Deuteronomy 4:33
in Deuteronomy 4Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
KJV
Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?
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This verse in Deuteronomy 4
Commentary
7 notes on this verseDid ever people hear the voice of God - It seems to have been a general belief that if God appeared to men, it was for the purpose of destroying them; and indeed most of the extraordinary manifestations of God were in the way of judgment; but here it was different; God did appear in a sovereign and extraordinary manner; but it was for the deliverance and support of the people. 1. They heard his voice speaking with them in a distinct, articulate manner.
This site's exposition
ask now from one end of the heavens to the other
on Deuteronomy 4:32-33
Moses sets no limit on the search, reaching back to "the day that God created man on earth." The claim tested is narrow and checkable, that a whole people "heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire" and lived.
This site's exposition
heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire
The weight of the question falls on its last words, and lived, since hearing God was expected to end in death. Adam Clarke reports the general belief that God appeared to men to destroy them, and sees this appearing as given for Israel's deliverance.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
"Ye have neither heard His voice at any time." How then saith Moses, "The Lord spake, and Moses answered"; and David, "He had heard a tongue which he knew not"; and Moses again, "Is there any such people which hath heard the voice of God?" "Nor seen His shape." Yet Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel, are said to have seen Him, and many others. What then is that which Christ saith now? He guideth them by degrees to a philosophical doctrine, showing that with God is neither voice nor shape, but that He is higher than such forms or sounds like these. For as when He saith, "Ye have not heard His voice," He doth not mean that God doth indeed utter a voice, but one which cannot be heard; so when He saith, "Nor seen His shape," He doth not mean that God hath a shape though one invisible, but that neither of these things belongeth to God. And in order that they might not say, "Thou art a boaster, God spake to Moses only"; (this at least they did say, "We know that God spake with Moses: as for this fellow, we know not whence He is";) on this account He spake as He did, to show that there is neither voice nor shape with God.
The Puritans and the Awakening3 voices
Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire,.... None ever heard the voice of God as they did, much less speaking such words as they heard, and still less out of the midst of fire, which was their case, Deu 4:12. as thou hast heard, and live? which was stranger still, when they might have expected they should, and doubtless feared they would be, as it was wonderful they were not, consumed by it.
Here was the voice of one crying in the wilderness, to prepare the way of the Lord. Secondly, They heard it out of the midst of the fire, which showed that it was God himself that spoke to them, for who else could dwell with devouring fire? God spoke to Job out of the whirlwind, which was terrible; but to Israel out of the fire, which was more terrible.
It was a wonder of mercy that the fire did not devour them, or that they did not die for fear, when Moses himself trembled. Fourthly, Never any people heard the like.
The words behind it
11 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| הֲשָׁ֣מַֽע | hashama' | ¿ has it heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| עָם֩ | ʾam | a people | H5971 → | 1873 times |
| ק֨וֹל | kol | [the] voice of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֜ים | ʾelohim | a god | H430 → | 2601 times |
| מְדַבֵּ֧ר | medaber | speaking | H1696 → | 1141 times |
| מִתּוֹךְ־ | mitokh- | from [the] middle of | H8432 → | 418 times |
| הָאֵ֛שׁ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| כַּאֲשֶׁר־ | kaasher- | just as | H834 → | 5497 times |
| שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ | shama'ta | you have heard | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אַתָּ֖ה | ʾatah | you | H859 → | 1094 times |
| וַיֶּֽחִי׃ | vaiyechi | and has it lived? | H2421 → | 282 times |
הֲשָׁ֣מַֽע¿ has it heard
hashama'H8085 →1159 times
עָם֩a people
ʾamH5971 →1873 times
ק֨וֹל[the] voice of
kolH6963 →506 times
אֱלֹהִ֜יםa god
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
מְדַבֵּ֧רspeaking
medaberH1696 →1141 times
מִתּוֹךְ־from [the] middle of
mitokh-H8432 →418 times
הָאֵ֛שׁthe fire
haeshH784 →378 times
כַּאֲשֶׁר־just as
kaasher-H834 →5497 times
שָׁמַ֥עְתָּyou have heard
shama'taH8085 →1159 times
אַתָּ֖הyou
ʾatahH859 →1094 times
וַיֶּֽחִי׃and has it lived?
vaiyechiH2421 →282 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 33:20But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
it leads to
- Genesis 32:30
So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Judges 13:22
“We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- 1 Timothy 6:16
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.
- Isaiah 6:5
Then I said: “Woe is me, for I am ruined, because I am a man of unclean lips dwelling among a people of unclean lips; for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD…
- Genesis 32:30
Through
Judges 6:22When Gideon realized that it was the angel of the LORD, he said, “Oh no, Lord GOD! I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face!”
it leads to
- Exodus 33:20
But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Exodus 33:20
Through
Deuteronomy 5:24and 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…
it leads to
- Exodus 19:19
And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.
- Exodus 19:19
Through
Exodus 24:11But God did not lay His hand on the nobles of Israel; they saw Him, and they ate and drank.
it leads to
- Exodus 18:12
Then Moses’ father-in-law Jethro brought a burnt offering and sacrifices to God, and Aaron came with all the elders of Israel to eat bread with Moses’ father-in-law in the presence of God.
- Exodus 18:12
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes on the Old Testament; John Chrysostom, HOMILIES ON THE GOSPEL OF JOHN 40; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; 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.