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;
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)“But when you heard the voice from the heart of the darkness, while the mountain was blazing with fire, all your tribal leaders and elders came to me.

Context of Deuteronomy 5:23

21“You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife. You shall not set your desire on your neighbor’s house or land, his male or female servant, his ox or donkey, or anything that belongs to your neighbor.” 22These are the commandments the Lord proclaimed in a loud voice to your whole assembly there on the mountain from out of the fire, the cloud and the deep darkness; and he added nothing more. Then he wrote them on two stone tablets and gave them to me. 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. 24And you said, “The Lord our God has shown us his glory and his majesty, and we have heard his voice from the fire. Today we have seen that a person can live even if God speaks with them. 25But now, why should we die? This great fire will consume us, and we will die if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any longer.

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 20:18When the people saw the thunder and lightning and heard the trumpet and saw the mountain in smoke, they trembled with fear. They stayed at a distance
• Hebrews 12:18You have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom and storm;

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