Deuteronomy 28:13

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will only go upwards and not downwards, if you listen to the commandments of the LORD your God that I am commanding you today, to observe and to do them.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וּנְתֽ͏ָנְךָ֨ יְהוָ֤ה לְרֹאשׁ֙ וְלֹ֣א לְזָנָ֔ב וְהָיִ֙יתָ֙ רַ֣ק לְמַ֔עְלָה וְלֹ֥א תִהְיֶ֖ה לְמָ֑טָּה כִּֽי־תִשְׁמַ֞ע אֶל־מִצְוֺ֣ת ׀ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֗יךָ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אָנֹכִ֧י מְצַוְּךָ֛ הַיּ֖וֹם לִשְׁמֹ֥ר וְלַעֲשֽׂוֹת׃

Transliteration

And he will nĕtānĕkā YHWH for lĕrōʾš and not for lĕzānāb and you will be wĕhāyîtā only for lĕmaʿlāh and not you will be tihyeh for lĕmāṭṭāh when tišmaʿ to miṣwōt YHWH ʾĕlōhêkā which ʾānōkî mĕṣawwĕkā the hayyôm to lišmōr and to laʿăśôt.

Grammar Details

• *nĕtānĕkā*: perfect, consecutive, Qal, 3rd masculine singular with 2nd masculine singular suffix - and he will make you
• *YHWH*: proper name - the LORD
• *lĕrōʾš*: preposition + masculine singular noun - for the head
• *lĕzānāb*: preposition + masculine singular noun - for the tail
• *wĕhāyîtā*: perfect, consecutive, Qal, 2nd masculine singular - and you will be
• *lĕmaʿlāh*: preposition + feminine singular noun - for above
• *tihyeh*: imperfect, Qal, 2nd masculine singular - you will be
• *lĕmāṭṭāh*: preposition + feminine singular noun - for below
• *tišmaʿ*: imperfect, Qal, 2nd masculine singular - you will listen
• *miṣwōt*: feminine plural construct - commandments of
• *ʾĕlōhêkā*: masculine plural construct with 2nd masculine singular suffix - your God
• *ʾānōkî*: 1st person singular pronoun - I
• *mĕṣawwĕkā*: participle, Piel, masculine singular with 2nd masculine singular suffix - commanding you
• *hayyôm*: definite article + masculine singular noun - the day/today
• *lišmōr*: infinitive construct - to keep
• *laʿăśôt*: infinitive construct - to do

Word Meanings

• *lĕrōʾš wĕlōʾ lĕzānāb*: for the head and not for the tail [idiom for leadership/superiority]
• *lĕmaʿlāh wĕlōʾ lĕmāṭṭāh*: for above and not for below [metaphor for high position/status]
• *lišmōr wĕlaʿăśôt*: to keep and to do/observe and perform

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And the LORD shall make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you listen unto the commandments of the LORD your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do them:

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do them:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And Jehovah{H3068} will make{H5414} thee the head,{H7218} and not the tail;{H2180} and thou shalt be above only,{H4605} and thou shalt not be beneath;{H4295} if thou shalt hearken{H8085} unto the commandments{H4687} of Jehovah{H3068} thy God,{H430} which I command{H6680} thee this day,{H3117} to observe{H8104} and to do{H6213} [them],

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And the LORD{H3068} shall make{H5414}{(H8804)} thee the head{H7218}, and not the tail{H2180}; and thou shalt be above only{H4605}, and thou shalt not be beneath{H4295}; if that thou hearken{H8085}{(H8799)} unto the commandments{H4687} of the LORD{H3068} thy God{H430}, which I command{H6680}{(H8764)} thee this day{H3117}, to observe{H8104}{(H8800)} and to do{H6213}{(H8800)} them:

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  And the Lorde shall sett the before and not behinde, and thou shalt be aboue only and not beneth: yf that thou herken vnto the commaundmentes of the Lorde thy God which I commaunde the this daye to kepe and to doo them.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  And ye LORDE shal set the before, and not behynde: & thou shalt be aboue onely, and not benethe, yf thou be obedient vnto the commaundementes of ye LORDE thy God, which I commaunde the this daye to kepe and to do them:

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And the Lord shal make thee the head, & not the tayle, & thou shalt be aboue onely, and shalt not bee beneath, if thou obey the commandements of the Lord thy God, which I command thee this day, to keepe and to do them.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And the Lorde shall make thee chiefest, and not the lowest, and thou shalt be aboue only, and not beneath: if that thou hearken vnto the commaundementes of the Lorde thy God which I commaunde thee this day, to kepe and to do them:

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And the LORD shall make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if that thou hearken unto the commandments of the LORD thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them]:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `And Jehovah hath given thee for head, and not for tail; and thou hast been only above, and art not beneath, for thou dost hearken unto the commands of Jehovah thy God, which I am commanding thee to-day, to keep and to do,

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do `them',

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And Jehovah will make thee the head, and not the tail; and thou shalt be above only, and thou shalt not be beneath; if thou shalt hearken unto the commandments of Jehovah thy God, which I command thee this day, to observe and to do [them] ,

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  The Lord will make you the head and not the tail; and you will ever have the highest place, if you give ear to the orders of the Lord your God which I give you today, to keep and to do them;

• World English Bible (2000)

  Yahweh will make you the head, and not the tail; and you shall be above only, and you shall not be beneath; if you shall listen to the commandments of Yahweh your God, which I command you this day, to observe and to do [them],

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  The LORD will make you the head and not the tail, and you will always end up at the top and not at the bottom, if you obey his commandments which I am urging you today to be careful to do.

Referenced Verses

• Deut 28:1 : 1 If you diligently obey the voice of the LORD your God by carefully keeping all His commandments that I am commanding you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth.
• Deut 4:6-9 : 6 You must keep and do them, for this will show your wisdom and understanding in the sight of the nations, who will hear about all these statutes and say, 'Indeed, this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the LORD our God is to us whenever we call on Him? 8 And what great nation has righteous statutes and judgments like this entire law that I am setting before you today? 9 Only be careful and guard your soul diligently, so that you do not forget the things your eyes have seen, and so that they do not depart from your heart all the days of your life. Teach them to your children and to their children after them.
• Isa 9:14-15 : 14 The elders and dignitaries are the head; the prophets who teach lies are the tail. 15 Those who guide this people mislead them, and those who are guided by them are swallowed up.