New English Translation
Deuteronomy 4:20
20You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you 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
18anything that crawls on the ground, or any fish in the deep waters of the earth. 19When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation – you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world. You, however, the Lord has selected and brought from Egypt, that iron-smelting furnace, to be his special people as you are today. 21But the Lord became angry with me because of you and vowed that I would never cross the Jordan nor enter the good land that he is about to give you. 22So I must die here in this land; I will not cross the Jordan. But you are going over and will possess 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 8:51After all, they are your people and your special possession whom you brought out of Egypt, from the middle of the iron-smelting furnace.
- Jeremiah 11:4Those are the terms that I charged your ancestors to keep when I brought them out of Egypt, that place which was like an iron-smelting furnace. I said at that time, “Obey me and carry out the terms of the agreement exactly as I commanded you. If you do, you will be my people and I will be your God.
- Deuteronomy 9:26I prayed to him: O, Lord God, do not destroy your people, your valued property that you have powerfully redeemed, whom you brought out of Egypt by your strength.
- Deuteronomy 32:9For the Lord’s allotment is his people, Jacob is his special possession.
- Exodus 19:5And now, if you will diligently listen to me and keep my covenant, then you will be my special possession out of all the nations, for all the earth is mine,
- Psalms 28:9Deliver your people! Empower the nation that belongs to you! Care for them like a shepherd and carry them in your arms at all times!
- Psalms 33:12How blessed is the nation whose God is the Lord, the people whom he has chosen to be his special possession.
- Psalms 135:4Indeed, the Lord has chosen Jacob for himself, Israel to be his special possession.
- Isaiah 63:17Why, Lord, do you make us stray from your ways, and make our minds stubborn so that we do not obey you? Return for the sake of your servants, the tribes of your inheritance!
- Ephesians 1:18– since the eyes of your heart have been enlightened – so that you may know what is the hope of his calling, what is the wealth of his glorious inheritance in the saints,
- 1 Peter 2:9But you are a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people of his own, so that you may proclaim the virtues of the one 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
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