Deuteronomy 4 · Verse 12

Deuteronomy 4:12

And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.
Deuteronomy 4:12, King James Version

Deuteronomy 4:12 in other translations

BSBAnd the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.
WEBThe LORD spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.
ASVAnd Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only ye heard a voice.
YLT‘And Jehovah speaketh unto you out of the midst of the fire; a voice of words ye are hearing and a similitude ye are not seeing, only a voice;
DARBYAnd Jehovah spoke to you from the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but ye saw no form; only ye heard a voice.
BBEAnd the voice of the Lord came to you out of the fire: the sound of his words came to your ears but you saw no form; there was nothing but a voice.
WebsterAnd the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

What does Deuteronomy 4:12 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
12. ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude--Although articulate sounds were heard emanating from the mount, no form or representation of the Divine Being who spoke was seen to indicate His nature or properties according to the notions of the heathen.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 4:1-23

The power and love of God to Israel are here made the ground and reason of a number of cautions and serious warnings; and although there is much reference to their national covenant, yet all may be applied to those who live under the gospel. What are laws made for but to be observed and obeyed? Our obedience as individuals cannot merit salvation; but it is the only evidence that we are partakers of the gift of God…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 4:1-23 →

Deuteronomy 4:12 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

וַיְדַבֵּ֧רvay.da.Berand he spokeH1696
יְהוָ֛הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם'a.lei.Khemto youH413
מִתּ֣וֹךְmi.Tokhfrom [the] middle ofH8432
הָאֵ֑שׁha.'Eshthe fireH784
ק֤וֹלKola sound ofH6963
דְּבָרִים֙de.va.RimwordsH1697
אַתֶּ֣ם'a.TemyouH859
שֹׁמְעִ֔יםsho.me.'Im[were] hearingH8085
וּתְמוּנָ֛הu.te.mu.Nahand a formH8544
אֵינְכֶ֥ם'ein.Khemnot youH369
רֹאִ֖יםro.'Im[were] seeingH7200
זוּלָתִ֥יzu.la.TiexceptH2108
קֽוֹל\׃Kola voiceH6963

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 4:12

  • Deuteronomy 5:4

    The Lord talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire,

  • Deuteronomy 5:22

    These words the Lord spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me.

  • Deuteronomy 4:15

    Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

  • John 12:28-30

    Father, glorify thy name. Then came there a voice from heaven, saying, I have both glorified it, and will glorify it again. The people therefore, that stood by, and heard it, said that it thundered: others said, An angel spake to him. Jesus answered and said, This voice came not because of me, but for your sakes.

  • Matthew 3:17

    And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

  • Deuteronomy 4:36

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 4:33

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

  • 1 Kings 19:12-13

    And after the earthquake a fire; but the Lord was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice. And it was so, when Elijah heard it, that he wrapped his face in his mantle, and went out, and stood in the entering in of the cave. And, behold, there came a voice unto him, and said, What doest thou here, Elijah?

  • 2 Peter 1:17-18

    For he received from God the Father honour and glory, when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.

  • Exodus 20:22

    And the Lord said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

  • Isaiah 40:18

    To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

  • Isaiah 40:3

    The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
the Lord.
5:4,22
no similitude.
15; Nu 12:8; Isa 40:18; Col 1:15
only ye heard a voice. Heb. save a voice.
33,36; Ex 20:22; 1Ki 19:12,13; Isa 30:21; 40:3,6; Mt 3:3,17; 17:5
Joh 12:28-30; 2Pe 1:17,18

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 4:11

    And ye came near and stood under the mountain; and the mountain burned with fire unto the midst of heaven, with darkness, clouds, and thick darkness.

  • Deuteronomy 4:12

    And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

  • Deuteronomy 4:13

    And he declared unto you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, even ten commandments; and he wrote them upon two tables of stone.

Read all of Deuteronomy 4

Deuteronomy 4:12 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Y habló Jehová con vosotros de en medio del fuego: oisteis la voz de sus palabras, mas á excepción de oir la voz, ninguna figura visteis:
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		et l’ Éternel vous parla du milieu du feu; vous entendiez la voix de ses paroles, mais vous n’avez vu aucune forme, seulement vous entendiez une voix.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Und Jehova redete zu euch mitten aus dem Feuer; die Stimme der Worte hörtet ihr, aber ihr sahet keine Gestalt außer der Stimme.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Locutusque est Dominus ad vos de medio ignis. Vocem verborum ejus audistis, et formam penitus non vidistis.