Deuteronomy 4:28
in Deuteronomy 4And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
KJV
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
⋯
This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseJustly are they then sent to the gods whom they have served, Judg. x. 14 . [3.] Yet he encourages them to hope that God would reserve mercy for them in the latter days, that he would by his judgments upon them bring them to repentance, and take them again into covenant with himself,
This site's exposition
Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples
on Deuteronomy 4:27-28
The sentence is exile, fitted to the offence: a people who wanted an image are sent to serve "man-made gods of wood and stone." Those gods "cannot see or hear or eat or smell," and Psalm 115:4-8 expands the same list.
This site's exposition
man-made gods of wood and stone
Verse 19 warned against the stars, which God made, and here the gods are the work of human hands, a lower thing still. John Gill calls the service of wood and stone more senseless than the worship of the heavens.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Ye shall serve Gods - You shall be compelled by men, and given up by me to idolatry. So that very thing which was your choice, shall be your punishment: it being just and usual for God to punish one sin by giving men up to another.
And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone,.... Idols made by men, cut out of wood and stone; these they should be enticed into the service of, or compelled to serve; which was still more brutish and stupid than to worship the sun, moon, and stars, which were not the works of men's hand, but the glorious works of the eternal God.
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 Century1 voice
There ye shall serve gods - wood and stone - This was also true of the Israelites, not only in their captivities, but also in their own land. And it may now be literally the case with the ten tribes who were carried away captive by the Assyrians, and of whose residence no man at present knows any thing with certainty. That they still exist there can be no doubt; but they are now, most probably, so completely incorporated with the idolaters among whom they dwell, as to be no longer distinguish able: yet God can gather them.
The words behind it
17 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־ | vaavadtem- | and you will serve | H5647 → | 288 times |
| שָׁ֣ם | sham | there | H8033 → | 834 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֔ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה | maaseh | [the] work of | H4639 → | 236 times |
| יְדֵ֣י | yedei | [the] hands of | H3027 → | 1618 times |
| אָדָ֑ם | ʾadam | a human | H120 → | 551 times |
| עֵ֣ץ | ʾetz | wood | H6086 → | 328 times |
| וָאֶ֔בֶן | vaeven | and stone | H68 → | 273 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֤ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹֽא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִרְאוּן֙ | yirun | they see ! | H7200 → | 1300 times |
| וְלֹ֣א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יִשְׁמְע֔וּן | yishmeun | they hear ! | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יֹֽאכְל֖וּן | yokhlun | they eat ! | H398 → | 810 times |
| וְלֹ֥א | velo' | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| יְרִיחֻֽן׃ | yerichun | they smell ! | H7306 → |
וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־and you will serve
vaavadtem-H5647 →288 times
שָׁ֣םthere
shamH8033 →834 times
אֱלֹהִ֔יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה[the] work of
maasehH4639 →236 times
יְדֵ֣י[the] hands of
yedeiH3027 →1618 times
אָדָ֑םa human
ʾadamH120 →551 times
עֵ֣ץwood
ʾetzH6086 →328 times
וָאֶ֔בֶןand stone
vaevenH68 →273 times
אֲשֶׁ֤רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹֽא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
יִרְאוּן֙they see !
yirunH7200 →1300 times
וְלֹ֣אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יִשְׁמְע֔וּןthey hear !
yishmeunH8085 →1159 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יֹֽאכְל֖וּןthey eat !
yokhlunH398 →810 times
וְלֹ֥אand not
velo'H3808 →5168 times
יְרִיחֻֽן׃they smell !
yerichunH7306 →
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 16:13So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you…
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 28:36
The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 4:26–28
I 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,…
- Jeremiah 15:14
Then I will enslave you to your enemies in a land you do not know, for My anger will kindle a fire that will burn against you.”
- Deuteronomy 28:36
Through
Deuteronomy 28:64Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 16:13
So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 4:27–28
Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.
- Leviticus 26:33
But I will scatter you among the nations and will draw out a sword after you as your land becomes desolate and your cities are laid waste.
- Nehemiah 1:8
Remember, I pray, the word that You commanded Your servant Moses when You said, ‘If you are unfaithful, I will scatter you among the nations,
- Jeremiah 16:13
Through
Isaiah 46:7They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not…
it leads to
- Isaiah 45:20
Come, gather together, and draw near, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry idols of wood and pray to a god that cannot save.
- Isaiah 45:20
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.