You shall fear Yahweh your God; you shall serve him; and you shall cling to him, and you shall swear by his name.
Parallel translations
- KJV Thou shalt fear the LORD thy God; him shalt thou serve, and to him shalt thou cleave, and swear by his name.
- BSB You are to fear the LORD your God and serve Him. Hold fast to Him and take your oaths in His name.
- NKJV You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and to Him you shall hold fast, and take oaths in His name.
- NASB You shall fear the Lord your God; you shall serve Him, and cling to Him, and you shall swear by His name.
- NLT You must fear the Lord your God and worship him and cling to him. Your oaths must be in his name alone.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel is to fear, serve, cling to, and swear by the Lord alone. He is to be the sole object of their worship and loyalty.
Overview
Moses calls for exclusive devotion to God expressed in reverence, service, attachment, and oaths in His name. To cling to the Lord is to hold fast to Him in covenant love. Jesus echoes this exclusive allegiance, and believers cleave to God through union with Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Deut 6:13You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
- Luke 4:8Jesus answered him, “Get behind me Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
- Deut 13:4You shall walk after Yahweh your God, fear him, keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and you shall serve him, and cling to him.
- Deut 11:22For if you shall diligently keep all these commandments which I command you, to do them, to love Yahweh your God, to walk in all his ways, and to cling to him;
- Ps 63:11But the king shall rejoice in God. Everyone who swears by him will praise him, for the mouth of those who speak lies shall be silenced.
- Matt 4:10Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’”
- Isa 45:23I have sworn by myself. The word has gone out of my mouth in righteousness, and will not be revoked, that to me every knee shall bow, every tongue shall take an oath.
- Josh 23:8but hold fast to Yahweh your God, as you have done to this day.
- Deut 4:4But you who were faithful to Yahweh your God are all alive today.
- Acts 11:23who, when he had come, and had seen the grace of God, was glad. He exhorted them all, that with purpose of heart they should remain near to the Lord.
- Rom 12:9Let love be without hypocrisy. Abhor that which is evil. Cling to that which is good.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 10:20 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.