Deuteronomy 5:25

25 And now let us not die, for this great fire will consume us, if we shall hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, and we shall die.

Deuteronomy 5:25 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 5:25

Now therefore why should we die?
&c.] Since we are now alive, and have so wonderfully escaped the danger we were exposed unto, let us be careful that we are not liable to it again:

for this great fire will consume us:
if it continues, and we are exposed to it; perhaps some of them might remember the fire that burnt in the uttermost parts of the camp at Taberah, and the destruction of Korah and the two hundred and fifty men with him by fire, ( Numbers 11:1 ) ( 16:35 ) ,

if we hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, then we shall die;
for it was such a voice of words they could not endure as to the matter of them, and therefore entreated the word might not be spoken to them any more; it being the killing letter, and the ministration of condemnation and death; and the manner in which it was delivered was so terrible, that they concluded they could not live, but must die if they heard it again; and imagined that if the fire continued, the flames of it would spread and reach them, and they would not be able to escape them.

Deuteronomy 5:25 In-Context

23 And it came to pass when ye heard the voice out of the midst of the fire, for the mountain burned with fire, that ye came to me, even all the heads of your tribes, and your elders:
24 and ye said, Behold, the Lord our God has shewn us his glory, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: this day we have seen that God shall speak to man, and he shall live.
25 And now let us not die, for this great fire will consume us, if we shall hear the voice of the Lord our God any more, and we shall die.
26 For what flesh which has heard the voice of the living God, speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we , and shall live?
27 Do thou draw near, and hear all that the Lord our God shall say, and thou shalt speak to us all things whatsoever the Lord our God shall speak to thee, and we will hear, and do.

The Brenton translation of the Septuagint is in the public domain.