Deuteronomy 4:26
in Deuteronomy 4I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
KJV
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseAnd not only Paul, but generally all those to whom is committed any ministry of the word, never cease from testifying, but call heaven and earth to witness on the ground that now every deed that is done is done within them, and that in the examination of all the actions of life they will be present with the judged. So it is said, "He shall call to the heavens above and to earth, that he may judge his people."
This site's exposition
After you have children and grandchildren
on Deuteronomy 4:25-26
Moses calls "heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day," as a treaty does when no higher court exists. He repeats the call at 30:19, 31:28 and 32:1.
This site's exposition
I call heaven and earth as witnesses
The threat reverses a promise: the land where verse 40 promises long life is where Israel would not live long. Basil of Caesarea reads the summons of heaven and earth as fitting, since every deed is done within them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day,....
Here, [1.] He foresees their revolt from God to idols, that in process of time, when they had remained long in the land and were settled upon their lees, they would corrupt themselves, and make a graven image; this was the sin that would most easily beset them,
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
I call heaven and earth to witness against you - A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all nations in the world.
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
I call heaven and earth to witness against you--This solemn form of adjuration has been common in special circumstances among all people. It is used here figuratively, or as in other parts of Scripture where inanimate objects are called up as witnesses (De 32:1;
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — unbalanced-parens
The words behind it
27 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הַעִידֹתִי֩ | haidoti | I call as witnesses | H5749 → | 44 times |
| בָכֶ֨ם | vakhem | against you | ||
| הַיּ֜וֹם | haiyom | this day | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| וְאֶת־ | veet | and <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הָאָ֗רֶץ | haaretz | the earth | H776 → | 2504 times |
| כִּֽי־ | ki- | that | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| אָבֹ֣ד | ʾavod | certainly <to perish> | H6 → | 184 times |
| תֹּאבֵדוּן֮ | toedun | you will perish ! | H6 → | 184 times |
| מַהֵר֒ | maher | quickly | H4118 → | 14 times |
| מֵעַ֣ל | meal | from on | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| הָאָ֔רֶץ | haaretz | the land | H776 → | 2504 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֨ר | ʾasher | where | H834 → | 5497 times |
| אַתֶּ֜ם | ʾatem | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| עֹבְרִ֧ים | ʾoerim | [are] about to pass over | H5674 → | 556 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן | haiyarden | the Jordan | H3383 → | 182 times |
| שָׁ֖מָּה | shamah | there towards | H8033 → | 834 times |
| לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ | lerishtah | to take possession of it | H3423 → | 231 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן | taarikhun | you will prolong ! | H748 → | 34 times |
| יָמִים֙ | yamim | days | H3117 → | 2304 times |
| עָלֶ֔יהָ | ʾaleiha | on it | H5921 → | 5755 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד | hishamed | utterly <destroyed> | H8045 → | 90 times |
| תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן׃ | tishamedun | you will be destroyed ! | H8045 → | 90 times |
הַעִידֹתִי֩I call as witnesses
haidotiH5749 →44 times
בָכֶ֨םagainst you
vakhem
הַיּ֜וֹםthis day
haiyomH3117 →2304 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַשָּׁמַ֣יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
וְאֶת־and <obj.>
veetH853 →10935 times
הָאָ֗רֶץthe earth
haaretzH776 →2504 times
כִּֽי־that
ki-H3588 →4482 times
אָבֹ֣דcertainly <to perish>
ʾavodH6 →184 times
תֹּאבֵדוּן֮you will perish !
toedunH6 →184 times
מַהֵר֒quickly
maherH4118 →14 times
מֵעַ֣לfrom on
mealH5921 →5755 times
הָאָ֔רֶץthe land
haaretzH776 →2504 times
אֲשֶׁ֨רwhere
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
אַתֶּ֜םyou
ʾatemH859 →1094 times
עֹבְרִ֧ים[are] about to pass over
ʾoerimH5674 →556 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ןthe Jordan
haiyardenH3383 →182 times
שָׁ֖מָּהthere towards
shamahH8033 →834 times
לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּto take possession of it
lerishtahH3423 →231 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ןyou will prolong !
taarikhunH748 →34 times
יָמִים֙days
yamimH3117 →2304 times
עָלֶ֔יהָon it
ʾaleihaH5921 →5755 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הִשָּׁמֵ֖דutterly <destroyed>
hishamedH8045 →90 times
תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן׃you will be destroyed !
tishamedunH8045 →90 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
Jeremiah 22:29O land, land, land, hear the word of the LORD!
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 32:1
Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 1:2
Hear, O peoples, all of you; listen, O earth, and everyone in it! May the Lord GOD bear witness against you, the Lord from His holy temple.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 6:19
Hear, O earth! I am bringing disaster on this people, the fruit of their own schemes, because they have paid no attention to My word and have rejected My instruction.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Micah 6:1–2
Hear now what the LORD says: “Arise, plead your case before the mountains, and let the hills hear your voice.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 32:1
Through
Isaiah 1:2Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
it leads to
- Psalms 50:4
He summons the heavens above, and the earth, that He may judge His people:
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 30:19
I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today that I have set before you life and death, blessing and cursing. Therefore choose life, so that you and your descendants may live,
- Psalms 50:4
Through
Deuteronomy 32:1Give ear, O heavens, and I will speak; hear, O earth, the words of my mouth.
it leads to
- Isaiah 1:2
Listen, O heavens, and give ear, O earth, for the LORD has spoken: “I have raised children and brought them up, but they have rebelled against Me.
- Psalms 49:1
Hear this, all you peoples; listen, all inhabitants of the world,
- Isaiah 1:2
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
On this verse
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Basil of Caesarea, ON THE SPIRIT 13.30; Basil of Caesarea, On the Spirit; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; 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.