day the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.--These words are not to be taken as part of the service described in the previous verses, but as the words of Moses in bringing his exhortation to a close. Rashi says, "Every day these commandments shall be new before thine eyes, as though on that very day thou hadst received them."

Thou shalt therefore keep and do them.--It is a beautiful thought that the form of this command (as of many others) makes it prophetic of its own fulfilment. "It is the voice from heaven blessing thee," says Rashi. (See also Deuteronomy 30:6; Deuteronomy 30:8.)

(17, 18) Thou hast avouched . . . and the Lord hath avouched.--The Hebrew word is simply the ordinary word for "to say." "Thou hast said," and "He hath said." There is no distinctive word for "to promise" in Hebrew. "To say" is sufficient. "Hath He said, and shall He not do it?" "Let your yea be yea, and your nay nay," like His. But Rashi says there is no exact parallel to this use of the verb in the Old Testament, except, perhaps, in Psalm 94:4, where it means, "they boast themselves." Let Israel boast in God, and God will boast Himself of them, as His peculiar people.

(19) And to make thee high.--Literally, most high; Heb., 'Elyon, a well-known name of God. Here, and in Deuteronomy 28:1, it is (prophetically and in the Divine purpose) applied to Israel. "Thou shalt put my Name upon the children of Israel" was the law of blessing for the priests (Numbers 6:27). . . .

Verse 16. - This day. This refers generally to the time when this discourse was delivered.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
The LORD
יְהוָ֨ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

commands you
מְצַוְּךָ֧ (mə·ṣaw·wə·ḵā)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6680: To lay charge (upon), give charge (to), command, order

this
הַזֶּ֗ה (haz·zeh)
Article | Pronoun - masculine singular
Strong's 2088: This, that

day
הַיּ֣וֹם (hay·yō·wm)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3117: A day

to follow
לַעֲשׂ֛וֹת (la·‘ă·śō·wṯ)
Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct
Strong's 6213: To do, make

these
הָאֵ֖לֶּה (hā·’êl·leh)
Article | Pronoun - common plural
Strong's 428: These, those

statutes
הַחֻקִּ֥ים (ha·ḥuq·qîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 2706: Something prescribed or owed, a statute

and ordinances.
הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֑ים (ham·miš·pā·ṭîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style

You must be careful
וְשָׁמַרְתָּ֤ (wə·šā·mar·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 8104: To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend to

to follow
וְעָשִׂ֙יתָ֙ (wə·‘ā·śî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

them
אוֹתָ֔ם (’ō·w·ṯām)
Direct object marker | third person masculine plural
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

with all
בְּכָל־ (bə·ḵāl)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your heart
לְבָבְךָ֖ (lə·ḇā·ḇə·ḵā)
Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 3824: Inner man, mind, will, heart

and all
וּבְכָל־ (ū·ḇə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

your soul.
נַפְשֶֽׁךָ׃ (nap̄·še·ḵā)
Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5315: A soul, living being, life, self, person, desire, passion, appetite, emotion


Links
Deuteronomy 26:16 NIV
Deuteronomy 26:16 NLT
Deuteronomy 26:16 ESV
Deuteronomy 26:16 NASB
Deuteronomy 26:16 KJV

Deuteronomy 26:16 BibleApps.com
Deuteronomy 26:16 Biblia Paralela
Deuteronomy 26:16 Chinese Bible
Deuteronomy 26:16 French Bible
Deuteronomy 26:16 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Deuteronomy 26:16 This day Yahweh your God commands you (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 26:15
Top of Page
Top of Page