Deuteronomy 6:18
What does Deuteronomy 6:18 mean?
A plain-English look at Deuteronomy 6:18 in WEB alongside six other public-domain English translations, with cross-references and chapter context.
What Deuteronomy 6:18 means
Obeying God's commands is not merely about rules; it is about doing "that which is right and good in the sight of Jehovah." This emphasizes both moral rectitude and divine approval. The promised outcome of such obedience is two-fold: personal and national well-being, and the successful possession of the good land God swore to their fathers. This reiterates that their prosperity and inheritance are conditional upon their faithful adherence to God's righteous standards.
Parallel translations
WEB
World English Bible · 2000And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of Jehovah; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers,
KJV
King James Version · 1611And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of the Lord: that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which the Lord sware unto thy fathers,
ASV
American Standard Version · 1901And thou shalt do that which is right and good in the sight of Jehovah; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest go in and possess the good land which Jehovah sware unto thy fathers,
BBE
Bible in Basic English · 1949And do what is upright and good in the eyes of the Lord your God, so that it may be well for you and you may go in and take for your heritage that good land from which the Lord undertook by an oath to your fathers,
YLT
Young's Literal Translation · 1862and thou hast done that which is right and good in the eyes of Jehovah, so that it is well with thee, and thou hast gone in and possessed the good land which Jehovah hath sworn to thy fathers,
DRA
Douay-Rheims (Challoner) · 1752And do that which is pleasing and good in the sight of the Lord, that it may be well with thee: and going in thou mayst possess the goodly land, concerning which the Lord swore to thy fathers,
DBY
Darby Bible · 1890And thou shalt do what is right and good in the sight of Jehovah, that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest enter in and possess the good land which Jehovah swore unto thy fathers,
Context
This verse follows the broad command to diligently keep God's laws (verse 17), explaining the benefits of such obedience. It connects doing what is "right and good" with receiving covenant blessings of well-being and successfully taking possession of the promised land. Verse 19 then specifies a key aspect of this possession: God's help in driving out their enemies, further detailing the tangible rewards of faithfulness.
Cross references
Related passages from across Scripture, drawn from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Deuteronomy 13:18
when thou shalt hearken to the voice of Jehovah thy God, to keep all his commandments which I command thee this day, to do that which is right in the eyes of Jehovah thy God.
- Ezekiel 33:14
Again, when I say unto the wicked, Thou shalt surely die; if he turn from his sin, and do that which is lawful and right;
- Ezekiel 18:19
Yet say ye, Wherefore doth not the son bear the iniquity of the father? When the son hath done that which is lawful and right, and hath kept all my statutes, and hath done them, he shall surely live.
- Deuteronomy 5:33
Ye shall walk in all the way which Jehovah your God hath commanded you, that ye may live, and that it may be well with you, and that ye may prolong your days in the land which ye shall possess.
- Ezekiel 33:19
And when the wicked turneth from his wickedness, and doeth that which is lawful and right, he shall live thereby.
- Deuteronomy 4:40
And thou shalt keep his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days in the land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, for ever.
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