Deuteronomy 4:26

Deuteronomy 4:26 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.
• New International Version (NIV)I call the heavens and the earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live there long but will certainly be destroyed.
• English Standard Version (ESV)I call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed.
• New King James Version (NKJV)I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you will soon utterly perish from the land which you cross over the Jordan to possess; you will not prolong your days in it, but will be utterly destroyed.

Context of Deuteronomy 4:26

24The Lord your God is a raging fire, a God who does not tolerate rivals. 25Even when you have children and grandchildren and have grown old in that land, don’t become corrupt and make carved idols or statues that represent anything. I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you today: If you do this thing that the Lord your God considers evil, making him furious, you will quickly disappear from the land you’re going to possess on the other side of the Jordan River. You won’t live very long there. You’ll be completely wiped out. 27The Lord will scatter you among the people of the world, and only a few of you will be left among the nations where the Lord will force you to live. 28There you will worship wooden and stone gods made by human hands. These gods can’t see, hear, eat, or smell.

Deuteronomy 4:26 word by word

הַעִידֹתִי֩ בָכֶ֨ם הַיּ֜וֹם אֶת־הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־הָאָ֗רֶץ כִּֽי־אָבֹ֣ד תֹּאבֵדוּן֮ מַהֵר֒ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים אֶת־הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ לֹֽא־תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן יָמִים֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• I callעוּד‛ûd · to testifyH5749
• heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• and earthאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• to witnessעוּד‛ûd · to testifyH5749
• against you this dayיוֹםyôm · day: todayH3117
• that ye shall soonמַהֵרmahêr · quicklyH4118
• utterlyאָבַד'âbad · to perishH6
• whereunto ye go overעָבַר‛âbar · to passH5674
• Jordanיַרְדֵּןyardên · JordanH3383
• to possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
• it; ye shall not prolongאָרַךְ'ârak · to prolongH748
• upon it, but shall utterlyשָׁמַדshâmad · to destroyH8045

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:26

• Deuteronomy 30:18If you do, I tell you today that you will certainly be destroyed. You will not live for a long time in the land that you’re going to take possession of when you cross the Jordan River.
• Deuteronomy 31:28Assemble all the leaders of your tribes and your officers in front of me. As they listen, I will speak these words and call on heaven and earth to testify against them.
• Deuteronomy 32:1Listen, heaven, and I will speak. Earth, hear the words from my mouth.
• Isaiah 1:2Listen, heaven, and pay attention, earth! The Lord has spoken, “I raised ⌞my⌟ children and helped them grow, but they have rebelled against me.
• Jeremiah 2:12Be horrified over this, heaven. Be terribly afraid,” declares the Lord.
• Jeremiah 6:19Listen, earth! I’m going to bring disaster on these people. It is the result of their own plots, because they won’t pay attention to my words. They reject my teachings.
• Jeremiah 22:29O land, land, land! Listen to the Lord’s word.
• Ezekiel 36:4“ ‘Mountains of Israel, listen to the Almighty Lord’s word. This is what the Almighty Lord says to the mountains and hills, to the ravines and valleys, and to the empty ruins and abandoned cities that have become prey and are mocked by the rest of the surrounding nations:
• Micah 1:2Listen, all you people! Pay attention, earth and all who are on it. The Almighty Lord will be a witness against you. The Lord will be a witness from his holy temple.
• Micah 6:2Listen to the Lord’s lawsuit, you mountains. Listen, you strong foundations of the earth. The Lord has filed a lawsuit against his people. He is arguing his case against Israel.
• Deuteronomy 29:28In his fierce anger and fury the Lord uprooted these people from their land and deported them to another country, where they still are today.”
• Leviticus 18:28If you make the land unclean, it will vomit you out as it has vomited out the people who were there before you.
• Leviticus 26:31I will make your cities deserted and ruin your sacred places. I will no longer accept the soothing aroma from your sacrifices.
• Joshua 23:16When you ignore the conditions placed on you by the Lord your God and follow other gods, serve them and bow down to them, the Lord will be angry with you. Then you will quickly disappear from the good land he has given you.”
• Isaiah 6:11I asked, “How long, O Lord?” And he replied, “Until the cities lie in ruins with no one living in them, the houses have no people, and the land is completely desolate.
• Isaiah 24:1The Lord is going to turn the earth into a desolate wasteland. He will mar the face of the earth and scatter the people living on it.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:26

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 26I call heaven and earth to witness against you - A most solemn method of adjuration, in use among all nations in the world. So Virgil, Aen., lib. xii., ver. 176, etc. Tum pius Aeneas stricto sic ense precatur: Esto nunc Sol testis et haec mihi terra vocanti - Fontesque fluviosque voco, quaeque aetheris alti Relllgio, et quae caeruleo sunt numina ponto, etc. "Then the great Trojan prince unsheathed his sword, And thus, with lifted hands, the gods adored…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 25-28Verses 25-28 Compare with these verses Leviticus 26:33-40, and Deuteronomy 28:64 ff.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 24-40Verses 24-40 Moses urged the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. Did we consider what a God he is with whom we have to do, we should surely make conscience of our duty to him, and not dare to sin against him. Shall we forsake a merciful God, who will never forsake us, if we are faithful unto him? Whither can we go? Let us be held to our duty by the bonds of love, and prevailed with by the mercies of God to cleave to him. Moses urged God's authority…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 26Heaven and earth would testify against Israel if the people were unfaithful to the Lord. In a covenant partnership, both parties were accountable for their promises of loyalty and commitment. They promised in front of witnesses (Isaiah 1:2–7; Micah 6:1–8). In Deuteronomy, nature serves as that witness (see also Deuteronomy 30:19).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2626. I call heaven and earth to witness against you--This solemn form of adjuration has been common in special circumstances among all people. It is used here figuratively, or as in other parts of Scripture where inanimate objects are called up as witnesses (De 32:1; Is 1:2).Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:26

• Afflictions and Adversities
• Backsliders
• Idolatry
• Minister, Christian
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• Jordan
• Jordan River, Jordan
• Add
• Consider
• Consuming
• Diminish
• Furnace
• Hearken
• Deuteronomy
• Pentateuch

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