Deuteronomy 4:12

Deuteronomy 4:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
• New International Version (NIV)Then the Lord spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.
• New King James Version (NKJV)And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.

Context of Deuteronomy 4:12

10The day that you stood before Adonai your God in Horeb, Adonai said to me, ‘Gather the people to Me and I will make them hear My words, so that they learn to fear Me all the days that they live on the earth, and so that they teach their children.’ 11“You came near and stood at the bottom of the mountain while the mountain was blazing with fire up to the heart of the heavens—darkness, cloud, and fog. Adonai spoke to you from the midst of the fire. The sound of words you heard, but a form you did not see—only a voice. 13He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to do—the Ten Words—and He wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14Adonai commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and ordinances, so that you might do them in the land you are crossing over to possess.

Deuteronomy 4:12 word by word

וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר יְהוָ֛ה אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָאֵ֑שׁ ק֤וֹל דְּבָרִים֙ אַתֶּ֣ם שֹׁמְעִ֔ים וּתְמוּנָ֛ה אֵינְכֶ֥ם רֹאִ֖ים זוּלָתִ֥י קֽוֹל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• spakeדָבַרdâbar · to speak: speakH1696
• unto you out of the midstתָּ֫וֶךְtâvek · midstH8432
• of the fireאֵשׁ'êsh · fireH784
• ye heardשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: hearH8085
• the voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voice: soundH6963
• of the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
• but sawרָאָהrâ'âh · to see: seeH7200
• no similitudeתְּמוּנָהtemûnâh temûnâh · likenessH8544
• onlyזוּלָהzûlâh · exceptionH2108
• a voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 4:12

• Deuteronomy 5:4Adonai spoke with you face to face on the mountain from the midst of the fire.
• Deuteronomy 4:15“So be very watchful over your souls since you saw no form on the day that Adonai spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
• Numbers 12:8I speak with him face to face, plainly and not in riddles. He even looks at the form of Adonai! Why then were you not afraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
• Isaiah 40:18To whom then will you liken God? To what likeness will you compare Him?
• Colossians 1:15He is the image of the invisible God, the firstborn of all creation.
• Deuteronomy 4:33Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as you have heard—and lived?
• Exodus 20:22Then Adonai said to Moses, “Say this to Bnei-Yisrael: You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.
• 1 Kings 19:12After the earthquake a fire, but Adonai was not in the fire. After the fire there was a soft whisper of a voice.
• Isaiah 30:21Your ears will hear a word behind you saying: “This is the way, walk in it. When you turn to the right, or when you turn to the left.”
• Isaiah 40:3A voice cries out in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of Adonai, Make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
• Matthew 3:3For he is the one Isaiah the prophet spoke about, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of Adonai, and make His paths straight.’”
• Matthew 17:5While He was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them; and behold, a voice from out of the cloud, saying, “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”
• John 12:28Father, glorify Your name!” Then a voice came out of heaven, “I have glorified it, and again I will glorify it!”
• 2 Peter 1:17For when He received honor and glory from God the Father, a voice came to Him from the Majestic Glory: “This is My Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased!”

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 4:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 12Hero worship exhibited itself in the practice of setting up images of human form as household gods (Penates, compare Genesis 31:19; Genesis 35:2), or as local and civic divinities: a practice forbidden by Deuteronomy 4:16. Nature worship in its baser shapes is seen in the Egyptian idolatry of animals and animal figures, and is condemned in Deuteronomy 4:17-18: while its less ignoble flight, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, is forbidden in…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-40Moses gave a long speech to the Israelites because of their recent failures and what he thought would happen in Canaan.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1212. ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude--Although articulate sounds were heard emanating from the mount, no form or representation of the Divine Being who spoke was seen to indicate His nature or properties according to the notions of the heathen.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 4:12

• Afflictions and Adversities
• God
• Law
• Obedience

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Consider
• Consuming
• Diminish
• Furnace
• Hearken
• Idol
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Form

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