Exodus 15:26

15:26 He said, “If you will diligently obey ¹  the Lord your God, and do what is right ²  in his sight, and pay attention ³  to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, then all ⁴  the diseases ⁵  that I brought on the Egyptians I will not bring on you, for I, the Lord, am your healer.” ⁶ 

Deuteronomy 5:29

5:29 If only it would really be their desire to fear me and obey ⁷  all my commandments in the future, so that it may go well with them and their descendants forever.

Psalms 81:8

81:8 I said, ⁸  ‘Listen, my people!

I will warn ⁹  you!

O Israel, if only you would obey me! ¹⁰ 

Psalms 81:11-14

81:11 But my people did not obey me; ¹¹ 

Israel did not submit to me. ¹² 

81:12 I gave them over to their stubborn desires; ¹³ 

they did what seemed right to them. ¹⁴ 

81:13 If only my people would obey me! ¹⁵ 

If only Israel would keep my commands! ¹⁶ 

81:14 Then I would quickly subdue their enemies,

and attack ¹⁷  their adversaries.”

Isaiah 48:18

48:18 If only you had obeyed my ¹⁸  commandments,

prosperity would have flowed to you like a river, ¹⁹ 

deliverance would have come to you like the waves of the sea. ²⁰ 

[15:26]  ¹ tn The construction uses the infinitive absolute and the imperfect tense of שָׁמַע (shama’). The meaning of the verb is idiomatic here because it is followed by “to the voice of Yahweh your God.” When this is present, the verb is translated “obey.” The construction is in a causal clause. It reads, “If you will diligently obey.” Gesenius points out that the infinitive absolute in a conditional clause also emphasizes the importance of the condition on which the consequence depends (GKC 342-43 §113.o).

[15:26]  ² tn The word order is reversed in the text: “and the right in his eyes you do,” or, “[if] you do what is right in his eyes.” The conditional idea in the first clause is continued in this clause.

[15:26]  ³ tn Heb “give ear.” This verb and the next are both perfect tenses with the vav (ו) consecutive; they continue the sequence of the original conditional clause.

[15:26]  ⁴ tn The substantive כָּל־ (kol, “all of”) in a negative clause can be translated “none of.”

[15:26]  ⁵ sn The reference is no doubt to the plagues that Yahweh has just put on them. These will not come on God’s true people. But the interesting thing about a conditional clause like this is that the opposite is also true – “if you do not obey, then I will bring these diseases.”

[15:26]  ⁶ tn The form is רֹפְאֶךָ (rofÿ’ekha), a participle with a pronominal suffix. The word is the predicate after the pronoun “I”: “I [am] your healer.” The suffix is an objective genitive – the Lord heals them.

[5:29]  ⁷ tn Heb “keep” (so KJV, NAB, NIV, NRSV).

[81:8]  ⁸ tn The words “I said” are supplied in the translation for clarification. Verses 8-10 appear to recall what the Lord commanded the generation of Israelites that experienced the events described in v. 7. Note the statement in v. 11, “my people did not listen to me.”

[81:8]  ⁹ tn Or perhaps “command.”

[81:8]  ¹⁰ tn The Hebrew particle אִם (“if”) and following prefixed verbal form here express a wish (GKC 321 §109.b). Note that the apodosis (the “then” clause of the conditional sentence) is suppressed.

[81:11]  ¹¹ tn Heb “did not listen to my voice.”

[81:11]  ¹² tn The Hebrew expression אָבָה לִי (’avah liy) means “submit to me” (see Deut 13:8).

[81:12]  ¹³ tn Heb “and I sent him away in the stubbornness of their heart.”

[81:12]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “they walked in their counsel.” The prefixed verbal form is either preterite (“walked”) or a customary imperfect (“were walking”).

[81:13]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “if only my people were listening to me.” The Hebrew particle לוּ (lu, “if not”) introduces a purely hypothetical or contrary to fact condition (see 2 Sam 18:12).

[81:13]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “[and if only] Israel would walk in my ways.”

[81:14]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “turn my hand against.” The idiom “turn the hand against” has the nuance of “strike with the hand, attack” (see Isa 1:25; Ezek 38:12; Amos 1:8; Zech 13:7).

[48:18]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “paid attention to” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV); TEV “had listened to.”

[48:18]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “like a river your peace would have been.” שָׁלוֹם (shalom) probably refers here to the peace and prosperity which God promised in return for obedience to the covenant.

[48:18]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and your righteousness like the waves of the sea.” צְדָקָה (tsÿdaqah) probably refers here to divine deliverance from enemies. See v. 19.