God’s Word Translation
Deuteronomy 4:20
20But you are the people the Lord brought out of Egypt, the iron smelter, in order to make you his own people as you still are today.
Deuteronomy 4:20 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.
- New International Version (NIV)But as for you, the Lord took you and brought you out of the iron-smelting furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of his inheritance, as you now are.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.
- New King James Version (NKJV)But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be His people, an inheritance, as you are this day.
Context of Deuteronomy 4:20
18any creature that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the water. 19Don’t let yourselves be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky—the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else. The Lord your God has given them to all people everywhere. But you are the people the Lord brought out of Egypt, the iron smelter, in order to make you his own people as you still are today. 21The Lord was angry with me because of you. So the Lord your God took an oath that I wouldn’t cross the Jordan River and enter the good land he is giving you as your property. 22I’m going to die in this land and not cross the Jordan River, but you’re going to go across and take possession of that good land.
Read all of Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 4:20 word by word
וְאֶתְכֶם֙ לָקַ֣ח יְהוָ֔ה וַיּוֹצִ֥א אֶתְכֶ֛ם מִכּ֥וּר הַבַּרְזֶ֖ל מִמִּצְרָ֑יִם לִהְי֥וֹת ל֛וֹ לְעַ֥ם נַחֲלָ֖ה כַּיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- But the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- hath takenלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- you, and brought you forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: sendH3318
- out of the ironבַּרְזֶלbarzel · ironH1270
- furnaceכּוּרkûr · furnaceH3564
- out of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714
- to be unto him a peopleעַם‛am · peopleH5971
- of inheritanceנַחֲלָהnachălâh · inheritanceH5159
- this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:20
- 1 Kings 8:51because they are your own people whom you brought out of Egypt from the middle of an iron smelter.
- Jeremiah 11:4I made this promise to your ancestors when I brought them out of Egypt, which was an iron smelter. I said, “Obey me, and do everything that I have told you to do. Then you will be my people, and I will be your God.
- Deuteronomy 9:26I prayed to the Lord and said, “Almighty Lord, don’t destroy your people. They belong to you. You saved them by your great power and used your mighty hand to bring them out of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 32:9But the Lord’s people were his property. Jacob was his own possession.
- Exodus 19:5If you carefully obey me and are faithful to the terms of my promise, then out of all the nations you will be my own special possession, even though the whole world is mine.
- Psalms 28:9Save your people, and bless those who belong to you. Be their shepherd, and carry them forever.
- Psalms 33:12Blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord. Blessed are the people he has chosen as his own.
- Psalms 135:4The Lord chose Jacob to be his own and chose Israel to be his own special treasure.
- Isaiah 63:17O Lord, why do you let us wander from your ways and become so stubborn that we are unable to fear you? Return for the sake of your servants. They are the tribes that belong to you.
- Ephesians 1:18Then you will have deeper insight. You will know the confidence that he calls you to have and the glorious wealth that God’s people will inherit.
- 1 Peter 2:9However, you are chosen people, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, people who belong to God. You were chosen to tell about the excellent qualities of God, who called you out of darkness into his marvelous light.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:20
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 20Out of the iron furnace - From this mention of the word iron furnace there can be little doubt that the Israelites were employed in Egypt in the most laborious works of metallurgy. Digging, smelting, and forging of iron in so hot a climate must have been oppressive work indeed.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20An iron-smelting furnace refines metal ores, separating pure metal from waste. Similarly, Israel's experiences in Egypt made the Israelites more spiritually and morally pure. the people of His inheritance: Israel was God's inheritance. As a result, the Israelites were ready to enter, conquer, and occupy the land (compare 1 Peter 2:9–12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2020. But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace--that is, furnace for smelting iron. A furnace of this kind is round, sometimes thirty feet deep, and requiring the highest intensity of heat. Such is the tremendous image chosen to represent the bondage and affliction of the Israelites [Rosenmuller]. to be unto him a people of inheritance--His peculiar possession from age to age; and therefore for you to abandon His worship…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:20
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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