Deuteronomy 4:15
in Deuteronomy 4So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of form on the day that Jehovah spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;
KJV
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:
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This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
6 notes on this verseYe saw no manner of similitude - Howsoever God chose to appear or manifest himself, he took care never to assume any describable form. He would have no image worship, because he is a Spirit, and they who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth. These outward things tend to draw the mind out of itself, and diffuse it on sensible, if not sensual, objects; and thus spiritual worship is prevented, and the Holy Ghost grieved. Persons acting in this way can never know much of the religion of the heart.
This site's exposition
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves
on Deuteronomy 4:15-18
Verse 15 turns the absence of a form into an argument. Because ye saw no manner of similitude, an image would be a likeness of something God did not show, and the list runs downward from male and female through beast, fowl, creeping thing and fish, back along the order Genesis 1 built up. Paul works the same descent at Romans 1:23, where the glory of the uncorruptible God is changed into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening4 voices
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves,.... As to keep all the laws given them, so particularly to avoid idolatry: for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire; and therefore, as they had nothing that directed and led them, so they had nothing that could be a temptation to them, to make any form or likeness, and worship it.
Two sorts of idolatry he cautions them against:-- [1.] The worship of images, however by them they might intend to worship the true God, as they had done in the golden calf, so changing the truth of God into a lie and his glory into shame. The second commandment is expressly directed against this, and is here enlarged upon,
There may be idols in the heart, where there are none in the sanctuary. [2.] The worship of the sun, moon, and stars, is another sort of idolatry which they were cautioned against,
"Take heed lest you corrupt yourselves, " that is, "lest you debauch yourselves;" for those that think to make images of God form in their minds such notions of him as must needs be an inlet to all impieties; and it is intimated that it is a spiritual adultery.
How the passage was read
What the Jewish commentators add
He warns them lest they mistakenly follow the voice they heard and they commit the corruption of “mutilating the shoots.” 64 This consists of separating any of the Ten Emanations and worshipping it independently. See Vol. II p., Note.
This section is reception history: how the passage was read and kept in the Jewish tradition. Where a reading parts from an essential of the Christian faith, the section says so at that point.
Texts and citation data: Sefaria; each excerpt follows its version’s licence. 4 further sources are cited on this chapter that carry no English text this site may quote or only restate the verse.
The words behind it
15 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם | venishmartem | and you will take heed | H8104 → | 468 times |
| מְאֹ֖ד | meod | exceedingly | H3966 → | 300 times |
| לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑ם | lenafshoteikhem | to selves your | H5315 → | 754 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹ֤א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| רְאִיתֶם֙ | reitem | you saw | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | any | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| תְּמוּנָ֔ה | temunah | form | H8544 → | 10 times |
| בְּי֗וֹם | beyom | on [the] day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| דִּבֶּ֨ר | diber | [when] he spoke | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| יְהוָ֧ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֲלֵיכֶ֛ם | ʾaleikhem | to you | H413 → | 5510 times |
| בְּחֹרֵ֖ב | bechorev | at Horeb | H2722 → | 17 times |
| מִתּ֥וֹךְ | mitokh | from [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָאֵֽשׁ׃ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
וְנִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥םand you will take heed
venishmartemH8104 →468 times
מְאֹ֖דexceedingly
meodH3966 →300 times
לְנַפְשֹׁתֵיכֶ֑םto selves your
lenafshoteikhemH5315 →754 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹ֤אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
רְאִיתֶם֙you saw
reitemH7200 →1300 times
כָּל־any
kol-H3605 →5413 times
תְּמוּנָ֔הform
temunahH8544 →10 times
בְּי֗וֹםon [the] day
beyomH3117 →2304 times
דִּבֶּ֨ר[when] he spoke
diberH1696 →1141 times
יְהוָ֧הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֲלֵיכֶ֛םto you
ʾaleikhemH413 →5510 times
בְּחֹרֵ֖בat Horeb
bechorevH2722 →17 times
מִתּ֥וֹךְfrom [the] middle of
mitokhH8432 →418 times
הָאֵֽשׁ׃the fire
haeshH784 →378 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Proverbs 4:27Do not swerve to the right or to the left; turn your feet away from evil.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:32
So be careful to do as the LORD your God has commanded you; you are not to turn aside to the right or to the left.
- Joshua 1:7
Above all, be strong and very courageous. Be careful to observe all the law that My servant Moses commanded you. Do not turn from it to the right or to the left, so that…
- Deuteronomy 28:14
Do not turn aside to the right or to the left from any of the words I command you today, and do not go after other gods to serve them.
- Deuteronomy 5:32
Through
Isaiah 40:18To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?
it leads to
- Isaiah 46:5
To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike?
- 1 Samuel 2:2
There is no one holy like the LORD. Indeed, there is no one besides You! And there is no Rock like our God.
- Isaiah 40:25
“To whom will you liken Me, or who is My equal?” asks the Holy One.
- Exodus 15:11
Who among the gods is like You, O LORD? Who is like You—majestic in holiness, revered with praises, performing wonders?
- Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.
- Isaiah 46:5
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; John Calvin, Commentary on the Four Last Books of Moses Arranged in the Form of a Harmony; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.