Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ Κυρίου τοῦ Θεοῦ σου τοῦ μὴ φυλάξαι τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ καὶ τὰ κρίματα καὶ τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι σήμερον
(Deuteronomy 8:11 LXX)
הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֔ פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּ֖ח אֶת־יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֑יךָ לְבִלְתִּ֨י שְׁמֹ֤ר מִצְוֹתָיו֙ וּמִשְׁפָּטָ֣יו וְחֻקֹּתָ֔יו אֲשֶׁ֛ר אָנֹכִ֥י מְצַוְּךָ֖ הַיֹּֽום׃
Hebrew Warning and Greek Exhortation
In Deuteronomy 8:11, the call is for vigilance against spiritual forgetfulness. Both the Hebrew and Greek express this as a direct address to the hearer, but their constructions reveal subtle differences in how warning and obedience are framed. The Hebrew uses an idiomatic imperative “Guard yourself” paired with a negative purpose clause, while the Greek uses a present imperative “Pay attention to yourself” followed by a prohibition, shaping the tone from guarded caution to active mindfulness.
From הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ to πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ
The Hebrew הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ is a Niphal imperative 2ms of שָׁמַר with the reflexive לְךָ (“for yourself”), an idiom meaning “be careful” or “guard yourself.” The LXX renders this with πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ (“pay attention to yourself”), using a present active imperative of προσέχω. While semantically equivalent, the Greek leans toward the mental act of attentive watchfulness, whereas Hebrew retains a physical-guarding metaphor.
Prohibition Nuance: פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּח vs. μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ
Hebrew’s פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּח uses פֶּן (“lest”) with an imperfect of שָׁכַח (“forget”), marking a feared potential outcome. Greek uses the aorist middle subjunctive μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ (“lest you forget”), employing the middle voice of ἐπιλανθάνομαι. The aorist here conveys the act as a single, decisive lapse rather than an ongoing state.
Purpose Clause: לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹר vs. τοῦ μὴ φυλάξαι
The Hebrew לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹר (“so as not to keep”) uses the infinitive construct with לְ + בִלְתִּי to express negative purpose. The Greek employs the articular infinitive τοῦ μὴ φυλάξαι (“that you should not keep”), a standard way to render this construction. The translation is formally accurate, preserving the causal linkage between forgetting and neglecting obedience.
From Triple Torah Terms to Triple Greek Equivalents
The Hebrew lists three categories: מִצְוֹתָיו (“his commandments”), מִשְׁפָּטָיו (“his judgments”), and חֻקֹּתָיו (“his statutes”). The Greek matches these with τὰς ἐντολὰς (“commandments”), τὰ κρίματα (“judgments”), and τὰ δικαιώματα (“statutes” or “ordinances”). The semantic match is close, though δικαιώματα carries a sense of “righteous requirements” in Greek, slightly broadening the legal nuance.
Hebrew-Greek Morphological Comparison
| Hebrew Word | Greek Translation | Grammatical Notes | Translation Technique |
|---|---|---|---|
| הִשָּׁמֶר לְךָ | πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ | Niphal imperative 2ms + pronoun → present active imperative 2sg + reflexive pronoun | Idiomatic equivalence |
| פֶּן־תִּשְׁכַּח | μὴ ἐπιλάθῃ | Conjunction פֶּן + Qal imperfect 2ms → μή + aorist middle subjunctive 2sg | Structural adaptation |
| לְבִלְתִּי שְׁמֹר | τοῦ μὴ φυλάξαι | Infinitive construct with negator → articular infinitive with μή | Direct functional equivalent |
| מִצְוֹתָיו | τὰς ἐντολὰς αὐτοῦ | Noun + pronominal suffix → article + noun + possessive genitive | Literal rendering |
| מִשְׁפָּטָיו | τὰ κρίματα αὐτοῦ | Plural noun + suffix → article + plural noun + genitive | Literal rendering |
| חֻקֹּתָיו | τὰ δικαιώματα αὐτοῦ | Plural noun + suffix → article + plural noun + genitive | Semantic expansion |
| אֲשֶׁר אָנֹכִי מְצַוְּךָ | ὅσα ἐγὼ ἐντέλλομαί σοι | Relative clause with participial verb → relative pronoun + present middle indicative | Direct correspondence |
Reflections at the Threshold
Both Hebrew and Greek issue a call to self-watchfulness, but the Greek’s choice of πρόσεχε shifts the metaphor from guarding against an external threat to maintaining inner attentiveness. The prohibition against forgetting YHWH links directly to the failure to keep His commandments, judgments, and statutes. In both, memory is safeguarded not merely by thought, but by ongoing obedience.
