Deuteronomy 4

King James Version

Full text for Deuteronomy Chapter 4

1¶ Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do [them], that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the LORD God of your fathers giveth you.

2Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish [ought] from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the LORD your God which I command you.

3Your eyes have seen what the LORD did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the LORD thy God hath destroyed them from among you.

4But ye that did cleave unto the LORD your God [are] alive every one of you this day.

5Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the LORD my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it.

6Keep therefore and do [them]; for this [is] your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation [is] a wise and understanding people.

7For what nation [is there so] great, who [hath] God [so] nigh unto them, as the LORD our God [is] in all [things that] we call upon him [for]?

8And what nation [is there so] great, that hath statutes and judgments [so] righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?

9Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons;

10[Specially] the day that thou stoodest before the LORD thy God in Horeb, when the LORD said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and [that] they may teach their children.

11And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

12And 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.

13And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, [even] ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

14And the LORD commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and judgments, that ye might do them in the land whither ye go over to possess it.

15Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day [that] the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

16Lest ye corrupt [yourselves], and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

17The likeness of any beast that [is] on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,

18The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:

19And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, [even] all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

20But 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.

21Furthermore the LORD was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which the LORD thy God giveth thee [for] an inheritance:

22But I must die in this land, I must not go over Jordan: but ye shall go over, and possess that good land.

23Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

24For the LORD thy God [is] a consuming fire, [even] a jealous God.

25When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt [yourselves], and make a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

26I 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.

27And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

28And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

29But if from thence thou shalt seek the LORD thy God, thou shalt find [him], if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul.

30When thou art in tribulation, and all these things are come upon thee, [even] in the latter days, if thou turn to the LORD thy God, and shalt be obedient unto his voice;

31(For the LORD thy God [is] a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

32For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and [ask] from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great thing [is], or hath been heard like it?

33Did [ever] people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

34Or hath God assayed to go [and] take him a nation from the midst of [another] nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

35Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he [is] God; [there is] none else beside him.

36Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might instruct thee: and upon earth he shewed thee his great fire; and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire.

37And because he loved thy fathers, therefore he chose their seed after them, and brought thee out in his sight with his mighty power out of Egypt;

38To drive out nations from before thee greater and mightier than thou [art], to bring thee in, to give thee their land [for] an inheritance, as [it is] this day.

39Know therefore this day, and consider [it] in thine heart, that the LORD he [is] God in heaven above, and upon the earth beneath: [there is] none else.

40Thou shalt keep therefore his statutes, and his commandments, which I command thee this day, that it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee, and that thou mayest prolong [thy] days upon the earth, which the LORD thy God giveth thee, for ever.

41¶ Then Moses severed three cities on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

42That the slayer might flee thither, which should kill his neighbour unawares, and hated him not in times past; and that fleeing unto one of these cities he might live:

43[Namely], Bezer in the wilderness, in the plain country, of the Reubenites; and Ramoth in Gilead, of the Gadites; and Golan in Bashan, of the Manassites.

44And this [is] the law which Moses set before the children of Israel:

45These [are] the testimonies, and the statutes, and the judgments, which Moses spake unto the children of Israel, after they came forth out of Egypt,

46On this side Jordan, in the valley over against Bethpeor, in the land of Sihon king of the Amorites, who dwelt at Heshbon, whom Moses and the children of Israel smote, after they were come forth out of Egypt:

47And they possessed his land, and the land of Og king of Bashan, two kings of the Amorites, which [were] on this side Jordan toward the sunrising;

48From Aroer, which [is] by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which [is] Hermon,

49And all the plain on this side Jordan eastward, even unto the sea of the plain, under the springs of Pisgah.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Moses exhorts Israel to diligently obey God's statutes and judgments, emphasizing that adherence to these laws will ensure their life and possession of the promised land. He warns against adding to or diminishing from God's word and strictly forbids idolatry, reminding them of the unique revelation at Horeb where God spoke without a visible form. Disobedience, particularly through idolatry, is warned to lead to destruction and scattering among nations, yet sincere repentance promises God's mercy and restoration.

Medium Summary

Deuteronomy 4 opens with Moses urging Israel to hearken to God's laws, which are essential for their life and successful entry into the promised land. He stresses the importance of not altering God's commandments and reminds them of the consequences of disobedience, citing the destruction at Baalpeor. Moses recounts the awe-inspiring event at Horeb, where God spoke from fire without any similitude, establishing the foundation for the prohibition against making graven images or worshipping celestial bodies. He warns that God is a jealous, consuming fire and predicts that future generations, if they turn to idolatry, will be scattered among the nations. However, Moses also offers hope, stating that if they seek the Lord with all their heart and soul in their tribulation, God, being merciful, will not forsake His covenant. The chapter concludes by highlighting Israel's unique relationship with God, who performed unparalleled wonders for them, and notes Moses' setting aside of three cities of refuge.

Long Summary

Moses begins by commanding Israel to obey God's statutes and judgments, asserting that this obedience is vital for their life and for inheriting the land promised by the Lord. He strictly forbids any alteration of God's word, whether by adding or diminishing, and reminds them of the divine judgment upon those who followed Baalpeor. Moses presents Israel's adherence to God's laws as their wisdom and understanding in the sight of other nations, highlighting their unique privilege of having God so nigh and possessing such righteous laws. He urges them to diligently remember the events at Horeb, where God spoke directly from fire, without any visible form, and delivered the Ten Commandments. This unique revelation forms the basis for the strong prohibition against making any graven image or worshipping any created thing, including celestial bodies, as such acts provoke the Lord, who is a consuming and jealous God. Moses prophesies that if future generations corrupt themselves with idolatry, they will face utter destruction and be scattered among the nations, serving gods of wood and stone. Yet, he offers a path to redemption: if, in their tribulation, they seek the Lord with all their heart and soul, God, being merciful, will remember His covenant and not forsake them. Moses emphasizes that no other nation has experienced such a direct and powerful divine encounter or witnessed God taking a people for Himself with such signs and wonders. He reiterates that these mighty acts demonstrate that the Lord alone is God in heaven and on earth. The chapter concludes with Moses setting apart three cities of refuge on the east side of Jordan for unintentional slayers, detailing their locations and reaffirming the law he set before Israel after their exodus from Egypt.

Core Concepts

  • Obedience and LifeThe chapter repeatedly links hearkening to God's statutes and judgments directly to the preservation of life and the successful possession of the promised land. It is presented as the foundational principle for Israel's well-being and prosperity.
  • Prohibition of IdolatryA central theme is the strict command against making graven images or worshipping any created thing, including celestial bodies. This prohibition stems from the unique nature of God's revelation at Horeb, where He spoke without a visible form.
  • God's Jealousy and Consuming FireThe nature of God is described as a 'consuming fire' and a 'jealous God,' particularly in the context of idolatry. This emphasizes His exclusive claim to worship and the severe consequences of turning to other gods.
  • The Horeb RevelationThe experience at Mount Horeb (Sinai) is highlighted as a foundational event where God spoke directly to Israel from the midst of fire. This unique encounter underscores God's power and the authenticity of His commandments.
  • Scattering and RestorationMoses prophesies that Israel's future disobedience, especially through idolatry, will lead to their scattering among other nations. However, he also offers hope that if they seek God wholeheartedly in their tribulation, He will mercifully restore them, remembering His covenant.
  • Uniqueness of IsraelThe chapter emphasizes Israel's unparalleled relationship with God, who is uniquely nigh unto them and has given them righteous laws. This distinctiveness is presented as their wisdom and understanding in the eyes of other nations.
  • Cities of RefugeAt the end of the chapter, Moses sets apart three cities of refuge on the east side of Jordan. These cities provide a sanctuary for those who unintentionally kill their neighbor, allowing them to live rather than face immediate retribution.