Deuteronomy 4:36

36 From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.

Deuteronomy 4:36 in Other Translations

KJV
36 Out 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.
ESV
36 Out of heaven he let you hear his voice, that he might discipline you. And on earth he let you see his great fire, and you heard his words out of the midst of the fire.
NLT
36 He let you hear his voice from heaven so he could instruct you. He let you see his great fire here on earth so he could speak to you from it.
MSG
36 He made it possible for you to hear his voice out of Heaven to discipline you. Down on Earth, he showed you the big fire and again you heard his words, this time out of the fire.
CSB
36 He let you hear His voice from heaven to instruct you. He showed you His great fire on earth, and you heard His words from the fire.

Deuteronomy 4:36 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 4:36

Out of heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might
instruct thee
Thunder is the voice of God, and by which he instructs men in the greatness of his power, ( Job 26:14 ) ( 40:9 ) ( Psalms 29:3 ) , &c. unless his voice in giving the law, which was for the instruction of Israel, is meant; for that was heard on earth, on Mount Sinai, to which the following refers:

and upon earth he showed thee his great fire;
on Mount Sinai, which burned with it:

and thou heardest his words out of the midst of the fire;
the ten commands, and therefore may well be called, a fiery law; see ( Deuteronomy 4:12 Deuteronomy 4:15 Deuteronomy 4:33 ) .

Deuteronomy 4:36 In-Context

34 Has any god ever tried to take for himself one nation out of another nation, by testings, by signs and wonders, by war, by a mighty hand and an outstretched arm, or by great and awesome deeds, like all the things the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your very eyes?
35 You were shown these things so that you might know that the LORD is God; besides him there is no other.
36 From heaven he made you hear his voice to discipline you. On earth he showed you his great fire, and you heard his words from out of the fire.
37 Because he loved your ancestors and chose their descendants after them, he brought you out of Egypt by his Presence and his great strength,
38 to drive out before you nations greater and stronger than you and to bring you into their land to give it to you for your inheritance, as it is today.

Cross References 2

  • 1. S Exodus 19:19; Hebrews 12:25; Exodus 19:9,19
  • 2. Deuteronomy 8:5
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