King James Version

Exodus 20:20

And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before your faces, that ye sin not.

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Hebrew

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וַיֹּ֨אמֶרvayomerand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…מֹשֶׁ֣הmoshehMosesמֹשֶׁהnoun, proper name — “Moses”H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverMoses.אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).הָעָם֮haamthe peopleעַםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the people”, the ordinary formH5971a people (as a congregated unit); specifically, a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively, a flockfolk, men, nation, people.אַלalnotאַלparticle, negative — “not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.תִּירָאוּ֒tiravfearיָרֵאverb, qal, jussive, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “fear”, a wish or indirect commandH3372to fear; morally, to revere; caus. to frightenaffright, be (make) afraid, dread(-ful), (put in) fear(-ful, -fully, -ing), (be had in) reverence(-end), [idiom] see, terrible (act, -ness, thing).כִּ֗יkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…לְבַֽעֲבוּר֙levaavurto in thatעָבוּרpreposition, preposition, preposition — “to in that”H5668properly, crossed, i.e. (abstractly) transit; used only adverbially, on account of, in order thatbecause of, for (...'s sake), (intent) that, to.נַסּ֣וֹתnasotadventureנָסָהverb, piel, infinitive construct — “adventure”, the to-form of the verbH5254to test; by implication, to attemptadventure, assay, prove, tempt, try.אֶתְכֶ֔םetkhemobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).בָּ֖אbato comeבּוֹאverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “to come”, a completed actionH935to go or come (in a wide variety of applications)abide, apply, attain, [idiom] be, befall, [phrase] besiege, bring (forth, in, into, to pass), call, carry, [idiom] certainly, (cause, let, thing for) to come (against, in, out, upon, to pass), depart, [idiom] doubtless again, [phrase] eat,…הָאֱלֹהִ֑יםhaelohimthe Godאֱלֹהִיםdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “the God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.וּבַעֲב֗וּרuvaavurand in thatעָבוּרconjunction, preposition, preposition — “and in that”H5668properly, crossed, i.e. (abstractly) transit; used only adverbially, on account of, in order thatbecause of, for (...'s sake), (intent) that, to.תִּהְיֶ֧הtihyehbeהָיָהverb, qal, imperfect, 3rd person, feminine, singular — “be”, an unfinished actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.יִרְאָת֛וֹyiratvofearיִרְאָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “fear”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH3374fear (also used as infinitive); morally, reverence[idiom] dreadful, [idiom] exceedingly, fear(-fulness).עַלalaboveעַלpreposition — “above”H5921above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applicationsabove, according to(-ly), after, (as) against, among, and, [idiom] as, at, because of, beside (the rest of), between, beyond the time, [idiom] both and, by (reason of), [idiom] had the charge of, concerning for, in (that), (forth, out) of,…פְּנֵיכֶ֖םpeneykhema- foreפָּנִיםnoun, common, both genders, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “a- fore”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH6440the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)[phrase] accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, [idiom] as (long as), at, [phrase] battle, [phrase] because (of), [phrase] beseech, countenance, edge, [phrase] employ, endure, [phrase] enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-…לְבִלְתִּ֥יleviltito because unבִּלְתִּיpreposition, conjunction — “to because un”H1115properly, a failure of, i.e. (used only as a negative particle, usually with a prepositional prefix) not, except, without, unless, besides, because not, until, etc.because un(satiable), beside, but, [phrase] continual, except, from, lest, neither, no more, none, not, nothing, save, that no, without.תֶחֱטָֽאוּtechetavby faultחָטָאverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “by fault”, an unfinished actionH2398properly, to miss; hence (figuratively and generally) to sin; by inference, to forfeit, lack, expiate, repent, (causatively) lead astray, condemnbear the blame, cleanse, commit (sin), by fault, harm he hath done, loss, miss, (make) offend(-er), offer for sin, purge, purify (self), make reconciliation, (cause, make) sin(-ful, -ness), trespass.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(20-17) And Moses said unto the people: 'Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

Young’s Literal Translation

And Moses saith unto the people, 'Fear not, for to try you hath God come, and in order that His fear may be before your faces — that ye sin not.'

World English Bible

Moses said to the people, “Don’t be afraid, for God has come to test you, and that his fear may be before you, that you won’t sin.”

Darby Translation

And Moses said to the people, Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.

Douay-Rheims

And Moses said to the people: Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that the dread of him might be in you, and you should not sin.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(20-17) And Moses said unto the people: 'Fear not; for God is come to prove you, and that His fear may be before you, that ye sin not.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And Moses says to them, Be of good courage, for God is come to you to try you, that his fear may be among you, that ye sin not.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ λέγει αὐτοῖς Μωυσῆς, θαρσεῖτε· ἕνεκεν γὰρ τοῦ πειράσαι ὑμᾶς παρεγενήθη ὁ Θεὸς πρὸς ὑμᾶς, ὅπως ἂν γένηται ὁ φόβος αὐτοῦ ἐν ὑμῖν, ἵνα μὴ ἁμαρτάνητε.