Deuteronomy 4:36
in Deuteronomy 4He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he made thee to see his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
KJV
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
4 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice
on Deuteronomy 4:36-38
Verse 36 joins the two halves of Horeb, a voice out of heaven and a great fire upon earth, and says what both were for, that he might instruct thee. Verse 37 puts the reason behind the exodus further back than the exodus, because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, so the choice is dated to the patriarchs rather than earned by the generation delivered. Verse 38 gives the direction of the whole action in three clauses, to drive out nations greater and mightier, to bring thee in, to give thee their land for an inheritance.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
By what we see of God sufficient ground is given us to believe him to be a Being of infinite power and perfection, but no occasion given us to suspect him to have a body such as we have. [2.] What they heard at Mount Sinai (
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee,....
Never did God do such a thing for any people; the rise of this nation was quite different from that of all other nations. [1.] They were thus dignified and distinguished, not for any thing in them that was deserving or inviting, but because God had a kindness for their fathers: he chose them.
The words behind it
16 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִן־ | min- | from | H4480 → | 1188 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֛יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| הִשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥ | hishmiakha | he caused to hear you | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| קֹל֖וֹ | kolo | voice his | H6963 → | 506 times |
| לְיַסְּרֶ֑ךָּ | leyasereka | to discipline you | H3256 → | 43 times |
| וְעַל־ | veal- | and on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָ֗רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| הֶרְאֲךָ֙ | herakha | he showed you | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| אִשּׁ֣וֹ | ʾisho | fire his | H784 → | 378 times |
| הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה | hagedolah | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| וּדְבָרָ֥יו | udevarav | and words his | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| שָׁמַ֖עְתָּ | shama'ta | you heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| מִתּ֥וֹךְ | mitokh | from [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָאֵֽשׁ׃ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
מִן־from
min-H4480 →1188 times
הַשָּׁמַ֛יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
הִשְׁמִֽיעֲךָ֥he caused to hear you
hishmiakhaH8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
קֹל֖וֹvoice his
koloH6963 →506 times
לְיַסְּרֶ֑ךָּto discipline you
leyaserekaH3256 →43 times
וְעַל־and on
veal-H5921 →5755 times
הָאָ֗רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
הֶרְאֲךָ֙he showed you
herakhaH7200 →1300 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
אִשּׁ֣וֹfire his
ʾishoH784 →378 times
הַגְּדוֹלָ֔ה<the> great
hagedolahH1419 →526 times
וּדְבָרָ֥יוand words his
udevaravH1697 →1440 times
שָׁמַ֖עְתָּyou heard
shama'taH8085 →1159 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
Exodus 19:9The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in…
it leads to
- Exodus 19:16
On the third day, when morning came, there was thunder and lightning. A thick cloud was upon the mountain, and a very loud blast of the ram’s horn went out, so that all the…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 19:16
Through
Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse Him who speaks. For if the people did not escape when they refused Him who warned them on earth, how much less will we escape if…
it leads to
- Hebrews 8:5
The place where they serve is a copy and shadow of what is in heaven. This is why Moses was warned when he was about to build the tabernacle: “See to it that you…
- Hebrews 2:1–3
We must pay closer attention, therefore, to what we have heard, so that we do not drift away.
- Deuteronomy 30:17
But if your heart turns away and you do not listen, but are drawn away to bow down to other gods and worship them,
- Hebrews 8:5
Through
Nehemiah 9:13You came down on Mount Sinai and spoke with them from heaven. You gave them just ordinances, true laws, and good statutes and commandments.
it leads to
- Exodus 20:1
And God spoke all these words:
- Psalms 119:160
The entirety of Your word is truth, and all Your righteous judgments endure forever.
- Exodus 20:1
Through
Exodus 19:19And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.
it leads to
- Psalms 81:7
You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah
- Psalms 81:7
Through
Deuteronomy 4:33Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 5:24
and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live…
- Deuteronomy 5:24
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; 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) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.