If you are not careful to observe all the words of this law which are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name—the LORD your God—
Parallel translations
- WEB If you will not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and fearful name, YAHWEH YOUR GOD;
- KJV If thou wilt not observe to do all the words of this law that are written in this book, that thou mayest fear this glorious and fearful name, THE LORD THY GOD;
- NKJV “If you do not carefully observe all the words of this law that are written in this book, that you may fear this glorious and awesome name, THE LORD YOUR GOD,
- NASB “If you are not careful to follow all the words of this Law that are written in this book, to fear this honored and awesome name, the Lord your God,
- NLT “If you refuse to obey all the words of instruction that are written in this book, and if you do not fear the glorious and awesome name of the Lord your God,
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
All these curses hinge on one condition: failure to obey God's law and revere his glorious name. Reverence for God is the heart of covenant faithfulness.
Overview
After the catalog of curses, Moses states their root cause: refusal to keep the law and to fear the Lord's 'glorious and fearful name.' True obedience flows not from mere rule-keeping but from holy reverence for who God is. This anticipates the gospel call to worship God in spirit and truth, where reverence and love, not dread alone, mark the redeemed heart.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 20
- Isa 42:8I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
- Matt 10:28Do not be afraid of those who kill the body but cannot kill the soul. Instead, fear the One who can destroy both soul and body in hell.
- Exod 20:2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- Ps 72:19And blessed be His glorious name forever; may all the earth be filled with His glory. Amen and amen.
- Jer 5:12They have lied about the LORD and said: “He will not do anything; harm will not come to us; we will not see sword or famine.
- Lev 26:14–15If, however, you fail to obey Me and to carry out all these commandments,
- Ps 83:18May they know that You alone, whose name is the LORD, are Most High over all the earth.
- Exod 6:2–3God also told Moses, “I am the LORD.
- Neh 9:5Then the Levites—Jeshua, Kadmiel, Bani, Hashabneiah, Sherebiah, Hodiah, Shebaniah, and Pethahiah—said, “Stand up and bless the LORD your God from everlasting to everlasting: Blessed be Your glorious name, and may it be exalted above all blessing and praise.
- Exod 34:5–7And the LORD descended in a cloud, stood with him there, and proclaimed His name, the LORD.
- Isa 41:10Do not fear, for I am with you; do not be afraid, for I am your God. I will strengthen you; I will surely help you; I will uphold you with My right hand of righteousness.
- Mal 1:14“But cursed is the deceiver who has an acceptable male in his flock and vows to give it, but sacrifices a defective animal to the Lord. For I am a great King,” says the LORD of Hosts, “and My name is to be feared among the nations.
- Heb 10:30–31For we know Him who said, “Vengeance is Mine; I will repay,” and again, “The Lord will judge His people.”
- Jer 7:26–28Yet they would not listen to Me or incline their ear, but they stiffened their necks and did more evil than their fathers.
- Jer 7:9–10Will you steal and murder, commit adultery and perjury, burn incense to Baal, and follow other gods that you have not known,
- Heb 12:28–29Therefore, since we are receiving an unshakable kingdom, let us be filled with gratitude, and so worship God acceptably with reverence and awe.
- Deut 6:13Fear the LORD your God, serve Him only, and take your oaths in His name.
- Exod 3:14–15God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say to the Israelites: ‘I AM has sent me to you.’”
- Deut 28:15If, however, you do not obey the LORD your God by carefully following all His commandments and statutes I am giving you today, all these curses will come upon you and overtake you:
- Ps 50:7“Hear, O My people, and I will speak, O Israel, and I will testify against you: I am God, your God.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 28:58 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.