Deuteronomy 5:10 — Word Study
WLCוְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַֽאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס
BSAbut showingʻâsâh [doing, demonstrating] loving devotionchêçêd [kindness, mercy] to a thousand [generations]ʼeleph [many, numerous] of those who love Meʼâhab [have affection for, are devoted to] and keepshâmar [obey, guard, protect] My commandmentsmitsvâh [laws, precepts]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה | and [who] does | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ | covenant loyalty | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לַֽאֲלָפִ֑֔ים | to thousands | Preposition, noun common both plural absolute |
| לְאֹהֲבַ֖י | of [those who] love me | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י | and of [those who] keep | Conjunction, preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common |
| מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס | commandments my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. |
| KJV | And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. |
| ASV | and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. |
| YLT | and doing kindness to thousands, to those loving Me, and to those keeping My commands. |
| WEB | and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. |
| BBE | And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws. |
Where they part company is חֶסֶד — see How Translations Differ.
The sentence begins with a main clause followed by several prepositional phrases that clarify the extent and recipients of God's loving devotion.
4 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Ellicott, Cambridge, Whedon & more — read them ›
clause
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Deuteronomy 5:10
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — The Ten Commandmentsgenerated
Deuteronomy 5:10 is part of the Ten Commandments, where God outlines His expectations for His people. This verse highlights God's commitment to showing loving devotion to those who love Him and obey His commandments, contrasting with the consequences for those who turn away from Him. It emphasizes the importance of faithfulness to God's laws as a response to His love.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Isaiah 1:16–19 | Wash and cleanse yourselves. Remove your evil deeds from My sight. Stop doing evil! |
| 2 | Jeremiah 32:18 | You show loving devotion to thousands but lay the iniquity of the fathers into the laps of their children after them, O great and mighty God whose name is the LORD of Hosts, |
| 3 | Daniel 9:4 | And I prayed to the LORD my God and confessed, “O, Lord, the great and awesome God, who keeps His covenant of loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments, |
| 4 | Matthew 7:21–27 | Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only he who does the will of My Father in heaven. |
| 5 | Galatians 5:6 | For in Christ Jesus neither circumcision nor uncircumcision has any value. All that matters is faith, expressed through love. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 13 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֶ֖֙סֶד, che.sedgenerated
The Hebrew word חֶסֶד (che.sed) primarily means kindness or loving devotion. It encompasses the idea of covenant loyalty, reflecting God's steadfast love and mercy towards His people. The parsing indicates it is a masculine singular noun, emphasizing the singularity of God's loving action.
This term is often associated with God's character, demonstrating His commitment to those who are faithful to Him. It appears frequently in contexts that highlight God's grace and mercy, underscoring the relational aspect of His covenant with Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb of the verse is וְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה, and [who] does, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes a prepositional phrase indicating the object of God's action, followed by a noun phrase that describes the nature of His loving devotion.
The Hebrew word order places emphasis on God's actions first, highlighting His initiative in showing loving devotion, followed by the description of the recipients — those who love Him and keep His commandments.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, וְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה is rendered as ποιῶν (poiōn), which means 'doing' or 'making'. This choice reflects a direct translation of the action God takes in showing kindness.
The term חֶסֶד is translated as ἔλεος (eleos), which emphasizes mercy and compassion, consistent with the Hebrew meaning but broadening the understanding to include divine mercy.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 5:10 tells us that God shows loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments. This verse emphasizes God's kindness and mercy that extends to many generations, highlighting the importance of faithfulness in our relationship with Him.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
This phrase indicates that God's kindness and mercy are extended to countless generations of those who are faithful to Him, emphasizing His enduring faithfulness.
Showing love to God involves obeying His commandments and living in a way that reflects His character, demonstrating loyalty and faithfulness.
Keeping God's commandments is a way of expressing love and devotion to Him, as it aligns our actions with His will and character.
God's loving devotion is important because it assures us of His commitment to us and encourages us to remain faithful in our relationship with Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's loving devotion in my life?
- How can I better demonstrate my love for God through my actions?
- What commandments do I find most challenging to keep, and how can I work on them?
- How can I encourage others to love and obey God's commandments?
Commentators on this verse — 4 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 5:10 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt have none other gods before me. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 5 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(10) Them that love me.—We have an echo of this commandment in the words of our Saviour: “If ye love me, keep my commandments” (John 14:15). The promise of His presence with us through the “other Comforter” compensates for the absence of any visible image. As love in this verse is practical, so is hatred in the previous verse. To hate God is to disobey His commandments.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Deuteronomy 5 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges10. shewing mercy] better, loyal or true love; cf. Deuteronomy 7:9; Deuteronomy 7:12 keeping covenant and true love (Sg.). The Heb. term ḥ ?esed as including both affection and constancy is peculiarly appropriate here.
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 5 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the BibleOF THE TEN , Deuteronomy 5:6-21.Here, on the plains of Moab, in sight of the Land of Promise, thirty-eight years after the first announcement of the law on Sinai, Moses repeats the code which Jehovah
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Deuteronomy 5 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
but I show covenant faithfulness to the thousands who choose me and keep my commandments.
Tyndale line
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
and shewing mercy unto thousands, of them that love me and keep my commandments.
And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
And shewing mercie vnto thousandes of them that loue me, and keepe my commandements.
Strictly literal
and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
and doing kindness to thousands, to those loving Me, and to those keeping My commands.
and doing kindness to thousands, of those loving Me and of those keeping My commands.
And showing kindness unto the thousandth generation of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
and showing covenant faithfulness to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.
From the Latin
And shewing mercy unto many thousands, to them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Simplified
but I show trustworthy love to the thousands of generations who love me and keep my commandments.
And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text states, "וְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַֽאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס" which translates to showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. The Septuagint agrees with the Masoretic Text in meaning, though its wording and structure differ. The Samaritan Pentateuch has one word that differs: it uses "מצותי" (my commandments) instead of the Masoretic's "מִצְוֹתָי" (my commandments). Various Dead Sea Scrolls generally support the Masoretic Text, with most containing the phrase "ועשה חסד לאלפים לאהב׳י ולשמרי מצות׳י," which aligns closely with the Masoretic Text, although some scrolls have slight variations in wording or restoration status. Overall, the primary agreement across these witnesses is in the core message of God's loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments.
וְעֹ֤֥שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַֽאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס
6 of the 6 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
ועשׂה חסד לאלפים לאהבי ולשׁמרי מצותי
1 word differs from the Masoretic Text: מצותי (commandment)
[ועשה] [חסד] [לאלפים] [לאהב׳י] ולשומרי [מצוות׳י]
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.
ועשה חסד לאלפים [לאהב׳י] [ולשמרי] [מצות׳י]
2 words on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
[ועשה] [חסד] [לאלפים] [לאהב׳י] [ולשומרי] מצאות׳י
nothing on the leather here — 1 partly restored, 5 supplied entire by an editor.
ועושה חסד לאלפים לאהב׳י ולשמרי מצות׳י
5 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.
[ועשה] [חסד] [לאלפים] [לאהב׳י] [ולשמרי] [מצות׳י]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
[ועשה] [חסד] [לאלפים] [לאהב׳י] [ולשמרי] [מצות׳י]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
ועשה חסד לאלפים לאהב׳י ולשמרי מצות׳י
6 words on the leather.
[ועושה] [חסד] [לאלפים] [לאוהב׳י] [לשומרי] [מצות׳י]
nothing on the leather here — 6 supplied entire by an editor.
עושה חסד לאלפים לאוהב׳י ולשומרי מצוות׳י
6 words on the leather.
עושי חסד לאלפים לאוהב׳י ולשומרי מצאות׳י
5 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.
עשה חסד לאלפים לאהב׳י ולשמרי מצות׳ו
5 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Deuteronomy 5:10
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.
עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make
Qal 2524
do (1560 t.)
deal with
oft. in phr. do kindness with
abs. act, act with effect
make (670 t.)
produce, yield
prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
make offering
attend to, put in order
observe, celebrate, religious festival
acquire property of various kinds
appoint priests
bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
use
spend, pass, days of life
Niph.
97be done
be made, of concr. things
be produced from vine
be prepared, of food
be offered
be observed, passover
be used
Pu. I was made
base
[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze
base
H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)
. deal with
. oft. in phr. do kindness with
. abs. act, act with effect
. . make (670 + t.)
. produce, yield
. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
. make offering
. attend to, put in order
. observe, celebrate, religious festival
. acquire property of various kinds
. appoint priests
. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
. use
. spend, pass, days of life
. . be done
. . be made, of concr. things
. be produced from vine
. be prepared, of food
. be offered
. be observed, passover
. be used
. I was made
H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze
6213 `asah aw-saw'
a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and
widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,
appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,
bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal
(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)
execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +
finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go
about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X
indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,
make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,
bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,
provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,
spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be
(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.
: do/perform
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
1a2c) to prepare
1a2d) to make (an offering)
1a2e) to attend to, put in order
1a2f) to observe, celebrate
1a2g) to acquire (property)
1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute
1a2i) to bring about
1a2j) to use
1a2k) to spend, pass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be done
1b2) to be made
1b3) to be produced
1b4) to be offered
1b5) to be observed
1b6) to be used
1c) (Pual) to be made
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.
(Piel) to press, squeeze
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.
: make(OBJECT)
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
Conj | V-Qal — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHC/Vqrmsa
חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) primarily means kindness or goodness, often referring to the kindness of people towards one another, especially towards the needy. It can also denote God's lovingkindness and mercy. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning of shame or reproach. The entries reflect a range of uses, from human interactions to divine attributes.
חֶ֫סֶד 247 n.m. goodness, kindness
of man:
kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits
kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy
(rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety
lovely appearance
of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.
base
חֶ֫סֶד n.m. shame, reproach
base
H2617a חֶ֫סֶד goodness, kindness . of man: . kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits
. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy
. (rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety
. lovely appearance
. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.
H2617b חֶ֫סֶד shame, reproach
2617 checed kheh'-sed
from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety:
rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour,
good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful
(kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
see HEBREW for 02616
חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) — kindness.
goodness, kindness, faithfulness
חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) — shame.
a reproach, shame
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
505 'eleph eh'-lef
prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first
letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)
a thousand:--thousand.
see HEBREW for 0504
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.
: thousand
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.
: clan
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
Prep | Adj — Preposition · noun common both plural absoluteHR/Ncbpa
Thousands
(Micah 5:2), another name for “families” or “clans” (see Num. 1:16; 10:4; Josh. 22:14, 21). Several “thousands” or “families” made up a “tribe.”
The Hebrew word אָהֵב (*'ahab*) means 'to love' and encompasses various forms of affection, including human love for others, love for God, and even appetites for things like food and wisdom. It can also refer to friendship and divine love towards humanity, particularly Israel. The entries indicate that it can function in different grammatical forms, such as participles for 'lovely' or 'loveable'.
אָהֵב 216 vb. love
Qal
human love to human object
less oft. of appetite
love to God
esp. Pt.
of divine love
Niph. Pt. pl. lovely, loveable
Pi.
friends
lovers
base
H157 אָהֵב love
157 'ahab aw-hab'
or raheb {aw-habe'}; a primitive root; to have affection for
(sexually or otherwise):--(be-)love(-d, -ly, -r), like,
friend.
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: lover.
: lover
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
1a5b) to people Israel
1a5c) to righteousness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) lovely (participle)
1b2) loveable (participle)
1c) (Piel)
1c1) friends
1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)
2) to like
Also means: a.hav (אָהֵב ": friend" H0157H)
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: friend.
: friend
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
Prep | V-Qal | Suff — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHR/Vqrmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
keep, have charge of
keep, guard, captives
hence, watch for, wait for
watch, observe
keep, retain, of storing up (food)
keep within bounds, restrain
observe, celebrate
keep sabbath
of other obligations
observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
sts. י׳ subj.
keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph.
36be on one's guard
keep oneself, refrain, abstain
be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
base
H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of
. keep, guard, captives
. hence, watch for, wait for
. watch, observe
. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)
. keep within bounds, restrain
. . observe, celebrate
. keep sabbath
. of other obligations
. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
. sts. י׳ subj.
. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
. . be on one's guard
. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
. be kept, guarded
. those paying regard to false vanities
. I kept myself from
8104 shamar shaw-mar'
a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),
i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,
be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,
look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save
(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.
: obey/observe
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
1a3) to watch for, wait for
1a4) to watch, observe
1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain
1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
1a8) to keep, preserve, protect
1a9) to keep, reserve
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware
1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain
1b3) to be kept, be guarded
1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed
1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.
: guard
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
Conj | Prep | V-Qal — Conjunction · preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural commonHC/R/Vqrmpc
מִצְוָה (mitsvah) means 'commandment' and can refer to commands from both humans and God. It encompasses laws, ordinances, and precepts, indicating a range of directives within religious and moral contexts. The term is derived from a root meaning to command, linking it to the broader framework of divine law.
מִצְוָה 181 n.f. commandment
base
H4687 מִצְוָה commandment
4687 mitsvah mits-vaw'
from 6680; a command, whether human or divine (collectively,
the Law):--(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance,
precept.
see HEBREW for 06680
מִצְוָה (mits.vah) — commandment.
1) commandment
1a) commandment (of man)
1b) the commandment (of God)
1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)
N-fp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs