What Does Deuteronomy 5:30 Mean in the King James?

Go say to them, Get you into your tents again.

Deuteronomy 5:30 · KJV

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 Hebrew word translated “again” means “return”, the same root that can describe restoration.

THE MEANING

The verse sends you back from a moment of encounter to the place where you dwell. Its Hebrew word means return, and that same root also names restoration: going back can carry wholeness with it.

WHAT THIS UNDOES

This undoes the belief that returning to ordinary life cancels the encounter; the command itself sends the hearers back to their tents.

THE ROOT

שׁוּבוּ

shuvu

GROWS FROM

שׁוּב

shuv

Turn back; return.

The Hebrew verb behind “again” is ⁨שׁוּבוּ⁩ (shuvu, “return”), from ⁨שׁוּב⁩ (shuv, “turn back; return”). This root also forms ⁨יְשׁוֹבֵב⁩ (yeshovev, “restores”) in Psalm 23:3, joining going back with being restored.

ALSO GROWS

yeshovev: Restores; brings back.

יְשׁוֹבֵב

Psalm 23:3 uses this form for “restoreth”; with ⁨נֶפֶשׁ⁩ (nefesh, “living soul”) as its object, restoration is a return of the living self.

veshavta: And you return.

וְשַׁבְתָּ

Deuteronomy 30:2 uses the same root for returning to the LORD, showing that return can describe movement into relationship as well as back to a place.

THE PATTERN

Return can be the form restoration takes, bringing a person back into place, relationship, or wholeness.

And shalt return unto the LORD thy God, and shalt obey his voice according to all that I command thee this day, thou and thy children, with all thine heart, and with all thy soul;

Deuteronomy 30:2 · KJV⁨וְשַׁבְתָּ⁩ (veshavta, “and you return”) uses the same root for a return into relationship.

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:3 · KJV⁨יְשׁוֹבֵב⁩ (yeshovev, “restores”) comes from ⁨שׁוּב⁩ (shuv, “return”), letting restoration carry the movement of return.

And he arose, and came to his father. But when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him, and had compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him.

Luke 15:20 · KJVThe son comes back to his father, and the father’s welcome restores the returning one to relationship.

THE THREAD

He restoreth my soul: he leadeth me in the paths of righteousness for his name’s sake.

Psalm 23:3 · KJV

The KJV’s “restoreth” translates ⁨יְשׁוֹבֵב⁩ (yeshovev, “restores”), from ⁨שׁוּב⁩ (shuv, “return”), the same root as ⁨שׁוּבוּ⁩ (shuvu, “return”) here. The shared seed joins a return to the tents with the restoration of the living soul.

Read the SDV Bible.

Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.

Get Selah Verse

The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.

Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us