King James Version

What Does Deuteronomy 4:33 Mean?

“Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?”

Context

(For the LORD thy God is a merciful God;) he will not forsake thee, neither destroy thee, nor forget the covenant of thy fathers which he sware unto them.

For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

Or hath God assayed to go and take him a nation from the midst of another nation, by temptations, by signs, and by wonders, and by war, and by a mighty hand, and by a stretched out arm, and by great terrors, according to all that the LORD your God did for you in Egypt before your eyes?

Unto thee it was shewed, that thou mightest know that the LORD he is God; there is none else beside him.

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Commentary

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Bible Commentary

**29-34. these things shall be for a statute of judgment unto you throughout your generations--**The law of the blood-avenger, as thus established by divine authority, was a vast improvement on the ancient practice of Goelism. By the appointment of cities of refuge, the manslayer was saved, in the meantime, from the blind and impetuous fury of vindictive relatives; but he might be tried by the local court, and, if proved guilty on sufficient evidence, condemned and punished as a murderer, without the possibility of deliverance by any pecuniary satisfaction. The enactment of Moses, which was an adaptation to the character and usages of the Hebrew people, secured the double advantage of promoting the ends both of humanity and of justice.

Robert Jamieson, A.R. Fausset, David Brown. Public Domain.

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 4:33 contributes to our understanding of God's character and His relationship with humanity. Consider how this verse connects to the broader themes of Scripture.