Deuteronomy 11:18
“Therefore shall ye lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul, and bind them for a sign upon your hand, that they may be as frontlets between your eyes.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
After warning that turning to other gods brings ruin, Moses urges Israel to guard against forgetting by keeping God's words ever before them. The verse echoes the earlier command of chapter 6.
What Does Deuteronomy 11:18 Mean?
God's words are to be treasured inwardly and kept constantly before us so that they shape all we do. The word "therefore" ties this command to the warnings just given about forgetting God and drifting into idolatry. The remedy for forgetting is deliberate remembering. "Lay up these my words in your heart and in your soul" calls for storing God's instruction deep within, where it can guard the inner life against the pull of competing loyalties.
The images of binding words "upon your hand" and as "frontlets between your eyes" picture truth governing both action (the hand) and perception (the eyes). Whether these were meant literally, symbolically, or both, the point is clear: God's words should direct what we do and how we see. Faith is not a private feeling sealed off from daily life; it is meant to be visible, practical, and ever-present. Keeping God's words always in view is how a person stays faithful in a world full of distractions.
In the Original Language
The phrase "sim... al levav" means to set or place words upon the heart. "Totaphoth" (frontlets), a rare term, denotes a band or ornament worn between the eyes, picturing God's words kept constantly in view.
Cross References
“And these words, which I command thee this day, shall be in thine heart:”
- Deuteronomy 6:6
“Let not mercy and truth forsake thee: bind them about thy neck; write them upon the table of thine heart:”
- Proverbs 3:3
“But his delight is in the law of the LORD; and in his law doth he meditate day and night.”
- Psalms 1:2
Application
Guard against spiritual drift by intentionally storing Scripture in your heart and keeping it before your eyes, so it directs both your hands and your outlook.