Καὶ φυλάξεσθε καὶ ποιήσετε ὅτι αὕτη ἡ σοφία ὑμῶν καὶ ἡ σύνεσις ἐναντίον πάντων τῶν ἐθνῶν ὅσοι ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα ταῦτα καὶ ἐροῦσιν ἰδοὺ λαὸς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων τὸ ἔθνος τὸ μέγα τοῦτο (Deuteronomy 4:6 LXX)
The Command and Its Consequence
This verse is an exhortation with deep theological and grammatical architecture. It commands Israel to obey the statutes of YHWH — not merely for inward holiness, but for a powerful external witness among the nations. The Greek Septuagint captures this with complex subordinate structures and precise use of demonstratives, subjunctives, and predicate nouns.
The central exhortation comes in the twin imperatives:
– φυλάξεσθε — “You shall guard”
– ποιήσετε — “You shall do”
These aorist middle imperatives address not just passive preservation, but active obedience to divine instruction.
ὅτι αὕτη ἡ σοφία ὑμῶν: Demonstrative Syntax
The phrase ὅτι αὕτη ἡ σοφία ὑμῶν literally reads: “for this is your wisdom.”
Demonstrative αὕτη
– Feminine nominative singular, referring contextually to the Torah, that is, the statutes and judgments just mentioned.
– The demonstrative is placed before the noun (ἡ σοφία) for emphasis — highlighting the specificity and exclusivity of this wisdom.
This grammatical structure links obedience not to mere duty, but to identity: what sets Israel apart is not ethnic pride or military strength, but the revealed will of God encoded in their law.
ὅσοι ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν: Conditional Syntax in the Subjunctive
The clause ὅσοι ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν πάντα τὰ δικαιώματα ταῦτα is a classic example of a general future condition, structured as:
– ὅσοι — a relative pronoun (masculine nominative plural), “whoever”
– ἐὰν + subjunctive — the future more vivid construction
– ἀκούσωσιν — aorist active subjunctive, 3rd person plural of ἀκούω, “they hear”
This construction conveys:
– A potential future scenario — “whenever they hear…”
– A generalized subject — “all the nations”
The subjunctive is crucial: it allows for contingency — not all will hear, but whoever does, will be struck by Israel’s wisdom.
καὶ ἐροῦσιν: The Grammar of Testimony
Following the conditional clause is the verb ἐροῦσιν — future active indicative of εἶπον (“they will say”).
– The third person plural picks up the implied subject of ὅσοι — “they” (the nations)
– The future tense expresses inevitable reaction: when they hear God’s laws, they will say…
Quoted Praise: Syntax of Admiration
ἰδοὺ λαὸς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων τὸ ἔθνος τὸ μέγα τοῦτο
“Behold, a wise and understanding people — this great nation!”
Here, the nations recognize Israel with a predicative construction:
– λαὸς σοφὸς καὶ ἐπιστήμων — a noun + adjectives, modifying τὸ ἔθνος
– The appositional structure connects the praise directly to national identity
– The final phrase τὸ ἔθνος τὸ μέγα τοῦτο uses a double article + demonstrative for emphatic reverence
Lexical Highlights: Wisdom and Understanding
– σοφία — “wisdom”: associated in biblical tradition with living rightly under divine instruction
– σύνεσις — “understanding”: insight, discernment, comprehension of divine purpose
– ἐπιστήμων — “intelligent, skillful, knowledgeable”: practical expertise rooted in God’s ways
These are not philosophical traits but covenantal categories — Israel’s identity flows from Torah.
The Syntax of Sanctified Reputation
The structure of this verse teaches us how grammar becomes testimony:
– Imperatives: φυλάξεσθε καὶ ποιήσετε → obedience
– Demonstrative: αὕτη → singularity of divine law
– Subjunctive condition: ἐὰν ἀκούσωσιν → openness to witness
– Predictive indicative: ἐροῦσιν → outcome of testimony
– Predicate syntax: λαὸς σοφὸς → praise tied to identity
The sentence flows like a chain: obedience → testimony → admiration → glory to God.
A Word from the Nations
In Deuteronomy 4:6 LXX, we hear the imagined voice of the Gentiles — nations awed not by Israel’s might, but by its obedient wisdom. The Greek grammar serves that vision:
– The subjunctive gives room for possibility.
– The demonstratives narrow focus to divine revelation.
– The syntax of praise offers a liturgy from the outsiders.
This is not Israel boasting in itself — it is God being glorified through Israel’s grammar-shaped obedience.
Let us not miss the power here: when God’s people guard and do His commandments, the world takes notice — and speaks. And when the nations speak with this kind of grammar, heaven is listening.
