Deuteronomy 5:32

Hebrew (Westminster Leningrad Codex)

English Translation

You shall observe to do therefore as Yahweh your God has commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

World English Bible · Public Domain

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וּשְׂמֹֽאל

sᵉmôʼwl

H8040

“and · left”

Conjunction + Noun, Common, Masculine, Singular, Absolute

Appears 54× in the Hebrew Bible
First appears at Genesis 13:9

Full BDB Definition

Origin: a primitive word [rather perhaps from the same as H8071 (by insertion of the aleph) through the idea of wrapping up]

TWOT: 2267a

the left, the left hand, the left side - left - left hand - north (as one faces east)

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 →

11: words
11: distinct lemmas
Pentateuch: section

Shared distinctive vocabulary

וּשְׂמֹֽאל left H8040 occurs in 53 verses of the Hebrew Bible. Also found in:

Grammatical profile

4 verbs
4 nouns
3 particles

Verb forms

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם Qal · Perfect
לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת Qal · Infinitive Construct
צִוָּ֛ה Piel · Perfect
תָסֻ֖רוּ Qal · Imperfect

Hebrew & Septuagint length

In English translation the verse runs 26 words from the Hebrew and 27 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 11 Hebrew tokens and 18 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 5:32 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — connected by theme and wording, ordered by reader-vote popularity; previews shown in the World English Bible.

Proverbs 4:27 Don't turn to the right hand nor to the left. Remove your foot from evil.
Joshua 23:6 Therefore be you very courageous to keep and to do all that is written in the book of the law of Moses, that you not turn aside from it to the right hand or to the left;
Joshua 1:7 Only be strong and very courageous, to observe to do according to all the law, which Moses my servant commanded you: don't turn from it to the right hand or to the left, that you may have good success wherever you go.
Deuteronomy 17:20 that his heart not be lifted up above his brothers, and that he not turn aside from the commandment, to the right hand, or to the left: to the end that he may prolong his days in his kingdom, he and his children, in the midst of Israel.
Deuteronomy 28:14 and shall not turn aside from any of the words which I command you this day, to the right hand, or to the left, to go after other gods to serve them.
Deuteronomy 8:1 All the commandment which I command you this day shall you observe to do, that you may live, and multiply, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh swore to your fathers.
Deuteronomy 11:32 You shall observe to do all the statutes and the ordinances which I set before you this day.
Deuteronomy 12:32 Whatever thing I command you, that shall you observe to do: you shall not add thereto, nor diminish from it.

Deuteronomy 24:8 Take heed in the plague of leprosy, that you observe diligently, and do according to all that the priests the Levites shall teach you: as I commanded them, so you shall observe to do.
Ezekiel 37:24 My servant David shall be king over them; and they all shall have one shepherd: they shall also walk in my ordinances, and observe my statutes, and do them.
Deuteronomy 4:1–2 Now, Israel, listen to the statutes and to the ordinances, which I teach you, to do them; that you may live, and go in and possess the land which Yahweh, the God of your fathers, gives you.
Deuteronomy 6:3 Hear therefore, Israel, and observe to do it; that it may be well with you, and that you may increase mightily, as Yahweh, the God of your fathers, has promised to you, in a land flowing with milk and honey.
Deuteronomy 6:25 It shall be righteousness to us, if we observe to do all this commandment before Yahweh our God, as he has commanded us.
Psalms 125:5 But as for those who turn aside to their crooked ways, Yahweh will lead them away with the workers of iniquity. Peace be on Israel.
2 Peter 2:21 For it would be better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than, after knowing it, to turn back from the holy commandment delivered to them.
2 Kings 21:8 neither will I cause the feet of Israel to wander any more out of the land which I gave their fathers, if only they will observe to do according to all that I have commanded them, and according to all the law that my servant Moses commanded them.

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 5:32 Masoretic · Westminster Leningrad Codex

וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם לַעֲשׂ֔וֹת כַּאֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוָּ֛ה יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֖ם אֶתְכֶ֑ם לֹ֥א תָסֻ֖רוּ יָמִ֥ין וּשְׂמֹֽאל

You shall observe to do therefore as Yahweh your God has commanded you: you shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.

World English Bible · Public Domain

Greek LXX Deuteronomy 5:32 Septuagint · lemma form

καί φυλάσσω ποιέω ὅς τρόπος ἐντέλλομαι σύ κύριος ὁ θεός σύ οὐ ἐκκλίνω εἰς δεξιός οὐδέ εἰς ἀριστερός

And you⌃ shall take heed to do as the Lord your God commanded you; you⌃ shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left,

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 →

Commentary

Notes on Deuteronomy 5:32 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 →

Geneva Bible (1599)

Geneva Bible translators

Ye shall neither add nor diminish, Deut. 4:2.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Verse 32. Ye shall observe to do] He who marks not the word of God is never likely to fulfil the will of God.

Ye shall not turn aside to the right hand or to the left.] The way of truth and righteousness is a right line; a man must walk straight forward who wishes to go to glory; no crooked or devious path ever led to God or happiness.

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

32, 33. Exhortations to obey this new charge: a number of characteristic deuteronomic formulas. Because of this and specially because of the phrase which Jehovah your God has commanded you, these verses are taken by some to be a later addition. Yet it was surely quite logical for the writer of the rest of the chapter to put the phrase in Moses’ mouth in Moab, because God had already at Ḥoreb charged him with these laws; the phrase does not imply their previous publication.

ye shall not turn aside, etc.] Deu_17:11; Deu_17:20, Deu_28:14, and in deuteronomic passages in other books; cp. Deu_9:2.

the way which Jehovah your God has commanded you] that is through me and which I am now about to show you. The phrase is also found Deu_9:12; Deu_9:16, Deu_11:28, Deu_31:29 (all pl.), and in Deu_13:5 (Sg.). To walk in His ways, Deu_8:6 (Sg.), Deu_11:22 (Pl.). Buhl (Sozial. Verhältn. der Isr. 9) remarks on the suitability to nomads of this metaphor; but surely it was equally suitable for peasants. No inference as to date can therefore be drawn from it. Cp. in the N.T. ἡ ὀδός Act_9:2; Act_19:9; Act_19:23; Act_22:4, and the Ḳoran Sur. 1.

live] Deu_4:1.

may be well with you] Deu_5:16; Deu_5:29, Deu_4:40.

prolong … days] used both in Pl. here and in Deu_4:26 (cp. Deu_30:18), Deu_11:9, Deu_32:47, and in Sg. Deu_4:40; that thy days may be long, Deu_5:16, Deu_6:2, Deu_25:15; cp. Deu_22:7.

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.

Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary

Left: a proverbial expression, to signify that no sort of transgression is to be allowed. (Menochius) --- It is of the same import as, You shall not add, &c., chap. iv. 2. (Calmet)

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

Neither by superstitious additions to God’s commands, nor by a bold or profane rejection or contempt of any one of them.

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

The Pulpit Commentary

Vers. 32, 33. Moses winds up this part of his discourse by exhorting them to observe and do all God"s commandments, not in any way departing from that course of action to which he had called them, that they might live, and it should be well with them in the land they were about to possess.

To the right hand or to the left. "This signifieth an exact care to walk in God"s Law, as in the highway, from which men may not turn aside, as in Deu_2:27" (Ainsworth); cf. Deu_17:11, 20 28:14; Jos_1:7; Pro_4:27; Isa_30:21. "To receive what God enjoins is only half obedience; it belongs thereto also that nothing be required beyond this. We must not desire to be more righteous than as we are taught by the Law" (Calvin)

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

unfoldingWord translationNotes

Door43 World Missions Community

General Information:

Moses continues to speak to the people of Israel.

You will keep

Moses is giving a command to the people of Israel.

you will not turn aside to the right hand or to the left

This compares a person disobeying God to a person turning off of the correct path. AT: "you will not disobey him in any way" or "you will do everything he says" (See: Metaphor)

prolong your days

Long days are a metaphor for a long life. See how you translated this in Deuteronomy 4:40. AT: "be able to live a long time" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

Yahweh

God

command

turn

walk

possess

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

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 11 words (11 distinct Hebrew lemmas). Its most distinctive word is sᵉmôʼwl (“left”). A historical commentator’s framing appears above. Read the whole chapter for the surrounding context.

Discussion questions

What does “left” (sᵉmôʼwl) contribute to the verse as a whole?
How does Genesis 13:9, which shares the word «left», read alongside this verse?
These translations render this verse differently. What is at stake in choosing one wording over another?
«וּשְׁמַרְתֶּ֣ם» is a Qal Perfect verb. How does that grammatical form shape the action described?
Compare how Geneva Bible (1599) and Adam Clarke's Commentary read this verse. Where do they agree or differ?

Things to notice

This verse counts 11 Hebrew ↔ 18 Greek words.
These translations choose different wording for 8 words in this verse.
11 distinct Hebrew lemmas span 11 words in this verse.