Deuteronomy 11:9

Authorized King James Version

And that ye may prolong your days in the land, which the LORD sware unto your fathers to give unto them and to their seed, a land that floweth with milk and honey.

Word-by-Word Analysis
#1
וּלְמַ֨עַן
properly, heed, i.e., purpose; used only adverbially, on account of (as a motive or an aim), teleologically, in order that
#2
תַּֽאֲרִ֤יכוּ
And that ye may prolong
to be (causative, make) long (literally or figuratively)
#3
יָמִים֙
your days
a day (as the warm hours), whether literal (from sunrise to sunset, or from one sunset to the next), or figurative (a space of time defined by an asso
#4
עַל
above, over, upon, or against (yet always in this last relation with a downward aspect) in a great variety of applications
#5
הָ֣אֲדָמָ֔ה
in the land
soil (from its general redness)
#6
אֲשֶׁר֩
who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc
#7
נִשְׁבַּ֨ע
sware
to seven oneself, i.e., swear (as if by repeating a declaration seven times)
#8
יְהוָ֧ה
which the LORD
(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god
#9
לַאֲבֹֽתֵיכֶ֛ם
H1
unto your fathers
father, in a literal and immediate, or figurative and remote application
#10
לָתֵ֥ת
to give
to give, used with greatest latitude of application (put, make, etc.)
#11
לָהֶ֖ם
H0
#12
וּלְזַרְעָ֑ם
unto them and to their seed
seed; figuratively, fruit, plant, sowing-time, posterity
#13
אֶ֛רֶץ
a land
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
#14
זָבַ֥ת
that floweth
to flow freely (as water), i.e., (specifically) to have a (sexual) flux; figuratively, to waste away; also to overflow
#15
חָלָ֖ב
with milk
milk (as the richness of kine)
#16
וּדְבָֽשׁ׃
and honey
honey (from its stickiness); by analogy, syrup

Analysis

The salvation theme here intersects with the metanarrative of redemption running from Genesis to Revelation. Biblical theology recognizes this as part of a unified storyline from the promise in Genesis 3:15 to its fulfillment in Christ. The phrase emphasizing divine sovereignty contributes to our systematic understanding of Christian doctrine and connects to the broader scriptural witness about God's saving work from the Exodus to the cross.

Historical Context

The historical context of the biblical period relevant to this book's composition provides crucial background for understanding this verse. The historical and cultural milieu of the biblical world informed the author's theological expression and the audience's understanding. The the cultural context of the biblical world would have shaped how the original audience understood divine sovereignty. Archaeological and historical evidence reveals Archaeological discoveries continue to illuminate the historical context of biblical texts.

Questions for Reflection

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