King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 4:25 Mean?

Deuteronomy 4:25 in the King James Version says “When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt ...” — study this verse from Deuteronomy chapter 4 with commentary, cross-references, and original Hebrew word analysis.

“When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:”

Deuteronomy 4:25 · KJV

Context

23

Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

24

For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

25

When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:

26

I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

27

And the LORD shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither the LORD shall lead you.

Read Deuteronomy 4 full chapter

Commentary

KJV Study Commentary
When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have remained long in the land...

Moses prophetically identifies the danger point: not the conquest generation but their comfortable descendants. The Hebrew venoshantem (וְנוֹשַׁנְתֶּם, 'remained long' or 'grown old') suggests settled complacency—prosperity breeding spiritual amnesia. First-generation faith often weakens in subsequent generations who inherit blessings without experiencing the struggles that produced them.

The verb vehishkhatem (וְהִשְׁחַתֶּם, 'corrupt yourselves') indicates self-inflicted ruin. Israel's apostasy would not be forced upon them by external enemies but chosen from within. The sequence is telling: comfort leads to corruption, corruption to idolatry (pesel temunat kol, 'graven image, likeness of any thing'), and idolatry to provoking God's anger (lehak'iso, לְהַכְעִיסוֹ).

This pattern—blessing, complacency, apostasy, judgment—recurs throughout Scripture and church history. Each generation must personally embrace covenant faith; inherited religion without personal commitment eventually collapses into cultural nominalism. Moses sees clearly what his people cannot: their greatest spiritual danger lies not in wilderness hardship but in Canaan's prosperity.

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Historical & Cultural Context

Moses prophetically warns about future generations becoming comfortable in Canaan and turning to idolatry. This prophecy proved accurate; during the period of the Judges and later the divided monarchy, Israel repeatedly fell into idolatry, leading eventually to Assyrian exile (722 BC) and Babylonian captivity (586 BC).

Reflection Questions

  1. How does prosperity and comfort in your own life create spiritual vulnerability that hardship would not?
  2. What intentional practices can help ensure that faith is personally embraced rather than merely inherited by the next generation?

Original Language Analysis

Hebrew · 18 words
כִּֽי1 of 18
H3588

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

תוֹלִ֤יד2 of 18

“When thou shalt beget”

H3205

to bear young; causatively, to beget; medically, to act as midwife; specifically, to show lineage

בָנִ֔ים3 of 18

“and children's”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

בָנִ֔ים4 of 18

“and children's”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

בָנִ֔ים5 of 18

“and children's”

H1121

a son (as a builder of the family name), in the widest sense (of literal and figurative relationship, including grandson, subject, nation, quality or

וְנֽוֹשַׁנְתֶּ֖ם6 of 18

“and ye shall have remained long”

H3462

properly, to be slack or languid, i.e., (by implication) sleep (figuratively, to die); also to grow old, stale or inveterate

בָּאָ֑רֶץ7 of 18

“in the land”

H776

the earth (at large, or partitively a land)

וְהִשְׁחַתֶּ֗ם8 of 18

“and shall corrupt”

H7843

to decay, i.e., (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively)

וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֥ם9 of 18

“of any thing and shall do”

H6213

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

פֶּ֙סֶל֙10 of 18

“a graven image”

H6459

an idol

תְּמ֣וּנַת11 of 18

“or the likeness”

H8544

something portioned (i.e., fashioned) out, as a shape, i.e., (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively) manifestation (of

כֹּ֔ל12 of 18
H3605

properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)

וַֽעֲשִׂיתֶ֥ם13 of 18

“of any thing and shall do”

H6213

to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application

הָרַ֛ע14 of 18

“evil”

H7451

bad or (as noun) evil (natural or moral)

בְּעֵינֵ֥י15 of 18

“in the sight”

H5869

an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

יְהוָֽה16 of 18

“of the LORD”

H3068

(the) self-existent or eternal; jeho-vah, jewish national name of god

אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ17 of 18

“thy God”

H430

gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme god; occasionally applied by way of

לְהַכְעִיסֽוֹ׃18 of 18

“to provoke him to anger”

H3707

to trouble; by implication, to grieve, rage, be indignant

Study Guide

Historical Context

This verse is found in the book of Deuteronomy. Understanding the historical and cultural background helps illuminate its meaning for the original audience and for us today.

Theological Significance

Deuteronomy 4:25 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.

Cross-References

Verses related to Deuteronomy 4:25 from Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Deuteronomy 4:16Hosea 9:91 Corinthians 10:22Deuteronomy 31:16-18Deuteronomy 31:292 Chronicles 36:12-16

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