The Meaning of Deuteronomy 30:20 Explained

Deuteronomy 30:20

KJV: That thou mayest love the LORD thy God, and that thou mayest obey his voice, and that thou mayest cleave unto him: for he is thy life, and the length of thy days: that thou mayest dwell in the land which the LORD sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

YLT: to love Jehovah thy God, to hearken to His voice, and to cleave to Him (for He is thy life, and the length of thy days), to dwell on the ground which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give to them.'

Darby: in loving Jehovah thy God, in hearkening to his voice, and in cleaving to him for this is thy life and the length of thy days that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

ASV: to love Jehovah thy God, to obey his voice, and to cleave unto him; for he is thy life, and the length of thy days; that thou mayest dwell in the land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob, to give them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

That thou mayest love  the LORD  thy God,  [and] that thou mayest obey  his voice,  and that thou mayest cleave  unto him: for he [is] thy life,  and the length  of thy days:  that thou mayest dwell  in the land  which the LORD  sware  unto thy fathers,  to Abraham,  to Isaac,  and to Jacob,  to give  them. 

What does Deuteronomy 30:20 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 30:11-20 - The Supreme Choice
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Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 30

1  Great mercies promised unto the penitent
11  The commandment is manifest
15  Death and life are set before them

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 30:20 mean?

That you may love - Yahweh your God that you may obey His voice that you may cling to Him for He [is] your life and the length of your days that you may dwell in the land which swore to your fathers to Abraham Isaac and Jacob to give them -
לְאַֽהֲבָה֙ אֶת־ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ בְּקֹל֖וֹ וּלְדָבְקָה־ ב֑וֹ כִּ֣י ה֤וּא חַיֶּ֙יךָ֙ וְאֹ֣רֶךְ יָמֶ֔יךָ לָשֶׁ֣בֶת עַל־ הָאֲדָמָ֗ה אֲשֶׁר֩ נִשְׁבַּ֨ע לַאֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם לְיִצְחָ֥ק וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֖ב לָתֵ֥ת לָהֶֽם פ

לְאַֽהֲבָה֙  That  you  may  love 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לִשְׁמֹ֥עַ  that  you  may  obey 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
בְּקֹל֖וֹ  His  voice 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
וּלְדָבְקָה־  that  you  may  cling 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: דָּבַק  
Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.
ב֑וֹ  to  Him 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
ה֤וּא  He  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
חַיֶּ֙יךָ֙  your  life 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
וְאֹ֣רֶךְ  and  the  length 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: אֹרֶךְ  
Sense: length.
יָמֶ֔יךָ  of  your  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
לָשֶׁ֣בֶת  that  you  may  dwell 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאֲדָמָ֗ה  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֲדָמָה 
Sense: ground, land.
נִשְׁבַּ֨ע  swore 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁבַע  
Sense: to swear, adjure.
לַאֲבֹתֶ֛יךָ  to  your  fathers 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אָב  
Sense: father of an individual.
לְאַבְרָהָ֛ם  to  Abraham 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: אַבְרָהָם  
Sense: friend of God and founder of Hebrew nation via God’s elective covenant.
לְיִצְחָ֥ק  Isaac 
Parse: Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יִצְחָק  
Sense: son of Abraham by Sarah his wife and father of Jacob and Esau.
וּֽלְיַעֲקֹ֖ב  and  Jacob 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יַעֲקֹב  
Sense: son of Isaac, grandson of Abraham, and father of the 2 patriarchs of the tribes of Israel.
לָתֵ֥ת  to  give 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
פ  - 
Parse: Punctuation