Deuteronomy 5:25
in Deuteronomy 5But now, why should we die? For this great fire will consume us, and we will die, if we hear the voice of the LORD our God any longer.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of Jehovah our God any more, then we shall die.
KJV
Now therefore why should we die? for this great fire will consume us: if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 5
Commentary
5 notes on this verseFor who ever heard the voice of the living God, as we have, and lived? God's appearances have always been terrible to man, ever since the fall: but Christ, having taken away sin, invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace.
This site's exposition
all the heads of your tribes and your elders approached me
on Deuteronomy 5:23-27
The heads of the tribes and the elders ask Moses to "listen to all that the LORD our God says" and tell them. Having heard God and lived, they fear hearing him again, and 18:15-18 answers with the promised prophet.
This site's exposition
why should we die
Having survived once, the elders judge that they would not survive a second hearing. John Wesley reads them as saying that God had kept them alive for that occasion and that further speech of that kind would crush them.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
Why should we die? - For though God hath for this season kept us alive, yet we shall never be able to endure any further discourse from him in such a terrible manner, but shall certainly sink under the burden of it.
Now therefore why should we die?....
The words behind it
18 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וְעַתָּה֙ | veatah | and therefore | H6258 → | 433 times |
| לָ֣מָּה | lamah | <to> why? | H4100 → | 752 times |
| נָמ֔וּת | namut | will we die | H4191 → | 839 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| תֹֽאכְלֵ֔נוּ | tokhelenu | it will consume us | H398 → | 810 times |
| הָאֵ֥שׁ | haesh | the fire | H784 → | 378 times |
| הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה | hagedolah | <the> great | H1419 → | 526 times |
| הַזֹּ֑את | hazot | <the> this | H2063 → | 603 times |
| אִם־ | ʾim- | if | H518 → | 1069 times |
| יֹסְפִ֣ים׀ | yosefim | [are] repeating | H3254 → | 212 times |
| אֲנַ֗חְנוּ | ʾanachnu | we | H587 → | 120 times |
| לִ֠שְׁמֹעַ | lishmoa' | to hear | H8085 → | 1159 times |
| אֶת־ | ʾet- | <obj.> | H853 → | 10935 times |
| ק֨וֹל | kol | [the] voice of | H6963 → | 506 times |
| יְהוָ֧ה | yahweh | Yahweh | H3068 → | 6520 times |
| אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּ | ʾeloheinu | God our | H430 → | 2601 times |
| ע֖וֹד | od | again | H5750 → | 490 times |
| וָמָֽתְנוּ׃ | vamatenu | and we will die | H4191 → | 839 times |
וְעַתָּה֙and therefore
veatahH6258 →433 times
לָ֣מָּה<to> why?
lamahH4100 →752 times
נָמ֔וּתwill we die
namutH4191 →839 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
תֹֽאכְלֵ֔נוּit will consume us
tokhelenuH398 →810 times
הָאֵ֥שׁthe fire
haeshH784 →378 times
הַגְּדֹלָ֖ה<the> great
hagedolahH1419 →526 times
הַזֹּ֑את<the> this
hazotH2063 →603 times
אִם־if
ʾim-H518 →1069 times
יֹסְפִ֣ים׀[are] repeating
yosefimH3254 →212 times
אֲנַ֗חְנוּwe
ʾanachnuH587 →120 times
לִ֠שְׁמֹעַto hear
lishmoa'H8085 →1159 times
אֶת־<obj.>
ʾet-H853 →10935 times
ק֨וֹל[the] voice of
kolH6963 →506 times
יְהוָ֧הYahweh
yahwehH3068 →6520 times
אֱלֹהֵ֛ינוּGod our
ʾeloheinuH430 →2601 times
ע֖וֹדagain
odH5750 →490 times
וָמָֽתְנוּ׃and we will die
vamatenuH4191 →839 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
Galatians 3:10All who rely on works of the law are under a curse. For it is written: “Cursed is everyone who does not continue to do everything written in the Book of the Law.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 27:26
‘Cursed is he who does not put the words of this law into practice.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Romans 8:7
because the mind of the flesh is hostile to God: It does not submit to God’s law, nor can it do so.
- Romans 3:19–20
Now we know that whatever the law says, it says to those who are under the law, so that every mouth may be silenced and the whole world held accountable to God.
- Deuteronomy 11:26–28
See, today I am setting before you a blessing and a curse—
- Jeremiah 11:3
You must tell them that this is what the LORD, the God of Israel, says: Cursed is the man who does not obey the words of this covenant,
- Deuteronomy 27:26
Through
Hebrews 12:29“For our God is a consuming fire.”
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 4:24
For the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
- Deuteronomy 9:3
But understand that today the LORD your God goes across ahead of you as a consuming fire; He will destroy them and subdue them before you. And you will drive them out and annihilate…
- 2 Thessalonians 1:8
in blazing fire, inflicting vengeance on those who do not know God and do not obey the gospel of our Lord Jesus.
- Deuteronomy 4:24
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on 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 and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.