The Meaning of Deuteronomy 13:4 Explained

Deuteronomy 13:4

KJV: Ye shall walk after the LORD your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

YLT: after Jehovah your God ye walk, and Him ye fear, and His commands ye keep, and to His voice ye hearken, and Him ye serve, and to Him ye cleave.

Darby: Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and ye shall fear him, and his commandments shall ye keep, and his voice shall ye hear; and ye shall serve him, and unto him shall ye cleave.

ASV: Ye shall walk after Jehovah your God, and fear him, and keep his commandments, and obey his voice, and ye shall serve him, and cleave unto him.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye shall walk  after  the LORD  your God,  and fear  him, and keep  his commandments,  and obey  his voice,  and ye shall serve  him, and cleave  unto him. 

What does Deuteronomy 13:4 Mean?

Study Notes

fear
.
fear of the Lord
The "fear of the Lord," a phrase of the O.T. piety, meaning reverential trust, with hatred of evil.

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 13:1-18 - Cut Out The Plague Spot
How to exterminate sources of disease is a main question with the modern world; but the stamping-out of possible sources of temptation must not less energetically be pursued by each religious soul. The prophet, the beloved associate, the community, that endeavored to turn Israel aside from God, might have no mercy shown. There was no room for those liberal views, in vogue today, that smile on the greatest divergencies of belief, if only their advocates are sincere.
For ourselves the lesson is clear enough. We must dissociate ourselves from companionships, however affectionate, which exert a deleterious effect on our characters, and draw us away from God. There is only one alternative-that we should overcome evil with good and lift them to our own ideals. If that be impossible, our course is clear. Our eye must not pity, nor our hand spare. And Jesus left no other alternative. See Mark 9:42-43. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 13

1  Enticers to idolatry
6  however near to oneself
9  are to be stoned to death
12  Idolatrous cities are not to be spared

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 13:4 mean?

After Yahweh your God You shall walk and Him fear and His commandments keep and His voice obey you shall serve and to Him hold fast
אַחֲרֵ֨י יְהוָ֧ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם תֵּלֵ֖כוּ וְאֹת֣וֹ תִירָ֑אוּ וְאֶת־ מִצְוֺתָ֤יו תִּשְׁמֹ֙רוּ֙ וּבְקֹל֣וֹ תִשְׁמָ֔עוּ תַעֲבֹ֖דוּ וּב֥וֹ תִדְבָּקֽוּן

אַחֲרֵ֨י  After 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
יְהוָ֧ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: Jehovah—used primarily in the combination ‘Lord Jehovah’.
אֱלֹהֵיכֶ֛ם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
תֵּלֵ֖כוּ  You  shall  walk 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
וְאֹת֣וֹ  and  Him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Direct object marker, third person masculine singular
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
תִירָ֑אוּ  fear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: יָרֵא 
Sense: to fear, revere, be afraid.
מִצְוֺתָ֤יו  His  commandments 
Parse: Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine singular
Root: מִצְוָה  
Sense: commandment.
תִּשְׁמֹ֙רוּ֙  keep 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
וּבְקֹל֣וֹ  and  His  voice 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
תִשְׁמָ֔עוּ  obey 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
תַעֲבֹ֖דוּ  you  shall  serve 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
וּב֥וֹ  and  to  Him 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition, third person masculine singular
תִדְבָּקֽוּן  hold  fast 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: דָּבַק  
Sense: to cling, stick, stay close, cleave, keep close, stick to, stick with, follow closely, join to, overtake, catch.