What Does Deuteronomy 8:1 Mean in the King James?
All the commandments which I command thee this day shall ye observe to do, that ye may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which the LORD sware unto your fathers.
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 word translated “observe” means guard, so the verse makes life unfold through instruction kept watchfully enough to become action.
THE MEANING
The verse speaks to you now as a joined movement: what you guard and enact leads toward life, increase, and inhabiting the land the LORD swore to your fathers. Life here reaches beyond mere survival; the same path opens into growth and possession.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
It undoes the belief that divine instruction can only restrict life: here, guarded instruction moves toward life, increase, and inheritance.
THE ROOT
תִּשְׁמְרוּן
tishmerun
GROWS FROM
שמר
Guard, watch over, keep.
“Observe” is תִּשְׁמְרוּן (tishmerun, you shall keep or guard), a form of שָׁמַר (shamar, guard or watch over). The next words join keeping to doing, so the instruction is held like something guarded until it takes shape in action.
ALSO GROWS
shomer: One who watches or guards; a guardian or watchman.
שֹׁמֵר
This branch makes the attentive, protective sense of “observe” visible: the instruction is kept in view.
mishmeret: A charge, duty, or guard post.
מִשְׁמֶרֶת
A guarded charge is something entrusted to be kept; here, keeping the command carries directly into doing it.
וּרְבִיתֶם
urevitem
GROWS FROM
רבה
Increase, become many, grow abundant.
“Multiply” is וּרְבִיתֶם (urevitem, you shall increase), from רָבָה (ravah, increase or become many). Life is followed by expansion, so the promise reaches beyond merely continuing to exist.
ALSO GROWS
rav: Many, great, or abundant.
רַב
This branch gives “multiply” the sense of becoming many and expanding in scale.
rov: Abundance or multitude.
רֹב
The verse’s increase opens toward abundance, joining life with growth.
וִירִשְׁתֶּם
virishtem
GROWS FROM
ירש
Possess, inherit, or take up what is received.
“Possess” is וִירִשְׁתֶּם (virishtem, you shall possess or inherit), from יָרַשׁ (yarash, possess or inherit). The root holds receiving and occupying together: the land is both promised and entered as a place to inhabit.
ALSO GROWS
yerushshah: Inheritance or possession.
יְרֻשָּׁה
This branch brings out the inheritance within “possess”: what is entered is also received.
morashah: A possession or inheritance.
מוֹרָשָׁה
The related noun keeps the verse’s promise connected to an enduring place held in possession.
THE PATTERN
Instruction guarded and enacted becomes a path toward life, growth, and inhabiting what is promised.
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.This book of the law shall not depart out of thy mouth; but thou shalt meditate therein day and night, that thou mayest observe to do according to all that is written therein: for then thou shalt make thy way prosperous, and then thou shalt have good success.But be ye doers of the word, and not hearers only, deceiving your own selves.THE THREAD
In that I command thee this day to love the LORD thy God, to walk in his ways, and to keep his commandments and his statutes and his judgments, that thou mayest live and multiply: and the LORD thy God shall bless thee in the land whither thou goest to possess it.Both passages use שָׁמַר (shamar, guard or keep) for keeping the instruction. Deuteronomy 30:16 extends this verse’s sequence by setting love and walking alongside keeping, life, increase, and possessing the land.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us