The Meaning of Deuteronomy 30:6 Explained

Deuteronomy 30:6

KJV: And the LORD thy God will circumcise thine heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

YLT: 'And Jehovah thy God hath circumcised thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, for the sake of thy life;

Darby: And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

ASV: And Jehovah thy God will circumcise thy heart, and the heart of thy seed, to love Jehovah thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, that thou mayest live.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And the LORD  thy God  will circumcise  thine heart,  and the heart  of thy seed,  to love  the LORD  thy God  with all thine heart,  and with all thy soul,  that thou mayest live. 

What does Deuteronomy 30:6 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 30:1-10 - Promises To Returning Wanderers
The Hebrew people have often turned to this chapter in the belief that the day must come when God will pity their forlorn condition and restore them from "the outmost parts of heaven." They do not consider that the promise was fulfilled in the return of a handful of their race under Nehemiah and Ezra.
The precious promise of Deuteronomy 30:6, where the initial rite of Judaism is to have its spiritual fulfillment, should be compared with Isaiah 52:1. The time is coming when all Israel shall be saved from the mere external badge of their national prerogative, and shall be converted to the true faith in Christ, as their Messiah and Savior. See Romans 2:28-29; Colossians 2:11. Then will God rejoice over them for good. Even now, as the true Israel of God, we may claim this rejoicing for ourselves! [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 30

1  Great mercies promised unto the penitent
11  The commandment is manifest
15  Death and life are set before them

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 30:6 mean?

And will circumcise Yahweh your God - your heart and the heart of your descendants to love with all and with all your soul that you may live
וּמָ֨ל יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ אֶת־ לְבָבְךָ֖ וְאֶת־ לְבַ֣ב זַרְעֶ֑ךָ לְאַהֲבָ֞ה בְּכָל־ וּבְכָל־ נַפְשְׁךָ֖ לְמַ֥עַן חַיֶּֽיךָ

וּמָ֨ל  And  will  circumcise 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: מוּל 
Sense: to circumcise, let oneself be circumcised, cut, be cut off.
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֛יךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לְבָבְךָ֖  your  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
לְבַ֣ב  the  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
זַרְעֶ֑ךָ  of  your  descendants 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: זֶרַע  
Sense: seed, sowing, offspring.
לְאַהֲבָ֞ה  to  love 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: אָהַב  
Sense: to love.
בְּכָל־  with  all 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
וּבְכָל־  and  with  all 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
נַפְשְׁךָ֖  your  soul 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: נֶפֶשׁ  
Sense: soul, self, life, creature, person, appetite, mind, living being, desire, emotion, passion.
לְמַ֥עַן  that 
Parse: Preposition
Root: לְמַעַן 
Sense: purpose, intent prep.
חַיֶּֽיךָ  you  may  live 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.