Devarim 4:11

11 And ye came near and stood at the foot of the mountain; the mountain burned with eish unto the midst of Shomayim, with choshech, and anan, and thick darkness.

Devarim 4:11 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 4:11

And ye came near and stood under the mountain
At the foot of it, in the lower part of the mountain, as the Targum of Jonathan, and agrees with ( Exodus 19:17 )

and the mountain burnt with fire unto the midst of heaven;
the flame and smoke went up into the middle of the air: with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness; which thick darkness was occasioned partly by the smoke, which went up like the smoke of a furnace, and partly by the thick clouds, which were on the mount, and covered the face of the heavens, which were black and tempestuous with them; the Septuagint renders it a "tempest", ( Exodus 19:18 ) ( Hebrews 12:18 ) , which denotes the obscurity of the law, and the terrors it works in the minds of men.

Devarim 4:11 In-Context

9 Only be shomer over thyself, and be shomer over thy nefesh diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy lev kol yamim of thy life; but teach them to thy banim, and the banim of thy banim;

10 Specially the yom that thou stoodest before Hashem Eloheicha in Chorev, when Hashem said unto me, Gather Me the people together, and I will make them hear My words, that they may learn to fear Me kol hayamim that they shall live upon ha’adamah and that they may teach their children.

11 And ye came near and stood at the foot of the mountain; the mountain burned with eish unto the midst of Shomayim, with choshech, and anan, and thick darkness.

12 And Hashem spoke unto you out of the midst of the eish; ye heard the voice of the devarim, but saw no temunah (form, semblance); only ye heard a voice.

13 And He declared unto you His Brit, which He commanded you to do, even Aseres HaDevarim; and He wrote them upon shnei luchot avanim (two tablets of stone).