Deuteronomy 5:23

Deuteronomy 5:23 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, (for the mountain did burn with fire,) that ye came near unto me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders;
• New International Version (NIV)When you heard the voice out of the darkness, while the mountain was ablaze with fire, all the leaders of your tribes and your elders came to me.
• English Standard Version (ESV)And as soon as you heard the voice out of the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes, and your elders.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“So it was, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness, while the mountain was burning with fire, that you came near to me, all the heads of your tribes and your elders.

Context of Deuteronomy 5:23

21You must not desire another man’s wife, nor should you crave his house, his field, his male and female servants, his ox, his donkey, or anything else he owns.” 22The Lord said these things to your entire assembly at the mountain from the middle of the fire, the cloud, and the darkness with a loud voice, and that was all he said. Then he inscribed the words on two stone tablets and gave them to me. Then, when you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness while the mountain was ablaze, all your tribal leaders and elders approached me. 24You said, “The Lord our God has shown us his great glory and we have heard him speak from the middle of the fire. It is now clear to us that God can speak to human beings and they can keep on living. 25But now, why should we die, because this intense fire will consume us! If we keep hearing the voice of the Lord our God we will die!

Deuteronomy 5:23 word by word

וַיְהִ֗י כְּשָׁמְעֲכֶ֤ם אֶת־הַקּוֹל֙ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הַחֹ֔שֶׁךְ וְהָהָ֖ר בֹּעֵ֣ר בָּאֵ֑שׁ וַתִּקְרְב֣וּן אֵלַ֔י כָּל־רָאשֵׁ֥י שִׁבְטֵיכֶ֖ם וְזִקְנֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And it came to pass, when ye heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• out of the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the darknessחֹ֫שֶׁךְchôshek · darknessH2822
• for the mountainהַרhar · mountain: mountH2022
• did burnבָּעַרbâ‛ar · to burn: burnH1197
• with fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• that ye came nearקָרַבqârab · to present: comeH7126
• all the headsרֹאשׁrô'sh · head: leaderH7218
• of your tribesשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
• and your eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 5:23

• Exodus 20:18All the people were seeing the thundering and the lightning, and heard the sound of the horn, and saw the mountain smoking – and when the people saw it they trembled with fear and kept their distance.
• Hebrews 12:18For you have not come to something that can be touched, to a burning fire and darkness and gloom and a whirlwind

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 5:23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23And it came to pass, when ye heard the voice - See the notes on Exodus 20:18, etc.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23-33Verses 23-33 These verses contain a much fuller narrative of the events briefly described in Exodus 20:18-21. Here it is important to call attention to the fact that it was on the entreaties of the people that Moses had taken on him to be the channel of communication between God and them. God approved Deuteronomy 5:28 the request of the people, because it showed a feeling of their own unworthiness to enter into direct communion with God. The terrors of…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23-33Verses 23-33 Moses refers to the consternation caused by the terror with which the law was given. God's appearances have always been terrible to man, ever since the fall; but Christ, having taken away sin, invites us to come boldly to the throne of grace. They were in a good mind, under the strong convictions of the word they heard. Many have their consciences startled by the law who have them not purified; fair promises are extorted from them, but no…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-32The rest of the covenant laws explain and apply the Ten Commandments (5:6–21). These laws are based on those commandments. Moses first gave the Ten Commandments to the people of Israel almost 40 years earlier at Mount Sinai (Exodus 20:2–17). Now he reminds the people of these commands before they enter the promised land.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 23-2823-28. And ... ye came near unto me--(See on Ex 20:19).Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 5:23

• Government
• Mountain
• Obedience
• Volcanoes

In the dictionaries

• Stand
• Ark of the Covenant
• Ethics
• Exodus, the Book of
• God
• Ten Commandments, the
• Deuteronomy

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 5

• 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