Deuteronomy 30:14 (DRB)

Passage

But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayst do it.

Nearby Context

Deuteronomy 30:12 Nor is it in heaven, that thou shouldst say: Which of us can go up to heaven to bring it unto us, and we may hear and fulfil it in work?

Deuteronomy 30:13 Nor is it beyond the sea: that thou mayst excuse thyself, and say: Which of us can cross the sea, and bring it unto us: that we may hear, and do that which is commanded?

Deuteronomy 30:14 But the word is very nigh unto thee, in thy mouth and in thy heart, that thou mayst do it.

Deuteronomy 30:15 Consider that I have set before thee this day life and good, and on the other hand death and evil:

Deuteronomy 30:16 That thou mayst love the Lord thy God, and walk in his ways, and keep his commandments and ceremonies and judgments, and bless thee in the land, which thou shalt go in to possess.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "word", "very", "nigh", "thee", "mouth", "heart", "thou", and "mayst". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "word" and "very", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 13's "Nor is it beyond the sea that..." into verse 15's "Consider that I have set before thee...", so "word" and "very" belong inside that flow. In Deuteronomy context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "word" and "very" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.