Deuteronomy 30:19

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;

World English Bible · Public Domain

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וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה

qᵉlâlâh

H7045

“and · the · curse”

Conjunction + Particle, Definite Article + Noun, Common, Feminine, Singular, Absolute

Appears 33× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Genesis 27:12

Full BDB Definition

Origin: from H7043

TWOT: 2028d

curse, vilification, execration

About this verse

These counts appear in no published source. They are computed here, from the morphology-tagged text and Lemma’s own curated glosses. What Lemma adds →

19: words
16: distinct lemmas
Pentateuch: section

Shared distinctive vocabulary

וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה curse H7045 occurs in 33 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

4 verbs
10 nouns
1 pronoun
2 prepositions
2 particles

Verb forms

הַעִידֹ֨תִי Hiphil · Perfect
נָתַ֣תִּי Qal · Perfect
וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ Qal · Sequential Perfect
תִּחְיֶ֖ה Qal · Imperfect

Repetition

A word recurs within this verse — often emphatic in Hebrew:

הַחַיִּ֤ים living H2416 ×2

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 36 words from the Hebrew and 35 from the Septuagint (LXX English) — closely comparable.

A rough comparison of the two English renderings, which tokenize alike — not a word-level alignment.

Word counts can differ between the Hebrew and the Greek without any difference in meaning — e.g. the Hebrew direct-object marker אֵת has no separate Greek word, and Greek often adds the article ὁ.

In the original languages it is 19 Hebrew tokens and 33 Greek tokens — but the two are counted differently (Hebrew bundles its prefixes and suffixes into one token; the Greek is in lemma form), so that isn’t a like-for-like length.

Cross-references

Topical passages linked to Deuteronomy 30:19 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Deuteronomy 30:15 Behold, I have set before you this day life and good, and death and evil;
Deuteronomy 11:26 Behold, I set before you this day a blessing and a curse:
Psalms 119:30 I have chosen the way of truth. I have set my heart on your law.
Joshua 24:15–22 If it seem evil to you to serve Yahweh, choose you this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were beyond the River, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve Yahweh.
Proverbs 8:36 But he who sins against me wrongs his own soul. All those who hate me love death."
Deuteronomy 30:1 It shall happen, when all these things are come on you, the blessing and the curse, which I have set before you, and you shall call them to mind among all the nations, where Yahweh your God has driven you,
Luke 10:42 but one thing is needed. Mary has chosen the good part, which will not be taken away from her."
Jeremiah 32:39 and I will give them one heart and one way, that they may fear me forever, for the good of them, and of their children after them:

1 Timothy 5:21 I charge you in the sight of God, and Christ Jesus, and the chosen angels, that you observe these things without prejudice, doing nothing by partiality.
Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto you go over the Jordan to possess it; you shall not prolong your days on it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
Psalms 119:173 Let your hand be ready to help me, For I have chosen your precepts.
Acts 2:39 For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all who are far off, even as many as the Lord our God will call to himself."
Deuteronomy 31:28 Assemble to me all the elders of your tribes, and your officers, that I may speak these words in their ears, and call heaven and earth to witness against them.
Micah 6:1–2 Listen now to what Yahweh says: "Arise, plead your case before the mountains, And let the hills hear what you have to say.
Psalms 119:111 I have taken your testimonies as a heritage forever, For they are the joy of my heart.
Proverbs 1:29 Because they hated knowledge, And didn't choose the fear of Yahweh.

Deuteronomy 32:1 Give ear, you heavens, and I will speak; Let the earth hear the words of my mouth.
Isaiah 1:2 Hear, heavens, And listen, earth; for Yahweh has spoken: I have nourished and brought up children, And they have rebelled against me.
Jeremiah 2:12–13 Be astonished, you heavens, at this, and be horribly afraid, be you very desolate, says Yahweh.
Jeremiah 22:29–30 O earth, earth, earth, hear the word of Yahweh.
Isaiah 56:4 For thus says Yahweh of the eunuchs who keep my Sabbaths, and choose the things that please me, and hold fast my covenant:

Cross-references courtesy of OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).

Hebrew and Greek witnesses Masoretic Hebrew ↔ Greek Septuagint

The same verse in the two great witnesses to the Old Testament, shown verse-for-verse.

These are two independent witnesses, not word-aligned to each other, and the Septuagint is shown in lemma (dictionary) form.

Hebrew Deuteronomy 30:19 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

הַעִידֹ֨תִי בָכֶ֣ם הַיּוֹם֮ אֶת הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת הָאָרֶץ֒ הַחַיִּ֤ים וְהַמָּ֨וֶת֙ נָתַ֣תִּי לְפָנֶ֔יךָ הַבְּרָכָ֖ה וְהַקְּלָלָ֑ה וּבָֽחַרְתָּ֙ בַּֽחַיִּ֔ים לְמַ֥עַן תִּחְיֶ֖ה אַתָּ֥ה וְזַרְעֶֽךָ

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: therefore choose life, that you may live, you and your seed;

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Deuteronomy 30:19 Septuagint · lemma form

διαμαρτύρομαι σύ σήμερον ὁ τε οὐρανός καί ὁ γῆ ὁ ζωή καί ὁ θάνατος δίδωμι πρό πρόσωπον σύ ὁ εὐλογία καί ὁ κατάρα ἐκλέγω ὁ ζωή ἵνα ζάω σύ καί ὁ σπέρμα σύ

I call both heaven and earth to witness this day against you, I have set before you life and death, the blessing and the curse: choose you life, that you and your seed may live;

LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) · Public Domain

Hebrew: Westminster Leningrad Codex (CC BY 4.0). Greek: Septuagint (public domain); English from LXX2012 (modern English Septuagint) (Public Domain). How the Septuagint differs from the Hebrew →

Targum (Aramaic paraphrase)

The Targum is the ancient Jewish Aramaic paraphrase of the Hebrew Scriptures — an interpretive translation, not the Hebrew text itself. Onkelos (literal) and Pseudo-Jonathan (expansive) render the Torah, and Jonathan the Prophets. Coverage is partial: where no permissively-licensed English translation exists for a verse, only the Aramaic is shown. This is verse-level text, not a word-by-word alignment to the Hebrew.

Targum Onkelos Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

אַסְהֵדִית בְּכוֹן יוֹמָא דֵין יָת שְׁמַיָא וְיָת אַרְעָא חַיֵי וּמוֹתָא יְהָבִית קֳדָמָךְ בִּרְכָן וּלְוָטִין וְתִתִּרְעֵי בְּחַיֵי בְּדִיל דְתֵיחֵי אַתְּ וּבְנָיךְ

(no public-domain English translation for this verse)

Targum Onkelos — Aramaic: “Onkelos Genesis” (public domain); “Onkelos Exodus” (public domain); “Onkelos Leviticus” (public domain); “Onkelos Numbers” (public domain); “Onkelos Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “Sefaria Community Translation” (CC0 1.0 (public-domain dedication)); “J.W. Etheridge. The Targums of Onkelos and Jonathan Ben Uzziel on the Pentateuch. London: Longmans, Green, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.
Targum Pseudo-Jonathan Torah (Genesis–Deuteronomy)

לָא סַהֲדִין דְעָבְרִין מִן עַלְמָא אֲנָא מַסְהִיד בְּכוֹן יוֹמָנָא אֱלָהֵן שְׁמַיָא וְאַרְעָא חַיֵי וּמוֹתָא סַדָרִית קוּמֵיכוֹן בִּרְכָתָא וְחִילוּפָהּ וּתְתֵירְעוּן בְּאָרְחָא דְחַיֵי הִיא אוֹרַיְיתָא מִן בִּגְלַל דְתֵיחוּן בְּחַיֵי עַלְמָא דְאָתֵי אַתּוּן וּבְנֵיכוֹן

I attest this day, not only you, who are to pass away from this world, but the heavens and the earth, that I have set before you life and death, blessing and its reverse. Choose therefore the way of life, even the law, that you and your children may live the life of the world to come;

Targum Pseudo-Jonathan — Aramaic: “Targum Jonathan on Genesis” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Exodus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Leviticus” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Numbers” (public domain); “Targum Jonathan on Deuteronomy” (public domain). English: “The Targum of Jonathan ben Uzziel, trans. J. W. Etheridge, London, 1862” (public domain). Text via Sefaria.

Commentary

Notes on Deuteronomy 30:19 from classic Christian and Jewish commentators (each source and its license shown beneath its notes). The classic Christian expositions comment on the surrounding passage and are grouped to its opening verse, so a note may address several verses; the Jewish commentaries on the Tanakh (Rashi and others) are per-verse, so they appear only where the commentator wrote on this verse.

Lemma curates 59 commentaries, every one of them public domain or Creative Commons licensed, each selected and text-cleaned for this edition rather than reprinted as found. About our sources →

Commentary source

Trapp's Complete Commentary

John Trapp

Deu 30:19 I call heaven and earth to record this day against you, [that] I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing: therefore choose life, that both thou and thy seed may live:

Ver. 19. Life and death, blessing and cursing.] Of God it may be more truly affirmed, than ever it was of Charles V, Emperor,

“ Una gerit bellum, monstrat manus altera pacem. ”

Therefore choose life.] Which yet man, of himself, can as little do as a dead carcass can fiy aloft. It was therefore an unsound and unsavoury speech of him that said, Quod vivamus, Dei munus est; quod bene vivamus, nostrum: That we live, it is of God; but that we live well, it is of ourselves. See the contrary in Isa 11:12 Hos 14:8 Joh 15:5.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Joseph Benson's Commentary

Deu 30:19. Choose life — They shall have life that choose it: they that choose the favour of God, and communion with him, shall have what they choose. They that come short of life and happiness, must thank themselves only. They would have had them, if they had chosen them, when they were put to their choice: but they die, because they will die.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Tyndale Open Study Notes

Tyndale Open Resources

30:19 life and death . . . blessings and curses: This grammatical structure suggests an equivalence between life and blessing and between death and curses. The essence of a blessing is life, and the essence of a curse is death.

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Geneva Bible (1599)

Geneva Bible translators

That is, love and obey God: which thing is not in man’s power, but God’s Spirit only worketh it in his elect.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 19. See the note on the preceding verse. See Clarke on De 30:15

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible (1810–1826) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges

gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne

19. I call heaven and earth, etc.] As in Deu_4:26.

set before thee life and death] See on Deu_30:15.

choose life] In Deut. only here; but cp. Jos_24:15, Isa_7:15 (choose the good). On that thou mayest live see Deu_30:6.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Gill's Exposition

I call heaven and earth to record this day against you,.... Either, literally understood, the heavens above him, and the earth on which he stood, those inanimate bodies, which are frequently called upon as witnesses to matters of moment and importance; see Deu 4:26; or figuratively, the inhabitants of both, angels and men:

that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing; had plainly told them in express words what would be the consequence of obedience and disobedience to the law of God; long life, and the blessings of it in the land of Canaan, to those that obey it; death, by various means, and dreadful curses, to those that disobey it; of which see at large Deu 28:16,

therefore choose life, that thou and thy seed may live; that is, prefer obedience to the law, and choose to perform that, the consequence of which is life; that they and their posterity might live comfortably and happily, quietly and safely, and constantly, even to the latest ages, in the land of Canaan.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

I call. He begins his canticle in the same emphatical manner, (chap. xxii.) as Isaias does his prophecy. (Haydock)

George Leo Haydock (1774–1849), Haydock's Catholic Family Bible and Commentary, 1859 edition — public domain. Excludes Psalms (Douay-Rheims chapter numbering differs from Protestant) and Deuterocanonical books (Catholic canon only).

Matthew Poole's English Annotations

Compare Deu 4:26; Jos 24:27; Psa 1:4; Isa 1:2.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

The Pulpit Commentary

cf. Deu_4:26.

Nature a witness.

See for other instances. (Deu_4:26 Deu_31:28 Deu_32:1; Isa_1:2) The invocation of heaven and earth as witnesses turns on deep principles. They are "called to record

I BECAUSE THE MIND RECOGNIZES THEIR PRESENCE AS WITNESSES OF ITS TRANSACTIONS. It projects its own consciousness on its surroundings, and feels as if earth and sky, sun, moon, rock, river, tree, mountain, were not inanimate but animate and sympathetic witnesses of its doings. It attaches its own thoughts to the outward objects. In presence of the scene of any great transaction, it feels as if the place retained its memory; still spoke to it of the past; thought, felt, rejoiced, accused, praised, according to the nature of the deed. Define as we will this feeling of a "Presence" in nature this "sense of something far more deeply interfused," which we inevitably carry with us into our relations with the outward universe it is a fact in consciousness, and furnishes a basis for such appeals as those of Moses.

II BECAUSE GOD IS PRESENT IN HEAVEN AND EARTH AS A WITNESS OF WHAT IS DONE. (cf. Mat_5:34, Mat_5:35) Heaven is his throne; earth, his footstool. He is present in them, upholding them by the word of his power, and through them is a true witness of all we say and do.

III BECAUSE HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE CREATURES THEMSELVES CONSPICUOUSLY FULFILLING THE ENDS OF THEIR CREATION. The universe as a whole is thus a standing protest against the apostasy and self-willedness of the sinner. (Isa_1:1, Isa_1:2) It bears witness against him by its very fidelity to its Creator. "They continue this clay according to thine ordinances, for all are thy servants". (Psa_119:91)

IV BECAUSE HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE SIGNAL MONUMENTS OF THE DIVINE FAITHFULNESS AND IMMUTABILITY. (Psa_119:89, Psa_119:90) They testify to the reign of law, to God"s constancy of purpose, to the uniformity and inflexibility of his rule. They dash the sinner"s hopes of his Word failing, of his threatenings not being put in force.

V BECAUSE HEAVEN AND EARTH RETAIN AN ACTUAL RECORD OF WHAT IS DONE IN THEIR PRESENCE a record which may admit of being produced. This is simple truth of science.

VI BECAUSE HEAVEN AND EARTH ARE INTERESTED SPECTATORS OF WHAT IS BEING DONE. They have shared in the consequences of man"s transgression; they will share in the glory of the manifestation of the sons of God. They wait the day of their redemption with earnest expectation. (Rom_8:19-23)

That Moses, in connection with his appeal to the people, summoned heaven and earth to witness, was an evidence:

1. Of the solemnity of this appeal. It must be a matter of momentous importance when the universe is called in to witness it.

2. Of the rationality of this appeal. Nature and nature"s God were on his side. He had the universe with him, though a foolish people might reject his counsel.

3. Of the enduringness of the issues which depended on this appeal. Neither the blessing nor the curse would work themselves out in a day. It needed lasting witnesses to take account of the fulfillment of God"s words. J.O.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

John Wesley's Explanatory Notes

Chuse life - They shall have life that chuse it: they that chuse the favour of God, and communion with him, shall have what they chuse. They that come short of life and happiness, must thank themselves only. They had had them, if they had chosen them, when they were put to their choice: but they die, because they will die.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

unfoldingWord translationNotes

Door43 World Missions Community

General Information:

Moses speaks to the Israelites as if they were one man, so except where noted the words "you" and "your" here are singular. (See: Forms of You)

I call heaven and earth to witness

Possible meanings are 1) Moses is calling on all those who live in heaven and earth to be witnesses to what he says, or 2) Moses is speaking to heaven and earth as if they are people, and he is calling them to be witnesses to what he says (See: Metonymy and Personification and Apostrophe)

to witness against you

"to be willing to say that you have done evil things"

against you today

Moses speaks to the Israelites as a group. (See: Forms of You)

obey his voice

Here "voice" refers to what Yahweh says. AT: "obey what he says" (See: Metonymy)

to cling to him

"to rely on him"

For he is your life and the length of your days

These phrases have the same meaning and are metonyms for Yahweh, emphasizing that he is the one who gives life and determines the length of people's lifetimes. AT: "Yahweh is the only one who can enable you to live a long life" (See: Doublet and Metonymy)

swore to your ancestors

The ellipsis can be filled in. AT: "swore that he would give to your ancestors" (See: Ellipsis)

translationWords

heaven

earth

testimony

life

die

bless

curse

descend

love

obey

voice

oath

Abraham

Isaac

Jacob

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.

Rashi

Rabbi Shlomo Yitzchaki (Rashi)

העדתי בכם היום את השמים ואת הארץ I CALL AS WITNESSES AGAINST YOU THE HEAVEN AND THE EARTH, which exist for ever, and when evil will befall you they will be witnesses that I have warned you regarding all this (cf. Targum Jonathan on). Another explanation of העדתי בכם את השמים וגו׳ I CALL THE HEAVEN [AND THE EARTH] AS WITNESSES AGAINST YOU: The Holy One, blessed be He, said to Israel, “Look at the heavens which I have created to be at your service; have they perhaps ever changed their character? Has the orb of the sun perhaps ever failed to rise in the East and to give light to the whole world, just as is stated, (Ecclesiastes 1:4—5) “And the sun riseth, and the sun goeth down [and hasteth to its place where it arises]”?! Look at the earth which I have created to be at your service! Has it perhaps ever changed its character? Have you perhaps sown it and it did not bring forth, or have you sown wheat and it brought forth barley?! Now how is it with these that have been made neither with the end in view that they should receive a reward nor that they should suffer a loss — for if they act meritoriously (if they follow the natural laws by which they are governed) they receive no reward and if they were to fail they would receive no punishment? They have never changed their character! You, who if you act meritoriously do receive a reward and if you sin do receive punishment, how much the more so should you obey the commands of your Maker! (Sifrei Devarim 306:1).

ובחרת בחיים THEREFORE CHOOSE THE LIFE — I show you these (“I set life and death before thee) in order that you may choose the portion of life. It is like a man who says to his son, “Choose for yourself a good portion of my real estate”, and sets him in the best portion saying to him, “Choose this!” And concerning this it states, (Psalms 16:5) “The Lord is the portion of my inheritance and my cup, אתה תומיך גורלי”, i.e. “You place my hand on the good lot, saying, ‘Choose this!'”

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.

Lesson kit

Teaching starters — assembled from the data on this page, not authored interpretation. Every prompt links to the verse data it draws on. Edit before teaching.

Deuteronomy, in the Pentateuch, opens this verse with 19 words (16 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is qᵉlâlâh (“curse”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

How does “curse” (qᵉlâlâh) shape what this verse is saying?
Genesis 27:12 shares the word «curse» with this verse. How do the two illuminate each other?
“living” occurs 2× in this one verse. What is the effect of the repetition?
The translations on this page render this verse differently — a whole-verse word diff, not a word-by-word alignment. What might account for the different wordings?
The verb «הַעִידֹ֨תִי» is Hiphil Perfect. How does its form color the action?
Reading how Trapp's Complete Commentary and Joseph Benson's Commentary read this verse, where do the two commentators agree and where do they part?

Things to notice

This verse counts 19 Hebrew ↔ 33 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 16 words in this verse.
“living” occurs 2× in this single verse.
16 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 19 words in this verse.