Deuteronomy 4:2

NET Bible® (New English Translation)

Do not add a thing to what I command you nor subtract from it, so that you may keep the commandments of the LORD your God that I am delivering to you.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹ֣א תֹסִ֗פוּ עַל־הַדָּבָר֙ אֲשֶׁ֤ר אָנֹכִי֙ מְצַוֶּ֣ה אֶתְכֶ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תִגְרְע֖וּ מִמֶּ֑נּוּ לִשְׁמֹ֗ר אֶת־מִצְוֺת֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹֽהֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר אָנֹכִ֖י מְצַוֶּ֥ה אֶתְכֶֽם

Transliteration

Not tōsipû upon-the-dābār which ʾānōkî mᵉṣawweh ʾetkhem, and-not tigrᵉʿû from-it; to-lishmōr ʾet-miṣwōt YHWH your-ʾĕlōhêkem which ʾānōkî mᵉṣawweh ʾetkhem

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *tōsipû*: verb, hiphil imperfect, second person masculine plural - you shall add
• *ʿal*: preposition - upon/to
• *dābār*: noun, masculine singular - word/thing/matter
• *ʾānōkî*: pronoun, first person singular - I
• *mᵉṣawweh*: participle, piel, masculine singular - commanding
• *ʾetkhem*: direct object marker with second person masculine plural suffix - you
• *tigrᵉʿû*: verb, qal imperfect, second person masculine plural - you shall diminish/subtract
• *mimmenû*: preposition with third person masculine singular suffix - from it
• *lishmōr*: preposition with infinitive construct, qal - to keep/observe
• *miṣwōt*: noun, feminine plural construct - commandments of
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the divine name
• *ʾĕlōhêkem*: noun, masculine plural with second person masculine plural suffix - your God

Word Meanings

• *tōsipû*: you shall add/increase/supplement
• *dābār*: word/thing/matter/command
• *mᵉṣawweh*: commanding/ordering/instructing
• *tigrᵉʿû*: you shall diminish/subtract/reduce/take away
• *lishmōr*: to keep/observe/guard/preserve
• *miṣwōt*: commandments/precepts/orders

Referenced Verses

• Deut 12:32 : 32 Idolatry and False Prophets(13:1) You must be careful to do everything I am commanding you. Do not add to it or subtract from it!
• Prov 30:6 : 6 Do not add to his words, lest he reprove you, and prove you to be a liar.
• Josh 1:7 : 7 Make sure you are very strong and brave! Carefully obey all the law my servant Moses charged you to keep! Do not swerve from it to the right or to the left, so that you may be successful in all you do.
• Rev 22:18-19 : 18 I testify to everyone who hears the words of the prophecy contained in this book: If anyone adds to them, God will add to him the plagues described in this book. 19 And if anyone takes away from the words of this book of prophecy, God will take away his share in the tree of life and in the holy city that are described in this book.
• Gal 3:15 : 15 Inheritance Comes from Promises and not Law Brothers and sisters, I offer an example from everyday life: When a covenant has been ratified, even though it is only a human contract, no one can set it aside or add anything to it.
• Eccl 12:13 : 13 Having heard everything, I have reached this conclusion: Fear God and keep his commandments, because this is the whole duty of man.
• Matt 5:18 : 18 I tell you the truth, until heaven and earth pass away not the smallest letter or stroke of a letter will pass from the law until everything takes place.
• Matt 5:43 : 43 Love for Enemies“You have heard that it was said,‘Love your neighbor’ and‘hate your enemy.’
• Matt 15:2-9 : 2 “Why do your disciples disobey the tradition of the elders? For they don’t wash their hands when they eat.” 3 He answered them,“And why do you disobey the commandment of God because of your tradition? 4 For God said,‘Honor your father and mother’ and‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 5 But you say,‘If someone tells his father or mother,“Whatever help you would have received from me is given to God,” 6 he does not need to honor his father.’ You have nullified the word of God on account of your tradition. 7 Hypocrites! Isaiah prophesied correctly about you when he said, 8 ‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me, 9 and they worship me in vain, teaching as doctrines the commandments of men.’”
• Mark 7:1-9 : 1 Breaking Human Traditions Now the Pharisees and some of the experts in the law who came from Jerusalem gathered around him. 2 And they saw that some of Jesus’ disciples ate their bread with unclean hands, that is, unwashed. 3 (For the Pharisees and all the Jews do not eat unless they perform a ritual washing, holding fast to the tradition of the elders. 4 And when they come from the marketplace, they do not eat unless they wash. They hold fast to many other traditions: the washing of cups, pots, kettles, and dining couches.) 5 The Pharisees and the experts in the law asked him,“Why do your disciples not live according to the tradition of the elders, but eat with unwashed hands?” 6 He said to them,“Isaiah prophesied correctly about you hypocrites, as it is written:‘This people honors me with their lips, but their heart is far from me. 7 They worship me in vain, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.’ 8 Having no regard for the command of God, you hold fast to human tradition.” 9 He also said to them,“You neatly reject the commandment of God in order to set up your tradition. 10 For Moses said,‘Honor your father and your mother,’ and,‘Whoever insults his father or mother must be put to death.’ 11 But you say that if anyone tells his father or mother,‘Whatever help you would have received from me is corban’(that is, a gift for God), 12 then you no longer permit him to do anything for his father or mother. 13 Thus you nullify the word of God by your tradition that you have handed down. And you do many things like this.”