Deuteronomy 4:12

Deuteronomy 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.

Context of Deuteronomy 4:12

10The day you stood before the LORD your God at Horeb, the LORD said to me, “Gather the people before Me to hear My words, so that they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and that they may teach them to their children.” 11You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone. 14At that time the LORD commanded me to teach you the statutes and ordinances you are to follow in the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess.

Deuteronomy 4:12 word by word

וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָאֵ֑שׁ ק֤וֹל דְּבָרִים֙ אַתֶּ֣ם שֹׁמְעִ֔ים וּתְמוּנָ֛ה אֵינְכֶ֥ם רֹאִ֖ים זוּלָתִ֥י קֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear

• And the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• spokeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• to youאֶל'êl 'el · to(wards)H413
• out ofתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• Youאַתֶּם'attâh 'attâ 'ath 'attîy 'attem 'atten 'attênâh 'attênnâh · you(m.p.)H859
• heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the soundקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
• of the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• but sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• noאַ֫יִן'ayin · nothingH369
• formתְּמוּנָהtemûnâh temûnâh · likenessH8544
• there was onlyזוּלָהzûlâh · exceptionH2108
• a voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:12

• Deuteronomy 5:4The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
• Deuteronomy 4:15So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful
• Numbers 12:8I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
• Isaiah 40:18To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?
• Colossians 1:15The Son is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn over all creation.
• Deuteronomy 4:33Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
• Exodus 20:22Then the LORD said to Moses, “This is what you are to tell the Israelites: ‘You have seen for yourselves that I have spoken to you from heaven.
• 1 Kings 19:12After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice.
• Isaiah 30:21And whether you turn to the right or to the left, your ears will hear this command behind you: “This is the way. Walk in it.”
• Isaiah 40:3A voice of one calling: “Prepare the way for the LORD in the wilderness; make a straight highway for our God in the desert.
• Matthew 3:3This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’”
• Matthew 17:5While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
• John 12:28Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came from heaven: “I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again.”
• 2 Peter 1:17For He received honor and glory from God the Father when the voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Hero worship exhibited itself in the practice of setting up images of human form as household gods (Penates, compare Genesis 31:19; Genesis 35:2), or as local and civic divinities: a practice forbidden by Deuteronomy 4:16. Nature worship in its baser shapes is seen in the Egyptian idolatry of animals and animal figures, and is condemned in Deuteronomy 4:17-18: while its less ignoble flight, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, is forbidden in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-40Moses gave a long speech to the Israelites because of their recent failures and what he thought would happen in Canaan.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude--Although articulate sounds were heard emanating from the mount, no form or representation of the Divine Being who spoke was seen to indicate His nature or properties according to the notions of the heathen.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:12

• Afflictions and Adversities
• God
• Law
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Consider
• Consuming
• Diminish
• Furnace
• Hearken
• Idol
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Form

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings