Deuteronomy 13:4

4 Dominum Deum vestrum sequimini et ipsum timete mandata illius custodite et audite vocem eius ipsi servietis et ipsi adherebitis

Deuteronomy 13:4 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 13:4

Ye shall walk after the Lord your God
As he has directed, according to the laws and rules which he has given, both with respect to their moral and civil conduct, and their religious worship of him; and so the Targum of Jonathan,

``ye shall walk after the worship of the Lord your God:''

and fear him, and keep his commandments;
fear to offend him, and so keep his commandments; or keep his commandments from or through fear; not a servile but a filial one, a reverential affection for him; this is the whole duty of man, ( Ecclesiastes 12:13 ) ,

and obey his voice;
in his word, or by his prophets and ministers: it may very well be understood of the voice of Christ, the Angel that went before them, whose voice they were continually to hearken to and obey, ( Exodus 23:21 Exodus 23:22 )

and you shall serve him, and cleave unto him;
it may respect all religious worship, both private and public; the Targum of Jonathan restrains it to prayer, but it not only includes that, but all other acts of piety and devotion, and which are to be constantly performed and not departed from; for so to do is to cleave to the Lord as a man to his wife, or a woman to her husband, in which conjugal relation God and his people Israel were, he was an husband unto them, and to do otherwise is to go a whoring from him after other gods.

Deuteronomy 13:4 In-Context

2 et evenerit quod locutus est et dixerit tibi eamus et sequamur deos alienos quos ignoras et serviamus eis
3 non audies verba prophetae illius aut somniatoris quia temptat vos Dominus Deus vester ut palam fiat utrum diligatis eum an non in toto corde et in tota anima vestra
4 Dominum Deum vestrum sequimini et ipsum timete mandata illius custodite et audite vocem eius ipsi servietis et ipsi adherebitis
5 propheta autem ille aut fictor somniorum interficietur quia locutus est ut vos averteret a Domino Deo vestro qui eduxit vos de terra Aegypti et redemit de domo servitutis ut errare te faceret de via quam tibi praecepit Dominus Deus tuus et auferes malum de medio tui
6 si tibi voluerit persuadere frater tuus filius matris tuae aut filius tuus vel filia sive uxor quae est in sinu tuo aut amicus quem diligis ut animam tuam clam dicens eamus et serviamus diis alienis quos ignoras tu et patres tui
The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.