Deuteronomy 4:12

12 locutusque est Dominus ad vos de medio ignis vocem verborum eius audistis et formam penitus non vidistis

Deuteronomy 4:12 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 4:12

And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire
For the Lord descended on Mount Sinai in a cloud, in fire, and was in the thick darkness, from whence he delivered out the ten commands:

ye heard the voice of the words;
distinctly and plainly, not only the sound of them, but the words themselves, and so as to understand what was meant by them;

but saw no similitude;
not any likeness of the person speaking, by which they could form any idea of him in their minds, which was purposely done to prevent idolatry:

only ye heard a voice;
that was all.

Deuteronomy 4:12 In-Context

10 diem in quo stetisti coram Domino Deo tuo in Horeb quando Dominus locutus est mihi dicens congrega ad me populum ut audiat sermones meos et discat timere me omni tempore quo vivit in terra doceantque filios suos

11 et accessistis ad radices montis qui ardebat usque ad caelum erantque in eo tenebrae nubes et caligo

12 locutusque est Dominus ad vos de medio ignis vocem verborum eius audistis et formam penitus non vidistis

13 et ostendit vobis pactum suum quod praecepit ut faceretis et decem verba quae scripsit in duabus tabulis lapideis

14 mihique mandavit in illo tempore ut docerem vos caerimonias et iudicia quae facere deberetis in terra quam possessuri estis