Exodus 20:6 — Word Study
WLCוְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס
BSAbut showingʻâsâh [steadfast, trustworthy] loving devotionchêçêd [kindness, mercy, pity] to a thousand [generations]ʼeleph [many, numerous] of those who love Meʼâhab [have affection for, obey] and keepshâmar [obey, guard, protect] My commandmentsmitsvâh [laws, rules, guidelines]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| וְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה | and doing | Conjunction, verb qal participle (active) masculine singular |
| חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ | covenant loyalty | Noun common, masculine singular absolute |
| לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים | to thousands | Preposition |
| לְאֹהֲבַ֖י | to [those who] love me | Preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common, suffix |
| וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י | and to [those who] keep | Conjunction, preposition, verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common |
| מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס | commandments my | Noun common feminine plural construct, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments. |
| KJV | And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. |
| ASV | and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments. |
| YLT | and doing kindness to thousands, of those loving Me and keeping My commands. |
| WEB | and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. |
| BBE | And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws. |
Where they part company is in the translation of חֶסֶד — see How Translations Differ.
The structure centers around the main action of showing love, with additional phrases providing context and detail about the recipients and the extent of that love.
8 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & 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 — Exodus 20:6
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 — The Ten Commandmentsgenerated
Exodus 20:6 emphasizes God's commitment to those who love Him and obey His commandments. This verse follows a warning against idolatry, highlighting the contrast between those who reject God and those who remain loyal to Him. The promise of love extends to a thousand generations, illustrating the depth of God's mercy and faithfulness, as seen in other passages like Deuteronomy 7:9.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Deuteronomy 4:37 | Because He loved your fathers, He chose their descendants after them and brought you out of Egypt by His presence and great power, |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 5:29 | If only they had such a heart to fear Me and keep all My commandments always, so that it might be well with them and with their children forever. |
| 3 | Deuteronomy 7:9 | Know therefore that the LORD your God is God, the faithful God who keeps His covenant of loving devotion for a thousand generations of those who love Him and keep His commandments. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 32:39–40 | I will give them one heart and one way, so that they will always fear Me for their own good and for the good of their children after them. |
| 5 | Acts 2:39 | This promise belongs to you and your children and to all who are far off—to all whom the Lord our God will call to Himself.” |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 10 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — חֶסֶד, che.sedgenerated
The noun חֶסֶד (chesed) signifies a deep, loyal love that goes beyond mere kindness. It encompasses mercy, steadfastness, and a commitment to covenant relationships, particularly between God and His people.
In this verse, it emphasizes God's unwavering loyalty and love towards those who are faithful to Him. The parsing indicates it is a singular noun, which highlights the specific quality of God's love as it relates to His covenant with Israel.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, which uses loving devotion.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb עֹ֥שֶׂה (doing) governs the entire verse, indicating the action of showing love. The structure includes phrases that detail the extent and conditions of this love.
The sentence is built around God's action and includes prepositional phrases that elaborate on the recipients and the nature of His love, emphasizing the continuity of His commitment across generations.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
In the Septuagint, חֶסֶד is rendered as ἔλεος (eleos), which also means mercy. This choice reflects a focus on God's compassionate nature and His willingness to forgive.
The translation suggests a broader understanding of God's love as not only loyal but also merciful, aligning with the themes of grace found in later biblical texts.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 20:6 tells us that God shows loving devotion to those who love Him and keep His commandments. This promise extends to a thousand generations, highlighting God's faithfulness and mercy.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
It means that God is committed to being loyal and merciful to His people, reflecting His character as loving and faithful.
The recipients are those who love God and keep His commandments, indicating a relationship based on obedience and affection.
This verse underscores the covenant relationship between God and His people, where loyalty and love are central themes.
The phrase emphasizes the enduring nature of God's love and faithfulness, suggesting that His blessings can impact many future generations.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways have I experienced God's loving devotion in my life?
- How can I demonstrate my love for God through my actions?
- What does it mean to keep God's commandments in today's context?
- How can the promise of God's faithfulness encourage me in challenging times?
Commentators on this verse — 8 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 20:6 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleAnd showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me,.... And show their love by worshipping God, and him only, by serving him acceptably with reverence and godly fear, by a cheerful obedience to
Read John Gill on Exodus 20 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not make
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 20 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleUnto thousands, to wit, of their generations, i.e. for ever; whereas his punishment extended only to three or four of them: so far is God’ s mercy exalted above his justice. Compare . Them that love me, and keep my commandments: this conjunction is very observable, both against those that falsely and foolishly pretend or insinuate that the inward affection of love to God is not absolutely and always necessary to salvation; and also against them who, pretending inward love to God, live in the customary breach of God’ s known commands.
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 20 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.Ver. 6. Unto thousands.] Of succeeding generations. Personal goodness is profitable to posterity. And this promise, though made to all, yet is more specially annexed to this second commandment; to teach, saith one, that parents should chiefly labour to plant piety in their families, as they would have God’ s blessing entailed upon their issue.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 20 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(6) Shewing mercy unto thousands.—Rather, to the thousandth generation, as is distinctly expressed in Deuteronomy 7:9. God’s mercy infinitely transcends His righteous anger. Sin is visited on three, or at most four, generations. Righteousness is remembered, and advantages descendants, for ever.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 20 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 6. And showing mercy unto thousands] Mark; even those who love God and keep his commandments merit nothing from him, and therefore the salvation and blessedness which these enjoy come from the mercy of God: Showing mercy, c. What a disproportion between the works of justice and mercy! Justice works to the third or fourth, mercy to thousands of generations! The heathen had maxims like these. Theocritus also teaches that the children of the good shall be blessed because of their parents' piety, and that evil shall come upon the offspring of the wicked: - Ευσεβεωνπαιδεσσιταλωΐα, δυσσεβεωνδ' ου. Idyll. 26, v. 32. Upon the children of the righteous fall The choicest blessings on the…
Read AdamClarke on Exodus 20 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges6. unto thousands, of them, &c.] i.e. not thousands consisting of them that love me, but (notice the comma added in RV.) thousands belonging to them that love me (Heb. le, just as in v. 5, properly ‘belonging to them that hate me’). The antithesis is between the narrow limits, the third or fourth generation of descendants, within which the sin is visited, and the thousands belonging to,—i.e. primarily, descended from, though possibly those ‘belonging to’ in a wider sense, as servants or other dependents, may be included,—such as love God, who, in virtue of this relation, and for the sake of those who thus love Him, experience His mercy. The intention of the passage is thus to teach that…
Read Cambridge on Exodus 20 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible6. Showing mercy — Or, doing kindness. His lovingkindness and favour are never withheld from the good and obedient. Unto thousands — Some would understand generations here, as after third and fourth in the previous verse.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 20 →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
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
but showing loving devotion to a thousand generations of those who love Me and keep My commandments.
and showing covenant faithfulness to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Tyndale line
And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
and showing lovingkindness unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
and shewing mercy unto thousands, of them that love me and keep my commandments.
And showing mercy to thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
And shewing mercie vnto thousandes to them that loue me, and keepe my commandemets.
Strictly literal
and shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.
and doing kindness to thousands, of those loving Me and keeping My commands.
and doing kindness to thousands, of those loving Me and keeping My commands.
And showing mercy unto the thousandth generation of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
But I show covenant faithfulness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
From the Latin
And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my commandments.
Simplified
but I show trustworthy love to the thousands of generations who love me and keep my commandments.
And I will have mercy through a thousand generations on those who have love for me and keep my laws.
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 is consistent with the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree word for word. The Dead Sea Scrolls show one word on the leather, with the rest supplied by an editor, indicating a similar tradition.
וְעֹ֥֤שֶׂה חֶ֖֙סֶד֙ לַאֲלָפִ֑֔ים לְאֹהֲבַ֖י וּלְשֹׁמְרֵ֥י מִצְוֹתָֽי׃ ס
6 of the 6 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.
ועשׂה חסד לאלפים לאהבי ולשׁמרי מצותי
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[ועשה] חסד [לאלפים] [לאהב׳י] [ולשמרי] [מצות׳י]
1 word on the leather — 5 supplied entire by an editor.
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 Exodus 20:6
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.
עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.
עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make
Qal 2524
do (1560 t.)
deal with
oft. in phr. do kindness with
abs. act, act with effect
make (670 t.)
produce, yield
prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
make offering
attend to, put in order
observe, celebrate, religious festival
acquire property of various kinds
appoint priests
bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
use
spend, pass, days of life
Niph.
97be done
be made, of concr. things
be produced from vine
be prepared, of food
be offered
be observed, passover
be used
Pu. I was made
base
[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze
base
H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)
. deal with
. oft. in phr. do kindness with
. abs. act, act with effect
. . make (670 + t.)
. produce, yield
. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
. make offering
. attend to, put in order
. observe, celebrate, religious festival
. acquire property of various kinds
. appoint priests
. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
. use
. spend, pass, days of life
. . be done
. . be made, of concr. things
. be produced from vine
. be prepared, of food
. be offered
. be observed, passover
. be used
. I was made
H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze
6213 `asah aw-saw'
a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and
widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,
appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,
bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal
(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)
execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +
finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go
about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X
indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,
make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,
bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,
provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,
spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be
(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.
: do/perform
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
1a2c) to prepare
1a2d) to make (an offering)
1a2e) to attend to, put in order
1a2f) to observe, celebrate
1a2g) to acquire (property)
1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute
1a2i) to bring about
1a2j) to use
1a2k) to spend, pass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be done
1b2) to be made
1b3) to be produced
1b4) to be offered
1b5) to be observed
1b6) to be used
1c) (Pual) to be made
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.
(Piel) to press, squeeze
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.
: make(OBJECT)
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
Conj | V-Qal — Conjunction · verb qal participle (active) masculine singularHC/Vqrmsa
חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) primarily means kindness or goodness, often referring to the kindness of people towards one another, especially towards the needy. It can also denote God's lovingkindness and mercy. Additionally, it has a secondary meaning of shame or reproach. The entries reflect a range of uses, from human interactions to divine attributes.
חֶ֫סֶד 247 n.m. goodness, kindness
of man:
kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits
kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy
(rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety
lovely appearance
of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.
base
חֶ֫סֶד n.m. shame, reproach
base
H2617a חֶ֫סֶד goodness, kindness . of man: . kindness of men toward men, in doing favours and benefits
. kindness (especially as extended to the lowly, needy and miserable), mercy
. (rarely) affection of Isr. to י׳, love to God, piety
. lovely appearance
. of God: kindness, lovingkindness in condescending to the needs of his creatures.
H2617b חֶ֫סֶד shame, reproach
2617 checed kheh'-sed
from 2616; kindness; by implication (towards God) piety:
rarely (by opposition) reproof, or (subject.) beauty:--favour,
good deed(-liness, -ness), kindly, (loving-)kindness, merciful
(kindness), mercy, pity, reproach, wicked thing.
see HEBREW for 02616
חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) — kindness.
goodness, kindness, faithfulness
חֶ֫סֶד (che.sed) — shame.
a reproach, shame
N-ms — Noun common · masculine singular absoluteHNcmsa
אֶ֫לֶף (eleph) means 'thousand' in Hebrew. It can refer to the numeral itself or denote a company or clan, particularly a group of men under one leader. The word is built from the concept of a thousand, and it is associated with the ox's head, which is the first letter of the Hebrew alphabet.
אֶ֫לֶף n.m. thousand
base
H505 אֶ֫לֶף thousand
505 'eleph eh'-lef
prop, the same as 504; hence (the ox's head being the first
letter of the alphabet, and this eventually used as a numeral)
a thousand:--thousand.
see HEBREW for 0504
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand.
: thousand
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
אֶ֫לֶף (e.leph) — thousand: clan.
: clan
1) a thousand
1a) as numeral
2) a thousand, company
2a) as a company of men under one leader, troops
Prep | Adj — PrepositionHR/Acbpa
Thousands
(Micah 5:2), another name for “families” or “clans” (see Num. 1:16; 10:4; Josh. 22:14, 21). Several “thousands” or “families” made up a “tribe.”
The Hebrew word אָהֵב (*'ahab*) means 'to love' and encompasses various forms of affection, including human love for others, love for God, and even appetites for things like food and wisdom. It can also refer to friendship and divine love towards humanity, particularly Israel. The entries indicate that it can function in different grammatical forms, such as participles for 'lovely' or 'loveable'.
אָהֵב 216 vb. love
Qal
human love to human object
less oft. of appetite
love to God
esp. Pt.
of divine love
Niph. Pt. pl. lovely, loveable
Pi.
friends
lovers
base
H157 אָהֵב love
157 'ahab aw-hab'
or raheb {aw-habe'}; a primitive root; to have affection for
(sexually or otherwise):--(be-)love(-d, -ly, -r), like,
friend.
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: lover.
: lover
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
1a5b) to people Israel
1a5c) to righteousness
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) lovely (participle)
1b2) loveable (participle)
1c) (Piel)
1c1) friends
1c2) lovers (fig. of adulterers)
2) to like
Also means: a.hav (אָהֵב ": friend" H0157H)
אָהֵב (a.hav) — to love: friend.
: friend
1) to love
1a) (Qal)
1a1) human love for another, includes family, and sexual
1a2) human appetite for objects such as food, drink, sleep, wisdom
1a3) human love for or to God
1a4) act of being a friend
1a4a) lover (participle)
1a4b) friend (participle)
1a5) God's love toward man
1a5a) to individual men
Prep | V-Qal | Suff — Preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural common · suffixHR/Vqrmpc/Sp1bs
The Hebrew word שָׁמַר (*shamar*) is a primitive root meaning to keep, guard, or observe. It encompasses a wide range of actions including protecting, waiting for, and celebrating obligations like the Sabbath. The verb appears in various forms, indicating nuances such as being on guard or refraining from certain actions. It is used extensively in the Old Testament, reflecting both physical and moral vigilance.
שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve
Qal 425
keep, have charge of
keep, guard, captives
hence, watch for, wait for
watch, observe
keep, retain, of storing up (food)
keep within bounds, restrain
observe, celebrate
keep sabbath
of other obligations
observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
sts. י׳ subj.
keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
Niph.
36be on one's guard
keep oneself, refrain, abstain
be kept, guarded
Pi. those paying regard to false vanities
Hithp. I kept myself from
base
H8104 שָׁמַר keep, watch, preserve .. . keep, have charge of
. keep, guard, captives
. hence, watch for, wait for
. watch, observe
. . keep, retain, of storing up (food)
. keep within bounds, restrain
. . observe, celebrate
. keep sabbath
. of other obligations
. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)
. sts. י׳ subj.
. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest
. . be on one's guard
. keep oneself, refrain, abstain
. be kept, guarded
. those paying regard to false vanities
. I kept myself from
8104 shamar shaw-mar'
a primitive root; properly, to hedge about (as with thorns),
i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.:--beward,
be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark,
look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save
(self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: obey.
: obey/observe
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
1a3) to watch for, wait for
1a4) to watch, observe
1a5) to keep, retain, treasure up (in memory)
1a6) to keep (within bounds), restrain
1a7) to observe, celebrate, keep (sabbath or covenant or commands), perform (vow)
1a8) to keep, preserve, protect
1a9) to keep, reserve
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be on one's guard, take heed, take care, beware
1b2) to keep oneself, refrain, abstain
1b3) to be kept, be guarded
1c) (Piel) to keep, pay heed
1d) (Hithpael) to keep oneself from
שָׁמַר (sha.mar) — to keep: guard.
: guard
1) to keep, guard, observe, give heed
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to keep, have charge of
1a2) to keep, guard, keep watch and ward, protect, save life
1a2a) watch, watchman (participle)
Conj | Prep | V-Qal — Conjunction · preposition · verb qal participle (active) masculine plural commonHC/R/Vqrmpc
מִצְוָה (mitsvah) means 'commandment' and can refer to commands from both humans and God. It encompasses laws, ordinances, and precepts, indicating a range of directives within religious and moral contexts. The term is derived from a root meaning to command, linking it to the broader framework of divine law.
מִצְוָה 181 n.f. commandment
base
H4687 מִצְוָה commandment
4687 mitsvah mits-vaw'
from 6680; a command, whether human or divine (collectively,
the Law):--(which was) commanded(-ment), law, ordinance,
precept.
see HEBREW for 06680
מִצְוָה (mits.vah) — commandment.
1) commandment
1a) commandment (of man)
1b) the commandment (of God)
1c) commandment (of code of wisdom)
N-fp | Suff — Noun common feminine plural construct · suffixHNcfpc/Sp1bs