And I gave them My statutes and showed them My judgments, ‘which, if a man does, he shall live by them.’
Parallel translations
- WEB I gave them my statutes, and showed them my ordinances, which if a man does, he shall live in them.
- KJV And I gave them my statutes, and shewed them my judgments, which if a man do, he shall even live in them.
- BSB And I gave them My statutes and made known to them My ordinances—for the man who does these things will live by them.
- NASB I gave them My statutes and informed them of My ordinances, which, if a person follows them, then he will live by them.
- NLT There I gave them my decrees and regulations so they could find life by keeping them.
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
God gave Israel His statutes and ordinances, by which a person who keeps them shall live. His law was a gracious gift meant to lead to life.
Overview
At Sinai God revealed His good law as the path of life and blessing for His redeemed people (Leviticus 18:5). The law was not given to enslave but to guide His people in the way of flourishing fellowship with Him. Israel's failure to keep it exposes humanity's need for the righteousness of Christ, who alone perfectly fulfilled the law and gives life to all who trust Him (Romans 10:5; Galatians 3:12).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Lev 18:5You shall therefore keep my statutes and my ordinances; which if a man does, he shall live in them. I am Yahweh.
- Rom 10:5For Moses writes about the righteousness of the law, “The one who does them will live by them.”
- Deut 4:8What great nation is there, that has statutes and ordinances so righteous as all this law, which I set before you today?
- Luke 10:28He said to him, “You have answered correctly. Do this, and you will live.”
- Gal 3:12The law is not of faith, but, “The man who does them will live by them.”
- Ezek 20:13“‘“But the house of Israel rebelled against me in the wilderness. They didn’t walk in my statutes, and they rejected my ordinances, which if a man keeps, he shall live in them. They greatly profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them in the wilderness, to consume them.
- Neh 9:13–14“You also came down on Mount Sinai, and spoke with them from heaven, and gave them right ordinances and true laws, good statutes and commandments,
- Ps 147:19–20He shows his word to Jacob; his statutes and his ordinances to Israel.
- Deut 20:15–16Thus you shall do to all the cities which are very far off from you, which are not of the cities of these nations.
- Ezek 20:21“‘“But the children rebelled against me. They didn’t walk in my statutes, neither kept my ordinances to do them, which if a man do, he shall live in them. They profaned my Sabbaths. Then I said I would pour out my wrath on them, to accomplish my anger against them in the wilderness.
- Rom 3:2Much in every way! Because first of all, they were entrusted with the revelations of God.
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Christ at the center
The promise of one Shepherd-King David, a new heart and new Spirit, and the river of life flowing from the temple all stream toward Christ, the good Shepherd who gives the Spirit.
How Ezekiel 20:11 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.