וְעַתָּ֣ה יִשְׂרָאֵ֗ל שְׁמַ֤ע אֶל־הַֽחֻקִּים֙ וְאֶל־הַמִּשְׁפָּטִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֧ר אָֽנֹכִ֛י מְלַמֵּ֥ד אֶתְכֶ֖ם לַעֲשֹׂ֑ות לְמַ֣עַן תִּֽחְי֗וּ וּבָאתֶם֙ וִֽירִשְׁתֶּ֣ם אֶת־הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֱלֹהֵ֥י אֲבֹתֵיכֶ֖ם נֹתֵ֥ן לָכֶֽם׃
And now, Yisra’el, listen to the statutes and to the judgments that I am teaching you to do, so that you may live and go in and possess the land that YHWH, the God of your fathers, is giving to you.
Explanation of Feature
This verse from Deuteronomy 4:1 features a blend of grammatical forms typical of covenant exhortation:
1. Imperative verb with direct object for authoritative instruction,
2. Infinitive construct with לְמַעַן (“so that”) to express purpose, and
3. A participial phrase (נֹתֵן) to describe ongoing divine action.
These elements together frame a motivational appeal: obedience leads to life and inheritance.
Examples from Deuteronomy 4:1
| Phrase | Form | Explanation |
|---|---|---|
| שְׁמַע | Imperative, Qal, 2ms | “Hear!” or “Listen!” – a command opening the exhortation |
| מְלַמֵּד אֶתְכֶם | Participle, Piel, ms + object suffix | “I am teaching you” – ongoing instructional activity |
| לַעֲשֹׂת | Infinitive construct, Qal | “to do [them]” – purpose of the teaching (what obedience entails) |
| לְמַעַן תִּחְיוּ | Prepositional phrase + yiqtol, 2mp | “so that you may live” – outcome-based motivation for obedience |
| נֹתֵן לָכֶם | Participle, Qal, ms + 2mp suffix | “[He] is giving to you” – ongoing divine action |
Related Grammatical Insight
– Imperative + participle: Common in instructional or covenantal texts, where the leader gives commands backed by divine authority.
– לְמַעַן + yiqtol expresses intended result or purpose, often translating as “so that” or “in order that.”
– Participles like נֹתֵן are timeless—describing actions that are happening or characterizing the subject as one who consistently does the action.
This verse sets the tone for Deuteronomy’s theology of obedience: hearing leads to doing, doing leads to life, and life leads to the enjoyment of YHWH’s promises.
