Πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ μὴ πλατυνθῇ ἡ καρδία σου καὶ παραβῆτε καὶ λατρεύσητε θεοῖς ἑτέροις καὶ προσκυνήσητε αὐτοῖς (Deuteronomy 11:16 LXX)
Pay attention to yourself, lest your heart be enlarged, and you transgress and serve other gods and bow down to them.
Grammatical Insight
This verse from Deuteronomy 11:16 is syntactically compact yet theologically charged, with grammar functioning as moral warning. The opening verb πρόσεχε is a present active imperative, second person singular, demanding sustained attentiveness rather than a momentary glance. The reflexive dative σεαυτῷ intensifies responsibility, turning vigilance inward and making the subject both watcher and watched. The particle μὴ introduces a clause of apprehension, preparing the reader for a feared outcome rather than a neutral condition. The aorist passive subjunctive πλατυνθῇ depicts the heart’s expansion as something that happens to a person, subtly suggesting susceptibility rather than deliberate choice. The subject ἡ καρδία σου places the moral center of the human being at the heart of the danger. The series of coordinated aorist subjunctives παραβῆτε, λατρεύσητε, and προσκυνήσητε traces a descending sequence: transgression leads to service, and service culminates in worship. The dative phrase θεοῖς ἑτέροις marks not merely difference but alien allegiance, reinforcing covenantal rupture. Syntax thus charts a spiritual chain reaction, where inner disposition gives birth to outward idolatry.
Exploring the Verse as a Living Lesson
Picture a teacher addressing a community on the edge of prosperity. He begins not with laws, but with a warning: πρόσεχε σεαυτῷ—“watch yourself.” A student asks why the command is singular when the danger is communal. The answer lies in the grammar: every collective failure begins with an individual heart. The phrase μὴ πλατυνθῇ ἡ καρδία σου surprises the learner, for an “expanded” heart sounds positive, yet here it signals moral overconfidence. The teacher explains that expansion without discipline leads to drift. The subsequent verbs move swiftly—once boundaries are crossed (παραβῆτε), devotion shifts (λατρεύσητε), and finally bodies bow (προσκυνήσητε). The grammar teaches sequence, not accident. Idolatry is not sudden; it is syntactically prepared. Thus the verse trains readers to recognize danger not at the altar, but at the first swelling of the heart.
Where Syntax Meets Revelation
The theology of this verse is born directly from its grammatical flow. The imperative calls for continuous vigilance, revealing divine concern for ongoing faithfulness rather than episodic obedience. The passive voice of πλατυνθῇ exposes the subtlety of temptation—it grows quietly, often unnoticed. The progression of subjunctives reflects divine knowledge of human weakness: internal change precedes external rebellion. By placing worship verbs at the end of the chain, the syntax teaches that idolatry is the fruit, not the root, of disobedience. Revelation here is preventative rather than punitive; grammar functions as mercy. The Lord speaks in structures that anticipate failure in order to avert it. In this way, syntax itself becomes pastoral, guarding the covenant through linguistic foresight.
Form and Function Table
| Greek Word | Root | Form | Lexical Meaning | Grammatical Role | Notes / Usage |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| πρόσεχε | προσέχω | Present Active Imperative 2nd Singular | pay attention | Main command | Calls for continual self-vigilance. |
| πλατυνθῇ | πλατύνω | Aorist Passive Subjunctive 3rd Singular | be enlarged | Verb of apprehension | Depicts inward change as something that overtakes the heart. |
| παραβῆτε | παραβαίνω | Aorist Active Subjunctive 2nd Plural | you transgress | Resulting action | Marks covenantal boundary-crossing. |
| προσκυνήσητε | προσκυνέω | Aorist Active Subjunctive 2nd Plural | you bow down | Culminating verb | Represents embodied allegiance to false gods. |
Divine Clauses
This verse reveals how divine wisdom anticipates human collapse through grammar. The Lord warns not only against false worship, but against the inner movements that make it possible. Syntax slows the reader down, forcing attention to the stages of disobedience. The heart expands, boundaries blur, devotion shifts, and worship follows. Yet the verse begins with hope: vigilance can interrupt the chain. By listening closely to the grammar, the reader learns to listen closely to the heart. In this way, sacred Greek becomes a guardrail for covenant life, shaping faith through the careful ordering of words.
