Deuteronomy 28 · Verse 1

Deuteronomy 28:1

And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:
Deuteronomy 28:1, King James Version

Deuteronomy 28:1 in other translations

BSB“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
WEBIt shall happen, if you shall listen diligently to the LORD your God’s voice, to observe to do all his commandments which I command you today, that the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
ASVAnd it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee on high above all the nations of the earth:
YLT‘And it hath been, if thou dost hearken diligently to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to observe to do all His commands which I am commanding thee to-day, that Jehovah thy God hath made thee uppermost above all the nations of the earth,
DARBYAnd it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of Jehovah thy God, to take heed to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that Jehovah thy God will set thee supreme above all nations of the earth;
BBENow if you give ear to the voice of the Lord your God, and keep with care all these orders which I have given you today, then the Lord your God will put you high over all the nations of the earth:
WebsterAnd it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently to the voice of the LORD thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day; that the LORD thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

What does Deuteronomy 28:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown

De 28:1-68. The Blessings for Obedience.

1. if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God--In this chapter the blessings and curses are enumerated at length, and in various minute details, so that on the first entrance of the Israelites into the land of promise, their whole destiny was laid before them, as it was to result from their obedience or the contrary.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

The blessings which God pronounces on the obedient, Deu 28:1-6. Particular privileges which the faithful shall receive, Deu 28:7-13. The curses pronounced against the ungodly and idolatrous, Deu 28:14-19. A detailed account of the miseries which should be inflicted on them, should they neglect the commandments of the Lord, Deu 28:20. They shall be smitten with the pestilence, Deu 28:21; with consumption, fever, etc., Deu 28:22; drought and barrenness, Deu 28:23, Deu 28:24; they shall be defeated by their enemies, Deu 28:25, Deu 28:26; they shall be afflicted with the botch of Egypt, Deu 28:27; with madness and blindness, Deu 28:28, Deu 28:29; they shall be disappointed in all their projects, Deu 28:30; deprived of all their possessions, and afflicted in all their members, Deu 28:31-35; they and their king shall go into captivity, Deu 28:36, and become a by-word among the nations, Deu 28:37. Their land shall be unfruitful, and they shall be the lowest of all people, Deu 28:38-44. All these curses shall come on them should they be disobedient, Deu 28:45-48. Character of the people by whom they should be subdued, Deu 28:49, Deu 28:50. Particulars of their dreadful sufferings, Deu 28:51-57. A recapitulation of their wretchedness, Deu 28:58-63. The prediction that they shall be scattered among all the nations of the earth, Deu 28:64-68.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 28:1-14
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.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Deuteronomy 28:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וְהָיָ֗הve.ha.Yahand it will beH1961
אִם\־'im-<if>H518
שָׁמ֤וֹעַsha.Mo.a'certainly [if] <to listen>H8085
תִּשְׁמַע֙tish.Ma'you will listenH8085
בְּקוֹל֙be.kOlto [the] voice ofH6963
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
לִשְׁמֹ֤רlish.Morto take careH8104
לַעֲשׂוֹת֙la.'a.sOtto observeH6213
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
מִצְוֹתָ֔יוmitz.vo.Tavcommandments hisH4687
אֲשֶׁ֛ר'a.SherwhichH834
אָנֹכִ֥י'a.no.KhiIH595
מְצַוְּךָ֖me.tza.ve.Kha[am] commanding youH6680
הַיּ֑וֹםhai.Yomthis dayH3117
וּנְתָ֨נְךָ֜u.ne.Ta.ne.khaand he will set youH5414
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
עֶלְי֔וֹןel.Yonmost highH5945
עַ֖ל'alaboveH5921
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
גּוֹיֵ֥יgo.Yei[the] nations ofH1471
הָאָֽרֶץ\׃ha.'A.retzthe earthH776

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 28:1

  • Isaiah 1:19

    If ye be willing and obedient, ye shall eat the good of the land:

  • Exodus 23:22

    But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

  • Leviticus 26:3-13

    If ye walk in my statutes, and keep my commandments, and do them; Then I will give you rain in due season, and the land shall yield her increase, and the trees of the field shall yield their fruit. And your threshing shall reach unto the vintage, and the vintage shall reach unto the sowing time: and ye shall eat your bread to the full, and dwell in your land safely. And I will give peace in the land, and ye shall lie down, and none shall make you afraid: and I will rid evil beasts out of the land, neither shall the sword go through your land. …

  • Luke 11:28

    But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.

  • John 15:14

    Ye are my friends, if ye do whatsoever I command you.

  • Exodus 15:26

    And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the Lord thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I am the Lord that healeth thee.

  • Psalms 91:14

    Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name.

  • Deuteronomy 7:12-26

    Wherefore it shall come to pass, if ye hearken to these judgments, and keep, and do them, that the Lord thy God shall keep unto thee the covenant and the mercy which he sware unto thy fathers: And he will love thee, and bless thee, and multiply thee: he will also bless the fruit of thy womb, and the fruit of thy land, thy corn, and thy wine, and thine oil, the increase of thy kine, and the flocks of thy sheep, in the land which he sware unto thy fathers to give thee. Thou shalt be blessed above all people: there shall not be male or female barren among you, or among your cattle. And the Lord will take away from thee all sickness, and will put none of the evil diseases of Egypt, which thou knowest, upon thee; but will lay them upon all them that hate thee. …

  • Deuteronomy 15:5

    Only if thou carefully hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe to do all these commandments which I command thee this day.

  • Deuteronomy 11:13

    And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken diligently unto my commandments which I command you this day, to love the Lord your God, and to serve him with all your heart and with all your soul,

  • Romans 2:7

    To them who by patient continuance in well doing seek for glory and honour and immortality, eternal life:

  • James 2:10-11

    For whosoever shall keep the whole law, and yet offend in one point, he is guilty of all. For he that said, Do not commit adultery, said also, Do not kill. Now if thou commit no adultery, yet if thou kill, thou art become a transgressor of the law.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 The blessings for obedience.
15 The curses for disobedience.

If thou shalt.
11:13; 15:5; 27:1; Ex 15:26; Le 26:3-13; Ps 106:3; 111:10; Isa 1:19
Isa 3:10; 55:2,3; Jer 11:4; 12:16; 17:24; Lu 11:28
to do all.
Ps 119:6,128; Lu 1:6; Joh 15:14; Ga 3:10; Jas 2:10,11
will set.
26:19; Ps 91:14; 148:14; Lu 9:48; Ro 2:7

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 28:1

    And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken diligently unto the voice of the Lord thy God, to observe and to do all his commandments which I command thee this day, that the Lord thy God will set thee on high above all nations of the earth:

  • Deuteronomy 28:2

    And all these blessings shall come on thee, and overtake thee, if thou shalt hearken unto the voice of the Lord thy God.

Read all of Deuteronomy 28

Deuteronomy 28:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y SERÁ que, si oyeres diligente la voz de Jehová tu Dios, para guardar, para poner por obra todos sus mandamientos que yo te prescribo hoy, también Jehová tu Dios te pondrá alto sobre todas las gentes de la tierra;
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		*Et il arrivera que si tu écoutes attentivement la voix de l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, pour prendre garde à pratiquer tous ses commandements que je te commande aujourd’hui, l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, te mettra très haut au-dessus de toutes les nations de la terre;
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und es wird geschehen, wenn du der Stimme Jehovas, deines Gottes, fleißig gehorchst, daß du darauf achtest, zu tun alle seine Gebote, die ich dir heute gebiete, so wird Jehova, dein Gott, dich zur höchsten über alle Nationen der Erde machen;
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Si autem audieris vocem Domini Dei tui, ut facias atque custodias omnia mandata ejus, quæ ego præcipio tibi hodie, faciet te Dominus Deus tuus excelsiorem cunctis gentibus, quæ versantur in terra.