Deuteronomy 4:19
in Deuteronomy 4When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.
KJV
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
10 notes on this verseIt is clear then that since those who live according to the law reverence the One who made the heaven, they do not reverence the heaven as if God. Furthermore, none of those who serve the Mosaic law worship the angels in heaven. And in the same way that they do not worship the sun, moon, and stars and "the world of heaven." They avoid worshiping heaven as such or the angels in it.
This site's exposition
see the sun and moon and stars
on Deuteronomy 4:19-20
Verse 19 says the sun, moon and stars are "apportioned to all the nations." Some read this as God giving every nation the lights to mark seasons, as at Genesis 1:14. Michael Heiser reads it beside 32:8 as an allotment of the nations to other powers.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers2 voices
It is quite likely that the enemy will want to induce us by every possible trick down to "the sun and the moon and all the host of heaven." But we shall reply that the Word of God did not command us to do so. For in no way may we bow down to the creature in the presence of the Creator who sustains all and anticipates their prayer. Not even the sun would wish that any friend of God or anyone else, it would seem, should bow down to it. It imitates him who says, "Why do you call me good? None is good but one, that is God" the Father.
Some have supposed that the sun and moon and the other stars were gods with absolute powers and ascribed to them the causation of all events. But Moses held that the universe was created and is in a sense the greatest of commonwealths, having magistrates …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
It is absurd to worship them, for they are man's servants, were made and ordained to give light on earth; and shall we serve those that were made to serve us? The sun, in Hebrew is called shemesh, which signifies a servant, for it is the minister-general of this visible world, and holds the candle to all mankind; let it not then be worshipped as a lord.
Which the Lord hath divided unto all nations - Which are not Gods, but creatures, made not for the worship, but for the use of men; yea, of the meanest and most barbarous people under heaven, and therefore cannot without great absurdity be worshipped, especially by you who are so much advanced above other nations in wisdom and knowledge, and in this, that you are my peculiar people.
And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven,....
3 more voices on this verse
The Nineteenth Century3 voices
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
Divided - i. e., “whose light God has distributed to the nations for their use and benefit, and which therefore being creatures ministering to man’s convenience must not be worshipped as man’s lords.”
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
This was particularly the case with the Canaanites and Egyptians, against whose superstitious practices the caution, no doubt, was chiefly directed. The former worshipped Baal and Astarte, the latter Osiris and Isis, under the figure of a male and a female.
When thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars - The worship of the heavenly bodies was the oldest species of idolatry. Those who had not the knowledge of the true God were led to consider the sun, moon, planets, and stars, as not only self-existing, but the authors of all the blessings possessed by mankind. The knowledge of a rational system of astronomy served to destroy this superstition; and very little of it remains now in the world, except among a few Christian and Mohammedan astrologers; those miserable sinners who endeavor, as much as possible, to revive the old idolatry, while vainly professing to believe in the true God! Nor is it to be doubted that God will proceed with them as he has done of old with the worshippers of the host of heaven. Sound philosophy is next in importance to sound divinity; and next to the study of the work of grace is that of the operations of God in nature; for these visible things make known his eternal power and Godhead.
The words behind it
28 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וּפֶן־ | ufen- | and lest | H6435 → | 133 times |
| תִּשָּׂ֨א | tisa' | you should lift up | H5375 → | 656 times |
| עֵינֶ֜יךָ | ʾeineikha | eyes your | H5869 → | 887 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה | hashamaymah | the heavens towards | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְֽ֠רָאִיתָ | veraita | and you will see | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ | hashemesh | the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיָּרֵ֜חַ | haiyareach | the moon | H3394 → | |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗ים | hakokhavim | the stars | H3556 → | 37 times |
| כֹּ֚ל | kol | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| צְבָ֣א | tzeva' | [the] host of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ | venidachta | and you will be drawn aside | H5080 → | 55 times |
| וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָ | vehishtachavita | and you will bow down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לָהֶ֖ם | lahem | to them | ||
| וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑ם | vaavadtam | and you will serve them | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| חָלַ֜ק | chalak | he has assigned | H2505 → | |
| יְהוָ֤ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ | ʾeloheikha | God your | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֹתָ֔ם | ʾotam | <obj.> them | H853 → | 10935 times |
| לְכֹל֙ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הָֽעַמִּ֔ים | haamim | the peoples | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| תַּ֖חַת | tachat | under | H8478 → | 505 times |
| כָּל־ | kol- | all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
וּפֶן־and lest
ufen-H6435 →133 times
תִּשָּׂ֨אyou should lift up
tisa'H5375 →656 times
עֵינֶ֜יךָeyes your
ʾeineikhaH5869 →887 times
הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָהthe heavens towards
hashamaymahH8064 →421 times
וְֽ֠רָאִיתָand you will see
veraitaH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁthe sun
hashemeshH8121 →134 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַיָּרֵ֜חַthe moon
haiyareachH3394 →
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗יםthe stars
hakokhavimH3556 →37 times
כֹּ֚לall
kolH3605 →5413 times
צְבָ֣א[the] host of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛and you will be drawn aside
venidachtaH5080 →55 times
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָand you will bow down
vehishtachavitaH7812 →172 times
לָהֶ֖םto them
lahem
וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑םand you will serve them
vaavadtamH5647 →288 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
חָלַ֜קhe has assigned
chalakH2505 →
יְהוָ֤הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙God your
ʾeloheikhaH430 →2601 times
אֹתָ֔ם<obj.> them
ʾotamH853 →10935 times
לְכֹל֙to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
הָֽעַמִּ֔יםthe peoples
haamimH5971 →1873 times
תַּ֖חַתunder
tachatH8478 →505 times
כָּל־all
kol-H3605 →5413 times
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃the heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 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
Romans 1:25They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
it leads to
- Habakkuk 2:18
What use is an idol, that a craftsman should carve it—or an image, a teacher of lies? For its maker trusts in his own creation; he makes idols that cannot speak.
- Jeremiah 13:25
This is your lot, the portion I have measured to you,” declares the LORD, “because you have forgotten Me and trusted in falsehood.
- 1 John 2:15–16
Do not love the world or anything in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him.
- Isaiah 44:20
He feeds on ashes. His deluded heart has led him astray, and he cannot deliver himself or say, “Is not this thing in my right hand a lie?”
- Amos 2:4
This is what the LORD says: “For three transgressions of Judah, even four, I will not revoke My judgment, because they reject the Law of the LORD and fail to keep His statutes; they…
- Habakkuk 2:18
Through
2 Kings 17:16They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served…
it leads to
- 1 Kings 16:31
And as if it were not enough for him to walk in the sins of Jeroboam son of Nebat, he even married Jezebel the daughter of Ethbaal king of the Sidonians, and he then…
- 1 Kings 14:23
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.
- 1 Kings 12:28
After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out…
- 1 Kings 16:31
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this verse
What the record shows
1 entry◈The guardrail — the host of heaven is not worshippedcontested
Israel is forbidden to worship the host of heaven that God 'allotted to all the peoples' - the counterweight to venerating the Mazzaroth.
The case against it
A guardrail rather than a claim, and it cuts both ways honestly: Deuteronomy 4:19 forbids WORSHIPPING the host of heaven that God allotted to all the peoples, which is not the same as forbidding their study or their use as signs - Genesis 1:14 assumes exactly that use. The verse is on the page to prevent veneration of the Mazzaroth, not to prohibit astronomy, and it should be presented with that distinction visible.
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on 11 works. Open the list of works
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament; Keil and Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament: The Pentateuch; Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible; Origen of Alexandria, AGAINST CELSUS 5.6; Origen of Alexandria, EXHORTATION TO MARTYRDOM 7 and Philo of Alexandria, Special Laws, 1.3.