Deuteronomy 29:29

Complete Jewish Bible

(vii) Then Moshe summoned all Isra'el and said to them, "You saw everything Adonai did before your eyes in the land of Egypt to Pharaoh, to all his servants and to all his land; the great testings which you saw with your own eyes, and the signs and those great wonders. Nevertheless, to this day Adonai has not given you a heart to understand, eyes to see or ears to hear! I led you forty years in the desert. Neither the clothes on your body nor the shoes on your feet wore out. You didn't eat bread, and you didn't drink wine or other intoxicating liquor; this was so that you would know that ‘I am Adonai your God.' (Maftir) When you arrived at this place, Sichon the king of Heshbon and ‘Og the king of Bashan advanced against us in battle, and we defeated them, took their land and gave it as an inheritance to the Re'uveni, the Gadi and the M'nashi. Therefore, observe the words of this covenant and obey them; so that you can make everything you do prosper. Haftarah Ki Tavo: Yesha‘yahu (Isaiah) 60:1–22 B'rit Hadashah suggested readings for Parashah Ki Tavo: Mattityahu (Matthew) 13:1–23; Luke 21:1–4; Acts 28:17–31; Romans 11:1–15 [In regular years read with Parashah 52, in leap years read separately] "Today you are standing, all of you, before Adonai your God — your heads, your tribes, your leaders and your officers — all the men of Isra'el, along with your little ones, your wives and your foreigners here with you in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water. The purpose is that you should enter into the covenant of Adonai your God and into his oath which Adonai your God is making with you today, (LY: ii) so that he can establish you today for himself as a people, and so that for you he will be God — as he said to you and as he swore to your ancestors, to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov. "But I am not making this covenant and this oath only with you. Rather, I am making it both with him who is standing here with us today before Adonai our God and also with him who is not here with us today. (LY: iii) For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came directly through the nations you passed through; and you saw their detestable things and their idols of wood, stone, silver and gold that they had with them. So let there not be among you a man, woman, family or tribe whose heart turns away today from Adonai our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Let there not be among you a root bearing such bitter poison and wormwood. If there is such a person, when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself secretly, saying to himself, ‘I will be all right, even though I will stubbornly keep doing whatever I feel like doing; so that I, although "dry," [sinful,] will be added to the "watered" [righteous].' But Adonai will not forgive him. Rather, the anger and jealousy of Adonai will blaze up against that person. Every curse written in this book will be upon him. Adonai will blot out his name from under heaven. Adonai will single him out from all the tribes of Isra'el to experience what is bad in all the curses of the covenant written in this book of the Torah. "When the next generation, your children who will grow up after you, and the foreigner who arrives from a distant land, see the plagues of that land and the diseases with which Adonai has made it sick, and that the whole land has become burning sulfur and salt, that it isn't being sown or bearing crops or even producing grass — like the overthrow of S'dom, ‘Amora, Admah and Tzvoyim, which Adonai overthrew in his furious anger — then all the nations will ask, ‘Why did Adonai do this to this land? What is the meaning of such frenzied, furious anger?' People will answer, ‘It's because they abandoned the covenant of Adonai , the God of their fathers, which he made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt. They went and served other gods, prostrating themselves before them, gods they had not known and which he had not assigned them. For this reason, the anger of Adonai blazed up against this land and brought upon it every curse written in this book; and Adonai , in anger, fury and incensed with indignation, uprooted them from their land and threw them out into another land — as it is today.' "Things which are hidden belong to Adonai our God. But the things that have been revealed belong to us and our children forever, so that we can observe all the words of this Torah.

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
The hidden things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

Hebrew Names Version
The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

King James Version
The secret things belong unto the Lord our God: but those things which are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Lexham English Bible
"The hidden things belong to Yahweh our God, but the revealed things belong to us to know and to our children forever, in order to do all the words of this law."

English Standard Version
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

New Century Version
There are some things the Lord our God has kept secret, but there are some things he has let us know. These things belong to us and our children forever so that we will do everything in these teachings.

New English Translation
Secret things belong to the Lord our God, but those that are revealed belong to us and our descendants forever, so that we might obey all the words of this law.

Amplified Bible
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things which are revealed and disclosed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may do all of the words of this law.

New American Standard Bible
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, so that we may follow all the words of this Law.

Geneva Bible (1587)
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things reueiled belong vnto vs, and to our children for euer, that we may doe all the wordes of this Lawe.

Legacy Standard Bible
"The secret things belong to Yahweh our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Contemporary English Version
The Lord our God hasn't explained the present or the future, but he has commanded us to obey the laws he gave to us and our descendants.

Darby Translation
The hidden things belong to Jehovah our God; but the revealed ones are ours and our children's for ever, to do all the words of this law.

Easy-to-Read Version
"There are some things that the Lord our God has kept secret. Only he knows these things. But he told us about some things. And these teachings are for us and our descendants forever. And we must obey all the commands in that law.

George Lamsa Translation
The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but those things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may keep and do all the words of this law.

Good News Translation
"There are some things that the Lord our God has kept secret; but he has revealed his Law, and we and our descendants are to obey it forever.

Literal Translation
The secret things belong to Jehovah our God; and the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the Words of this Law.

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
These are the secretes of the LORDE oure God, which are opened vnto vs and oure children for euer, yt we shulde do all the wordes of this lawe.

American Standard Version
The secret things belong unto Jehovah our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Bible in Basic English
The secret things are the Lord our God's: but the things which have been made clear are ours and our children's for ever, so that we may do all the words of this law.

Bishop's Bible (1568)
The secretes of the Lorde our God are opened vnto vs, and to our children for euer, that we may do all the wordes of this lawe.

JPS Old Testament (1917)
span data-lang="eng" data-trans="jps" data-ref="deu.29.1" class="versetxt"> And Moses called unto all Israel, and said unto them: Ye have seen all that the LORD did before your eyes in the land of Egypt unto Pharaoh, and unto all his servants, and unto all his land; the great trials which thine eyes saw, the signs and those great wonders; but the LORD hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day. And I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes are not waxen old upon you, and thy shoe is not waxen old upon thy foot. Ye have not eaten bread, neither have ye drunk wine or strong drink; that ye might know that I am the LORD your God. And when ye came unto this place, Sihon the king of Heshbon, and Og the king of Bashan, came out against us unto battle, and we smote them. And we took their land, and gave it for an inheritance unto the Reubenites, and to the Gadites, and to the half-tribe of the Manassites. Observe therefore the words of this covenant, and do them, that ye may make all that ye do to prosper. Ye are standing this day all of you before the LORD your God: your heads, your tribes, your elders, and your officers, even all the men of Israel, your little ones, your wives, and thy stranger that is in the midst of thy camp, from the hewer of thy wood unto the drawer of thy water; that thou shouldest enter into the covenant of the LORD thy God--and into His oath--which the LORD thy God maketh with thee this day; that He may establish thee this day unto Himself for a people, and that He may be unto thee a God, as He spoke unto thee, and as He swore unto thy fathers, to Abraham, to Isaac, and to Jacob. Neither with you only do I make this covenant and this oath; but with him that standeth here with us this day before the LORD our God, and also with him that is not here with us this day-- for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye passed; and ye have seen their detestable things, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were with them-- lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood; and it come to pass, when he heareth the words of this curse, that he bless himself in his heart, saying: 'I shall have peace, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart--that the watered be swept away with the dry'; the LORD will not be willing to pardon him, but then the anger of the LORD and His jealousy shall be kindled against that man, and all the curse that is written in this book shall lie upon him, and the LORD shall blot out his name from under heaven; and the LORD shall separate him unto evil out of all the tribes of Israel, according to all the curses of the covenant that is written in this book of the law. And the generation to come, your children that shall rise up after you, and the foreigner that shall come from a far land, shall say, when they see the plagues of that land, and the sicknesses wherewith the LORD hath made it sick; and that the whole land thereof is brimstone, and salt, and a burning, that it is not sown, nor beareth, nor any grass groweth therein, like the overthrow of Sodom and Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboiim, which the LORD overthrew in His anger, and in His wrath; even all the nations shall say 'Wherefore hath the LORD done thus unto this land? what meaneth the heat of this great anger?' then men shall say: 'Because they forsook the covenant of the LORD, the God of their fathers, which He made with them when He brought them forth out of the land of Egypt; and went and served other gods, and worshipped them, gods that they knew not, and that He had not allotted unto them; therefore the anger of the LORD was kindled against this land, to bring upon it all the curse that is written in this book; and the LORD rooted them out of their land in anger, and in wrath, and in great indignation, and cast them into another land, as it is this day'.-- The secret things belong unto the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

King James Version (1611)
The secret things belong vnto the Lord our God: but those things which are reuealed belong vnto vs, and to our children for euer, that wee may doe all the words of this Law.

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, to do all the words of this law.

English Revised Version
The secret things belong unto the LORD our God: but the things that are revealed belong unto us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Berean Standard Bible
The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our children forever, so that we may follow all the words of this law.

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thingis ben hid of oure Lord God, `that is, in his biforknowing, whiche thingis ben schewid to us, and to oure sones with outen ende, that we do alle the wordis of this lawe.

Young's Literal Translation
`The things hidden [are] to Jehovah our God, and the things revealed [are] to us and to our sons -- to the age, to do all the words of this law.

Update Bible Version
The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Webster's Bible Translation
The secret [things belong] to the LORD our God: but those [things which are] revealed [belong] to us, and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

World English Bible
The secret things belong to Yahweh our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

New King James Version
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but those things which are revealed belong to us and to our children forever, that we may do all the words of this law.

New Living Translation
"The Lord our God has secrets known to no one. We are not accountable for them, but we and our children are accountable forever for all that he has revealed to us, so that we may obey all the terms of these instructions.

New Life Bible
"The secret things belong to the Lord our God. But the things that are made known belong to us and to our children forever, so we may obey all the words of this Law.

New Revised Standard
The secret things belong to the Lord our God, but the revealed things belong to us and to our children forever, to observe all the words of this law.

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The secret things, belong unto Yahweh our God and, the things that are revealed, belong to us and to our children unto times age-abiding, that we may do all the words of this law.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Secret things to the Lord our God: things that are manifest, to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

Revised Standard Version
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God; but the things that are revealed belong to us and to our children for ever, that we may do all the words of this law.

THE MESSAGE
God , our God, will take care of the hidden things but the revealed things are our business. It's up to us and our children to attend to all the terms in this Revelation.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"The secret things belong to the LORD our God, but the things revealed belong to us and to our sons forever, that we may observe all the words of this law.

Contextual Overview

¹⁰ along with your little ones, your wives and your foreigners here with you in your camp, from the one who chops your wood to the one who draws your water. ¹¹ The purpose is that you should enter into the covenant of Adonai your God and into his oath which Adonai your God is making with you today, ¹² (LY: ii) so that he can establish you today for himself as a people, and so that for you he will be God — as he said to you and as he swore to your ancestors, to Avraham, Yitz'chak and Ya‘akov. ¹³ "But I am not making this covenant and this oath only with you. ¹⁴ Rather, I am making it both with him who is standing here with us today before Adonai our God and also with him who is not here with us today. ¹⁵ (LY: iii) For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we came directly through the nations you passed through; ¹⁶ and you saw their detestable things and their idols of wood, stone, silver and gold that they had with them. ¹⁷ So let there not be among you a man, woman, family or tribe whose heart turns away today from Adonai our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Let there not be among you a root bearing such bitter poison and wormwood. ¹⁸ If there is such a person, when he hears the words of this curse, he will bless himself secretly, saying to himself, ‘I will be all right, even though I will stubbornly keep doing whatever I feel like doing; so that I, although "dry," [sinful,] will be added to the "watered" [righteous].' ¹⁹ But Adonai will not forgive him. Rather, the anger and jealousy of Adonai will blaze up against that person. Every curse written in this book will be upon him. Adonai will blot out his name from under heaven.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

secret: Job 11:6, Job 11:7, Job 28:28, Psalms 25:14, Proverbs 3:32, Jeremiah 23:18, Daniel 2:18, Daniel 2:19, Daniel 2:22, Daniel 2:27-30, Daniel 4:9, Amos 3:7, Matthew 13:35, John 15:15, John 21:22, Acts 1:7, Romans 11:33, Romans 11:34, Romans 16:25, Romans 16:26, 1 Corinthians 2:16

revealed: Psalms 78:2-7, Isaiah 8:20, Matthew 11:27-30, Matthew 13:11, John 20:31, Romans 16:26, 2 Timothy 1:5, 2 Timothy 3:16

and to our: Deuteronomy 6:7, Deuteronomy 30:2

Reciprocal: Genesis 32:29 - Wherefore Deuteronomy 4:9 - teach them Deuteronomy 31:12 - that they may 1 Samuel 6:19 - he smote Job 15:8 - the secret Job 33:13 - giveth not account Proverbs 25:2 - the glory Isaiah 45:19 - spoken Jeremiah 3:17 - imagination John 21:23 - what Colossians 2:18 - intruding Revelation 10:4 - Seal up

Cross-References

Genesis 29:3
and only when all the flocks had gathered there would they roll the stone away from the opening of the well and water the sheep. Then they would put the stone back in its place on the well's opening.

Genesis 29:8
They answered, "We can't, not until all the flocks have been gathered together, and they roll the stone away from the opening of the well. That's when we water the sheep."

Genesis 29:24
Lavan also gave his slave-girl Zilpah to his daughter Le'ah as her slave-girl.

Genesis 35:22
It was while Isra'el was living in that land that Re'uven went and slept with Bilhah his father's concubine, and Isra'el heard about it. Ya‘akov had twelve sons.

Genesis 35:25
The sons of Bilhah Rachel's slave-girl were Dan and Naftali.

Genesis 37:2
Here is the history of Ya‘akov. When Yosef was seventeen years old he used to pasture the flock with his brothers, even though he was still a boy. Once when he was with the sons of Bilhah and the sons of Zilpah, his father's wives, he brought a bad report about them to their father.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The secret [things belong] unto the Lord our God,.... Respecting the people of Israel, and the providential dealings of God with them, and especially the final rejection of them; with respect to which, the apostle's exclamation agrees with this, Romans 11:33; and though the Lord had revealed many things which should befall them, there were others still secret with him, and the reasons of others; and particularly the times and seasons of their accomplishment, which he retains in his own power, Acts 1:6. There are many secret things in nature, which cannot be found out and accounted for by men, which the Lord only knows; and there are many things in Providence, which are unsearchable, and past finding out by finite minds, especially the true causes and reasons of them; and there are many things relating to God himself, which remain secret with him; notwithstanding the revelation he has made of himself; for not only some of his perfections, as eternity, immensity, c. are beyond our comprehension but the mode of subsistence of the three divine Persons in the Godhead, the paternity of the one, the generation of the other, and the procession of the Spirit from them both; the union of the two natures, divine and human, in the person of Christ; the thoughts, purposes, and decrees of God within himself, until brought into execution; and so there are many things relating to his creatures, as the particular persons predestinated unto eternal life, what becomes of such who die in infancy, what will befall us in life, when we shall die, where and in what manner, and also the day and hour of the last judgment. The Jews generally interpret this and what follows of the sins of men, and punishment for them, and, particularly, idolatry; take Aben Ezra's sense instead of many,

"he that commits idolatry secretly, his punishment is by the hand of heaven (from God immediately); he that commits it openly, it lies upon us and upon our children to do as is written in the law:''

but those [things which are] revealed [belong] to us and to our children for ever; the things of nature and Providence, which are plain and manifest, are for our use and instruction; and especially the word and ordinances of God, which are the revelation of his will, the doctrines and promises contained in the Scriptures, each of the duties of religion, and the commandments of God, such as are of eternal obligation, which may be chiefly designed, because it follows:

that [we] may do all the words of this law: for the end of this revelation is practice; hearing and reading the word will be of no avail, unless what is heard and read is practised. Some render the words i,

"the secret things of the Lord our God are revealed to us and to our children;''

but neither the construction of the words in the original, nor the Hebrew accents, will admit of such a version; otherwise it would furnish out a very great truth: for the secrets of God's love, of his council and covenant, are revealed unto his people, as well as many of his providences, and the mysteries of his grace; see Psalms 25:14. There are some extraordinary pricks in the Hebrew text on the words "to us and to our children": which are designed to point out the remarkable and wonderful condescension and goodness of God, in making a revelation of his mind and will, both with respect to doctrine and duty, to the sons of men.

i So some in Fagius and Vatablus.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

The secret things belong unto the Lord our God - This verse seems to be added as a solemn admonition on the part of Moses, in order to close the series of blessings and curses which he has delivered. The sense seems to be this: “The future, when and how these good and evil things will take effect, it lies with the Lord our God to determine; it pertains not to man’s sphere and duty. God’s revealed will is that which we must carry out.” The 17th of our Articles of Religion concludes with much the same sentiment.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 29:29. The secret things belong unto the Lord, c. — This verse has been variously translated. Houbigant renders it thus: Quae apud Dominum nostrum abscondita sunt, nobis ea filiisque nostris palam facta sunt ad multas aetates, "The things which were hidden with the Lord our God, are made manifest to us and our children for many generations." I am not satisfied with this interpretation, and find that the passage was not so understood by any of the ancient versions. The simple general meaning seems to be this: "What God has thought proper to reveal, he has revealed what he has revealed is essential to the well-being of man, and this revelation is intended not for the present time merely, nor for one people, but for all succeeding generations. The things which he has not revealed concern not man but God alone, and are therefore not to be inquired after." Thus, then, the things that are hidden belong unto the Lord, those that are revealed belong unto us and our children. But possibly the words here refer to the subjects of these chapters, as if he had said, "Apostasy from God and his truth is possible. When a national apostasy among us may take place, is known only to God; but he has revealed himself to us and our children that we may do all the words of this law, and so prevent the dreadful evils that shall fall on the disobedient."

THE Jews have always considered these verses as containing subjects of the highest importance to them, and have affixed marks to the original לנו ולבנינו lanu ulebaneynu, "to US and to our CHILDREN," in order to fix the attention of the reader on truths which affect them individually, and not them only, but the whole of their posterity.