Deuteronomy 30:10

Summary

The verse presents two parallel conditional clauses, each introduced by ki ("if"): the first sets obedience to Yehovah's voice — meaning the keeping of the commandments and statutes written in "this book of the law" — as a condition; the second sets a "return" to Yehovah with all heart and all being as a second, related condition. The verse does not itself contain the result (apodosis) of these conditions.

Key words

• ki ("if", H3588A) — appears twice, opening each conditional clause; marks both obedience and "return" as conditions rather than statements of fact.
• tishma' ("you will listen", H8085H) — qal imperfect, second person masculine; the imperfect aspect frames the listening/obeying as a future or ongoing possibility tied to the condition.
• lishmor ("to keep", H8104G) — infinitive construct with prefixed le-; expresses purpose or result of listening ("in order to keep" the commandments and statutes).
• ha-ketuvah ("is written", H3789) — qal passive participle, feminine singular; describes the commandments/statutes as fixed in written form in the book of the law.
• tashuv ("you will return", H7725G) — qal imperfect, second person masculine; parallels tishma' structurally, introducing the second condition.

What the text says

The Hebrew sentence is built from two mirrored conditional units joined by repeated ki. The first unit centers on tishma' be-qol Yehovah 'eloheikha ("you will listen to the voice of Yehovah your God"), followed by the infinitive lishmor specifying what that listening entails: keeping mitzvotav ("his commandments") and chuqqotav ("his statutes"). These two plural feminine nouns are both described by the single feminine singular participle ha-ketuvah ("that is written"), located in sefer ha-torah ha-zeh ("this book of the law, this one"), with the demonstrative zeh reinforcing the specificity of the referenced text.

The second unit, introduced by the second ki (tashuv, "you will return"), repeats the divine name and title, Yehovah 'eloheikha, identically to the first clause, creating a structural parallel between "listening" and "returning." The condition concludes with two paired prepositional phrases, be-khol levavekha ("with all your heart") and u-ve-khol nafshekha ("and with all your being/soul"), both built on the construct pattern kol + noun + possessive suffix, emphasizing totality rather than partial compliance.

Differences between versions

The Hebrew names two items kept under the law — mitzvotav ("his commandments") and chuqqotav ("his statutes"). The LXX text given lists three: ἐντολὰς ("commandments"), δικαιώματα ("statutes/ordinances"), and κρίσεις ("judgments"), adding a third category absent from the Hebrew word list provided. The Vulgate corresponds to the Hebrew's two-item structure with præcepta ("commandments") and cæremonias ("ceremonies/statutes"). Additionally, in the second clause the Hebrew repeats the full title Yehovah 'eloheikha, while the LXX rendering given only has "τὸν θεόν σου" ("your God"), without repeating "κύριος" ("Lord").