God’s Promises Span Generations – EGP Blog post from March 4, 2018

“Yahweh, your God, is full of compassion. He will not abandon you to the enemy. He will not let you be destroyed. He will not forget His commitment, because His promises span generations!” —Deuteronomy 4:31

Deuteronomy 4:9, 31 ()

[9] “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— … [31] For the Lord your God is a merciful God. He will not leave you or destroy you or forget the covenant with your fathers that he swore to them.

In this passage, both the word “take care” and “keep” literally mean “put a hedge around” (see ). Also, while the word translated “soul” is the usual word for soul, it means “vitality” or “life breath” (see ), so you can think of it as the essence of who you really are. Finally, the word translated “merciful” literally means “full of compassion” (see ).

So, you could paraphrase the passage like this:

Deuteronomy 4:9, 31 (paraphrase)

[9] “Make it a point to protect who you REALLY are. Don’t forget what God has shown you. Treasure it in your heart for your whole life, so that you can tell it to your kids and grandkids. … [31] Because Yahweh, YOUR God, is full of compassion. He WILL NOT abandon you to the enemy. He WILL NOT let you be destroyed. He WILL NOT forget His commitment, because His promises span generations!”