Deuteronomy 4

“Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye…” Naming Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baal-peor: for all the men that followed Baal-peor, the LORD thy God…” Naming Baal keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God are alive every one of you this day.” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the LORD our God is in all things that we call…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and…” Naming Only keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Specially the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with…” The line’s distinctive content terms include darkness, mountain, burned. Its relationship to verses 10 and 12 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only…” The line’s distinctive content terms include voice, fire, LORD. Its relationship to verses 11 and 13 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto…” Naming Horeb and Take keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,” Naming Lest keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,” The line’s distinctive content terms include likeness, beast, earth. Its relationship to verses 16 and 18 shows what work it does in this passage.

“The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the…” The line’s distinctive content terms include likeness, beneath, creepeth. Its relationship to verses 17 and 19 shows what work it does in this passage.

“And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“But the LORD hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people…” Naming Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.

“When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.

“But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, even in the latter days, if thou turn to the…” The verse names God rather than leaving the action without a source. Watch whether the next line continues, answers, or contrasts that action.

“(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of…” The promise, blessing, or covenant language needs its named recipient and scope. Those details prevent a personal word in the story from becoming a promise detached from context.

“For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by…” The question slows the passage down. Notice who is being pressed to answer, what the question assumes, and whether the next lines provide a response.

“Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.” Naming Unto keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great…” Naming Out keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his…” Naming Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou art, to bring thee in, to give thee their land…” The line’s distinctive content terms include drive, greater, inheritance. Its relationship to verses 37 and 39 shows what work it does in this passage.

“Know therefore this day, and consider it in thine heart, that the LORD he is God in heaven above, and upon the earth…” Naming Know keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with…” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;” The number three makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“Namely, Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and…” Naming Bashan and Bezer keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And this is the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:” Naming Israel and Moses keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“These are the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after…” Naming Egypt and Israel keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Beth-peor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at…” Naming Amorites and Beth keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which were on this side…” The number two makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.

“From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,” Naming Arnon and Aroer keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.

“And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.” Naming Jordan and Pisgah keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.