Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 4:23
23Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you, and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of anything he has forbidden you.
Deuteronomy 4:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the Lord thy God hath forbidden thee.
- New International Version (NIV)Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you; do not make for yourselves an idol in the form of anything the Lord your God has forbidden.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which he made with you, and make a carved image, the form of anything that the Lord your God has forbidden you.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God which He made with you, and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which the Lord your God has forbidden you.
Context of Deuteronomy 4:23
21“The Lord was angry with me on your account. He swore that I would not cross the Jordan and enter the good land the Lord your God is giving you as an inheritance. 22I won’t be crossing the Jordan because I am going to die in this land. But you are about to cross over and take possession of this good land. Be careful not to forget the covenant of the Lord your God that he made with you, and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of anything he has forbidden you. 24For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God. 25“When you have children and grandchildren and have been in the land a long time, and if you act corruptly, make an idol in the form of anything, and do what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, angering him,
Read all of Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 4:23 word by word
הִשָּׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֗ם פֶּֽן־תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙ אֶת־בְּרִ֤ית יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖ת עִמָּכֶ֑ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם לָכֶ֥ם פֶּ֙סֶל֙ תְּמ֣וּנַת כֹּ֔ל אֲשֶׁ֥ר צִוְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Take heedשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: carefulH8104
- unto yourselves, lest ye forgetשָׁכַחshâkach shâkêach · to forgetH7911
- the covenantבְּרִיתberîyth · covenantH1285
- of the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- which he madeכָּרַתkârath · to cut: make(covenant)H3772
- with you, and makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- you a graven imageפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- the likenessתְּמוּנָהtemûnâh temûnâh · likenessH8544
- of anyכֹּלkôl kôl · allH3605
- hath forbiddenצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:23
- Deuteronomy 4:9“Only be on your guard and diligently watch yourselves, so that you don’t forget the things your eyes have seen and so that they don’t slip from your mind as long as you live. Teach them to your children and your grandchildren.
- Deuteronomy 27:9Moses and the Levitical priests spoke to all Israel, “Be silent, Israel, and listen! This day you have become the people of the Lord your God.
- Joshua 23:11So diligently watch yourselves! Love the Lord your God!
- Matthew 24:4Jesus replied to them, “Watch out that no one deceives you.
- Luke 12:15He then told them, “Watch out and be on guard against all greed, because one’s life is not in the abundance of his possessions.”
- Luke 21:8Then he said, “Watch out that you are not deceived. For many will come in my name, saying, ‘I am he,’ and, ‘The time is near.’ Don’t follow them.
- Hebrews 3:12Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
- Deuteronomy 6:12be careful not to forget the Lord who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the place of slavery.
- Deuteronomy 29:25Then people will answer, ‘It is because they abandoned the covenant of the Lord, the God of their ancestors, which he had made with them when he brought them out of the land of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 31:20When I bring them into the land I swore to give their ancestors, a land flowing with milk and honey, they will eat their fill and prosper. They will turn to other gods and worship them, despising me and breaking my covenant.
- Joshua 23:16If you break the covenant of the Lord your God, which he commanded you, and go and serve other gods, and bow in worship to them, the Lord’s anger will burn against you, and you will quickly disappear from this good land he has given you.”
- 1 Chronicles 16:15Remember his covenant forever — the promise he ordained for a thousand generations,
- Isaiah 24:5The earth is polluted by its inhabitants, for they have transgressed teachings, overstepped decrees, and broken the permanent covenant.
- Jeremiah 31:22How long will you turn here and there, faithless daughter? For the Lord creates something new in the land — a female will shelter a man.
- Ezekiel 16:59“‘For this is what the Lord God says: I will deal with you according to what you have done, since you have despised the oath by breaking the covenant.
- Deuteronomy 4:16so you don’t act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of any figure: a male or female form,
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:23
- 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. 14-4015. Take ... good heed ... for ye saw no manner of similitude--The extreme proneness of the Israelites to idolatry, from their position in the midst of surrounding nations already abandoned to its seductions, accounts for their attention being repeatedly drawn to the fact that God did not appear on Sinai in any visible form; and an earnest caution, founded on that remarkable circumstance, is given to beware, not only of making representations of false…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:23
In the dictionaries
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
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