Deuteronomy 11:20 — Word Study
WLCוּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־ מְזוּז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
BSAWrite themkâthab [record, inscribe] onʻal the doorpostsmᵉzûwzâh [pillars, vertical posts] of your housesbayith [dwelling places, homes] and on your gatesshaʻar [city entrances, doors]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם | and you will write them | Verb qal sequential perfect second person masculine singular, suffix |
| עַל־ | on | Preposition |
| מְזוּז֥וֹת | [the] doorposts of | Noun common, feminine plural construct |
| בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ | house your | Noun common masculine singular construct, suffix |
| וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃ | and on gates your | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates, |
| KJV | And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates: |
| ASV | And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates; |
| YLT | and hast written them on the side-posts of thy house, and on thy gates, |
| WEB | You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates; |
| BBE | Writing them on the pillars of your houses and over the doors of your towns: |
Where they part company is in the rendering of the phrases regarding doorposts and gates — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with two prepositional phrases detailing where the writing should take place.
2 commentators on this verse
Jamieson, Cambridge & 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 11:20
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 — Instructions for Remembering God's Commandsgenerated
Deuteronomy 11:20 emphasizes the importance of keeping God's commandments at the forefront of daily life. This command to write them on doorposts and gates signifies that God's words should be a part of the home and community, serving as a reminder to all who enter. This instruction is part of a larger discourse on teaching and instilling God's laws in the hearts and minds of the people, as seen in the surrounding verses.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 6:9 | Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 1 reference, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — כְתַבְתָּ֛ם, u.khe.tav.Tamgenerated
The verb כְתַב (*kathab*) means 'to write' and signifies the act of recording or inscribing. It is a qal perfect form, indicating a completed action by the second person masculine singular, which in this context refers to the Israelites.
This command to write emphasizes the importance of making God's words visible and accessible, ensuring they are remembered and followed. The act of writing is not merely for record-keeping but serves as a means to engrain these teachings into the daily life of the community.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses Write for כְתַבְתָּ֛ם and aligns with the KJV, ASV, and WEB.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb כְתַבְתָּ֛ם governs the entire verse, indicating the action to be taken. It is followed by two prepositional phrases: one specifying the location of the writing and the other detailing the objects — the doorposts and gates.
The structure highlights the importance of placement, with 'on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates' emphasizing the visibility of God's commandments in both private and public spaces.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates כְתַבְתָּ֛ם as αὐτὰ (G846), which means 'these' or 'them.' This choice indicates a direct reference to the commandments being inscribed, maintaining the focus on the importance of these words.
The Greek rendering does not alter the meaning but reinforces the command's emphasis on recording God's laws for remembrance.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Deuteronomy 11:20 instructs the Israelites to write God's commandments on the doorposts of their homes and on their city gates. This act serves as a reminder of God's laws, ensuring they are visible and remembered in everyday life.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Writing God's commandments on doorposts is a way to keep His words visible and at the forefront of daily life, reminding the household and visitors of their importance.
Doorposts and gates are significant as they are entry points to homes and cities, symbolizing that God's laws should be present in both private and public spaces.
In modern life, we can apply this command by finding ways to incorporate God's teachings into our homes, such as through decor, family discussions, or community gatherings.
This command relates to Deuteronomy 6:9, which similarly instructs to write God's words on doorposts and gates as a means of teaching future generations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I make God's commandments more visible in my daily life?
- How can I teach my family about the importance of God's laws?
- What are some creative ways to remind myself of God's teachings throughout the day?
- How does the act of writing or recording help me remember important lessons?
Commentators on this verse — 2 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Deuteronomy 11:20 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryAnd ye shall teach them your children, speaking of them when thou sittest in thine house, and when thou walkest by the way, when thou liest down, and when thou risest up. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Deuteronomy 11 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges18–25. The Pl. address is continued in a series of formulas, repeated with some variations from previous passages. The secondary nature of part of this section cannot be doubted. The emergence of the Sg. in Deuteronomy 11:19 shows that the passage is a quotation (slightly varied) of Deuteronomy 6:6-9; it has been partly adapted to the compiler’s Pl., while Deuteronomy 11:22 naturally follows on to Deuteronomy 11:17. The rest only partly repeats, and contains some matter peculiar to this section of Deut. 18–21. See on Deuteronomy 6:6-9. Besides the form of address, Sg. there, Pl. here, there are the following differences: Deuteronomy 6:6-9 has shall be upon thine heart, and wants and in your…
Read Cambridge on Deuteronomy 11 →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
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates,
You shall write them on the door posts of your house and on your gates;
Write them on the doorposts of your houses and on your gates,
Inscribe them on the doorframes of your houses and on your gates
Tyndale line
And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates;
And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thine house, and upon thy gates:
And thou shalt write them upon the door posts of thy house, and upon thy gates:
And thou shalt write them vpon the postes of thine house, and vpon thy gates,
Strictly literal
and write them upon the posts of thy house, and upon thy gates;
and hast written them on the side-posts of thy house, and on thy gates,
and have written them on the doorposts of your house and on your gates,
And thou shalt write them upon the door-posts of thy house, and upon thy gates.
You will write them on the doorposts of your house and on your city gates,
From the Latin
Thou shalt write them upon the posts and the doors of thy house:
Simplified
Write them on the doorposts of your homes and on your gates,
Writing them on the pillars of your houses and over the doors of your towns:
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 matches the Septuagint closely, with all five words corresponding directly. The Samaritan Pentateuch differs in two words: it uses מזזות (door-post) and בתיך (house) instead of the Masoretic מְזוּז֥וֹת and בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ. The Dead Sea Scrolls show various restorations but generally align with the Masoretic Text.
וּכְתַבְתָּ֛ם עַל־ מְזוּז֥וֹת בֵּיתֶ֖ךָ וּבִשְׁעָרֶֽיךָ׃
5 of the 5 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.
וכתבתם על מזזות בתיך ובשׁעריך
2 words differ from the Masoretic Text: מזזות (door-post), בתיך (house)
וכתבת׳ם על מזו [זות] ביתי׳כה ובשערי׳כה
3 words on the leather — 2 partly restored, 1 supplied entire by an editor.
[וכתבת׳ם] [על] [מזוזות] בית׳כה ובשערי׳כה
1 word on the leather — 1 partly restored, 3 supplied entire by an editor.
וכתבת׳ם על מזוזות בת׳ך ובשערי׳ך
4 words on the leather — 1 partly restored.
[וכתבת׳ם] [על] [מזוזות] [בית׳ך] [ובשערי׳ך]
nothing on the leather here — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
[וכתבת׳ם] על מזוזות בית׳ך ובשערי׳ך
4 words on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
[וכתבת׳ם] על מזוזות בית׳ך ובשערי׳ך
4 words on the leather — 1 supplied entire by an editor.
[וכתבת׳ם] [על] [מזוזות] בתי׳ך [ובשערי׳ך]
1 word on the leather — 4 supplied entire by an editor.
וכתבת׳ם על מזוזות בית׳ך ובשערי׳ך
5 words on the leather.
וכתבת׳ם על מזוזת בית׳ך ובשערי׳ך
5 words on the leather.
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 11:20
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.
The Hebrew word כָּתַב (*kathab*) means 'to write' and encompasses various forms of writing, including recording, enrolling, and decreeing. It can also refer to something being written or recorded. The entries indicate that it is a primitive root with frequent usage in different contexts.
כָּתַב 223 vb. write
Qal
write
= write down, describe in writing
= register, enroll
= decree
Niph.
be written
= be written down, recorded
Pi. frequent.
base
H3789 כָּתַב write .. write
. = write down, describe in writing
. = register, enroll
. = decree
. . be written
. = be written down, recorded
. frequent.
3789 kathab kaw-thab'
a primitive root; to grave, by implication, to write
(describe, inscribe, prescribe, subscribe):--describe, record,
prescribe, subscribe, write(-ing, -ten).
כָּתַב (ka.tav) — to write.
1) to write, record, enrol
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to write, inscribe, engrave, write in, write on
1a2) to write down, describe in writing
1a3) to register, enrol, record
1a4) to decree
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be written
1b2) to be written down, be recorded, be enrolled
1c) (Piel) to continue writing
Aramaic equivalent: ke.tav (כְּתַב "to write" H3790)
Conj | V-Qal-2ms | Suff — Verb qal sequential perfect second person masculine singular · suffixHc/Vqq2ms/Sp3mp
The Hebrew word עַל (*al*) is a preposition meaning 'upon' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including 'on account of,' 'beside,' 'above,' and 'against.' It can indicate physical placement, emotional burdens, or duties imposed on a person. The entries also note its use in idiomatic expressions and with verbs of motion. There is a mention of its function as a conjunction in certain contexts.
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
base
עַל, עָ֑ל
subst. height
As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed
—
of clothing, etc., which any one wears
With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
H5921a עַל, עָ֑ל . As prep. upon, and hence on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against . Upon, of the substratum upon which an object in any way rests, or on which an action is performed . — . of clothing, etc., which any one wears
. With verbs of covering or protecting, even though the cover or veil be not over or above the thing covered, but around or before it
. Of what rests heavily upon a person, or is a burden to him
. Of a duty, payment, care, etc., imposed upon a person, or devolving on him
. על is used idiom. to give pathos to the expression of an emotion, by emphasizing the person who is its subject, and who, as it were, feels it acting upon him
. חָיָה עַל to live upon (as upon a foundation or support)
5921 `al al
properly, the same as 5920 used as a preposition (in the
singular or plural often with prefix, or as conjunction with a
particle following); above, over, upon, or against (yet always
in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great
variety of applications (as follow):--above, according
to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, X as, at, because
of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, X both
and, by (reason of), X had the charge of, concerning for, in
(that), (forth, out) of, (from) (off), (up-)on, over, than,
through(-out), to, touching, X with.
see HEBREW for 05920
עַל (al) — upon.
prep
1) upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against
1a) upon, on the ground of, on the basis of, on account of, because of, therefore, on behalf of, for the sake of, for, with, in spite of, notwithstanding, concerning, in the matter of, as regards
1b) above, beyond, over (of excess)
1c) above, over (of elevation or pre-eminence)
1d) upon, to, over to, unto, in addition to, together with, with (of addition)
1e) over (of suspension or extension)
1f) by, adjoining, next, at, over, around (of contiguity or proximity)
1g) down upon, upon, on, from, up upon, up to, towards, over towards, to, against (with verbs of motion)
1h) to (as a dative)
[כִּי] עַל [כֵּן] ([ki] al [ken]) — as.
conj
Prep — PrepositionHR
On
Light; the sun, (Gen. 41:45, 50), the great seat of sun-worship, called also Bethshemesh (Jer. 43:13) and Aven (Ezek. 30:17), stood on the east bank of the Nile, a few miles north of Memphis, and near Cairo, in the north-east. The Vulgate and the LXX. Versions have “Heliopolis” (“city of the sun”) instead of On in Genesis and of Aven in Ezekiel. The “city of destruction” Isaiah speaks of (19:18, marg. “of Heres;” Heb. ‘Ir-ha-heres, which some MSS. read Ir-ha-heres, i.e., “city of the sun”) may be the name given to On, the prophecy being that the time will come when that city which was known as the “city of the sun-god” shall become the “city of destruction” of the sun-god, i.e., when idolatry shall cease, and the worship…
(abode or city of the sun), a town of lower Egypt, called BETH-SHEMESH in (Jeremiah 43:13) On is better known under its Greek name Heliopolis. It was situated on the east side of the Pelusiac branch of the Nile, just below the point of the Delta, and about twenty miles northeast of Memphis. The chief object of worship at Heliopolis was the sun, whose temple, described by Strabo, is now only represented by the single beautiful obelisk, of red granite so feet 2 inches high above the pedestal which has stood for more than 4000 years, having been erected by Usirtesen, the second king of the twelfth dynasty. Heliopolis was anciently famous for its learning, and Eudoxus and Plato studied under its priests. The first mention of this place in the Bible is in the history of Joseph, to whom we read Pharaoh gave "to wife Asenath the daughter…
See HELIOPOLIS.
pain; force; iniquity
מְזוּזָה (mezuzah) refers to a door-post or gate-post, indicating a structural element of a doorway. It is derived from a root meaning to be prominent, emphasizing its visibility. The term appears in various contexts related to doorways in the Old Testament.
מְזוּזָה n.f. door-post, gate-post
base
H4201 מְזוּזָה door-post, gate-post
4201 mzuwzah mez-oo-zaw'
or mzuzah {mez-oo-zaw'}; from the same as 2123; a door-post
(as prominent):--(door, side) post.
see HEBREW for 02123
מְזוּזָה (me.zu.zah) — doorpost.
doorpost, gatepost
N-fp — Noun common · feminine plural constructHNcfpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
The Hebrew word בַּיִת (*bayith*) means 'house' and encompasses a wide range of meanings, including dwelling, family, and place. It can refer to physical structures, such as homes and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like the body or household affairs. The word is built from the root related to 'between' and appears in various contexts throughout the Old Testament.
בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between
base
בַּ֫יִת 2034 n.m. house
house
place
receptacle
of house as containing a family
household, family (592 t.)
house, including household affairs
lit. housewards, hence metaph. inwards
מִבַּיִת
adv. on the inside
prep. within
base
H1004a בֵּית fem. of בַּיִן, בֵּין prep. between H1004b בַּ֫יִת house
1004 bayith bah'-yith
probably from 1129 abbreviated; a house (in the greatest
variation of applications, especially family, etc.):--court,
daughter, door, + dungeon, family, + forth of, X great as
would contain, hangings, home(born), (winter)house(-hold),
inside(-ward), palace, place, + prison, + steward, + tablet,
temple, web, + within(-out).
see HEBREW for 01129
בֵּית (bet) — place.
nm
place, origin, between
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — house: home.
: home/temple/building
nm
1) house
1a) house, dwelling habitation
1b) shelter or abode of animals
1c) human bodies (fig.)
1d) of Sheol
1e) of abode of light and darkness
1f) of land of Ephraim
2) place
3) receptacle
4) home, house as containing a family
5) household, family
5a) those belonging to the same household
5b) family of descendants, descendants as organized body
6) household affairs
7) inwards (metaph.)
8) (TWOT) temple
adv
9) on the inside
prep
10) within
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(ashbea).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with ash.be.a (אַשְׁבֵּעַ "Ashbea" H0791)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth (Haggan).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
Combined with hag (גַּן "Haggan" H1588)
בַּ֫יִת (ba.yit) — Beth-(togarmah).
nm
This name is used for a house, habitation
N-ms | Suff — Noun common masculine singular construct · suffixHNcmsc/Sp2ms
שַׁ֫עַר (sha'ar) means 'gate' and is derived from a root that signifies an opening. It encompasses various types of gates, including those of cities, palaces, and temples, as well as metaphorical uses like 'gate of heaven.' The entries consistently highlight its role as an entrance or threshold.
שַׁ֫עַר 373 n.m. gate
base
H8179 שַׁ֫עַר gate
8179 sha`ar shah'-ar
from 8176 in its original sense; an opening, i.e. door or
gate:--city, door, gate, port (X -er).
see HEBREW for 08176
שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate.
: gate
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
שַׁ֫עַר (sha.ar) — gate: town.
: town
1) gate
1a) gate (of entrance)
1b) gate (of space inside gate, i.e. marketplace, public meeting place)
1b1) city, town
1c) gate (of palace, royal castle, temple, court of tabernacle)
1d) heaven
Conj | Prep | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/R/Ncmpc/Sp2ms