What Does Deuteronomy 15:5 Mean in the King James?
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.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The verse defines hearing God’s voice by what it sets in motion: a guarded life that does what it hears.
THE MEANING
The voice meets you now with a condition: hearing it means keeping its words and carrying them into action. The verse holds listening and doing together as one response.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that hearing is complete once the words have reached your ears; here, hearing continues into action.
THE ROOT
שָׁמוֹעַ
shāmoaʿ
GROWS FROM
שׁמע
sh-m-ʿ
Hear, listen, and heed; in this context, hear and respond.
“hearken” in this verse is shāmoaʿ. The Hebrew repeats the idea as “hearing, you shall hear,” intensifying the call. The root holds hearing and responsive heed together, so keeping and doing reveal what this hearing becomes.
ALSO GROWS
shomeaʿ: One who hears; a hearer or listener.
שֹׁמֵעַ
The hearer is defined by receiving the voice, which this verse carries forward into response.
shemuʿah: A report or message that is heard.
שְׁמוּעָה
The voice is not mere sound; what is heard becomes a message to respond to.
לִשְׁמֹר
lishmor
GROWS FROM
שׁמר
sh-m-r
Guard, keep, or watch over.
“Observe” here carries the sense of guarding what is heard. The verse links that keeping with doing: the response watches over the words by putting them into practice.
ALSO GROWS
shomer: A keeper, guardian, or watchman.
שֹׁמֵר
Keeping the commandments is an active guarding, not simply noticing them.
mishmeret: A charge or guarded duty.
מִשְׁמֶרֶת
The root can name what is entrusted to someone to keep, giving “observe to do” the shape of faithful care.
THE PATTERN
Hearing God’s word becomes complete in the response that keeps and does it.
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:But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.But he said, Yea rather, blessed are they that hear the word of God, and keep it.THE THREAD
Hear, O Israel: The LORD our God is one LORD:“Hear” is שׁמע (shema), the same root behind “hearken” here. Deuteronomy 6:4 names hearing; this verse shows that same hearing taking shape as keeping and doing.
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