Deuteronomy 4:15-30

Idolatry Forbidden

15 1"Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since 2you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
16 beware 3lest you act corruptly 4by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, 5the likeness of male or female,
17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth.
19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see 6the sun and the moon and the stars, 7all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.
20 But the LORD has taken you and 8brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, 9to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day.
21 Furthermore, 10the LORD was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance.
22 For I must die in this land; 11I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of 12that good land.
23 13Take care, lest you forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and 14make a carved image, the form of anything that the LORD your God has forbidden you.
24 For 15the LORD your God is a consuming fire, 16a jealous God.
25 "When you father children and children's children, and have grown old in the land, 17if you act corruptly by making a carved image in the form of anything, and 18by doing what is evil in the sight of the LORD your God, so as to provoke him to anger,
26 I 19call heaven and earth to witness against you today, that you will soon utterly perish from the land that you are going over the Jordan to possess. You will not live long in it, but will be utterly destroyed.
27 And the LORD 20 will scatter you among the peoples, 21and you will be left few in number among the nations where the LORD will drive you.
28 And 22there you will serve gods of wood and stone, the work of human hands, 23that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
29 24But from there you will seek the LORD your God and you will find him, if you search after him with all your heart and with all your soul.
30 When you are in tribulation, and all these things come upon you 25in the latter days, you will return to the LORD your God and obey his voice.

Deuteronomy 4:15-30 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 4

This chapter contains an exhortation to Israel to keep the commands, statutes, and judgments of God, urged from the superior excellency of them to those of all other nations, De 4:1-8, from the manner in which they were delivered, out of the midst of fire, by a voice of words, but no similitude seen, De 4:9-15, and particularly the Israelites are cautioned against idolatry, from the consideration of the goodness of God to them, in bringing them out of Egypt, De 4:16-20, and the rather Moses is urgent upon them to be diligent in their obedience to the laws of God, because he should quickly be removed from them, De 4:21-24, and should they be disobedient to them, it would provoke the Lord to destroy them, or to carry them captive into other lands, De 4:25-28 though even then, if they repented and sought the Lord, and became obedient, he would be merciful to them, and not forsake them, De 4:29-31 and they are put in mind again of the amazing things God had done for them, in speaking to them out of fire, and they alive; in bringing them out of another nation, and driving out other nations to make room for them; all which he improves, as so many arguments to move them to obedience to the divine commands, De 4:32-40 and then notice is taken of the three cities of refuge, separated on this side Jordan, De 4:41-43, and the chapter is concluded with observing, that this is the law, and these the testimonies, Moses declared and repeated to the children of Israel in the country of Sihon and Og, who were delivered into their hands, and their lands possessed by them, which laid them under fresh obligations to yield obedience to God, De 4:44-49.

Cross References 25

  • 1. Joshua 23:11
  • 2. ver. 12
  • 3. ver. 25
  • 4. ver. 23; Deuteronomy 5:8; Exodus 20:4; [Acts 17:29]
  • 5. Romans 1:23
  • 6. Deuteronomy 17:3; Job 31:26-28
  • 7. 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3; [Genesis 2:1]
  • 8. 1 Kings 8:51; Jeremiah 11:4
  • 9. Deuteronomy 9:29; Deuteronomy 32:9
  • 10. See Deuteronomy 1:37
  • 11. Deuteronomy 3:27
  • 12. Deuteronomy 3:25
  • 13. ver. 9
  • 14. Deuteronomy 5:8; Exodus 20:4; [Acts 17:29]
  • 15. Exodus 24:17; Cited Hebrews 12:29; [Deuteronomy 9:3; Isaiah 10:16-18; Isaiah 29:6; Isaiah 30:27, 30; Zephaniah 1:18]
  • 16. [Isaiah 42:8]; See Exodus 20:5
  • 17. ver. 16
  • 18. Deuteronomy 9:18; 2 Kings 17:17
  • 19. Deuteronomy 30:18, 19; Deuteronomy 31:28; Deuteronomy 32:1; Isaiah 1:2; Jeremiah 2:12; Jeremiah 6:19; Micah 6:2
  • 20. See Leviticus 26:33
  • 21. Deuteronomy 28:62
  • 22. Deuteronomy 28:36, 64; Jeremiah 16:13
  • 23. Psalms 115:4-7; Psalms 135:15-17; Isaiah 44:9; Isaiah 46:7
  • 24. Deuteronomy 30:2, 3; Leviticus 26:40-42; 2 Chronicles 15:4; Nehemiah 1:9; Isaiah 55:6, 7; Jeremiah 29:13, 14
  • 25. See Genesis 49:1
The English Standard Version is published with the permission of Good News Publishers.