Deuteronomy 4 · Verse 19

Deuteronomy 4:19

And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
Deuteronomy 4:19, King James Version

Deuteronomy 4:19 in other translations

BSBWhen you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
WEBand lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.
ASVand lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.
YLT‘And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.
DARBYand lest thou lift up thine eyes to the heavens, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, the whole host of heaven, and be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath assigned unto all peoples under the whole heaven.
BBEAnd when your eyes are lifted up to heaven, and you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the army of heaven, do not let yourselves be moved to give them worship, or become the servants of what the Lord has given equally to all peoples under heaven.
WebsterAnd lest thou shouldst lift up thy eyes to heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldst be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided to all nations under the whole heaven.

What does Deuteronomy 4:19 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 4:16-19

16-19. Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image--The things are here specified of which God prohibited any image or representation to be made for the purposes of worship; and, from the variety of details entered into, an idea may be formed of the extensive prevalence of idolatry in that age. In whatever way idolatry originated, whether from an intention to worship the true God through those things…

Read the full comment on Deuteronomy 4:16-19 →

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 19 When thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars - The worship of the heavenly bodies was the oldest species of idolatry. Those who had not the knowledge of the true God were led to consider the sun, moon, planets, and stars, as not only self-existing, but the authors of all the blessings possessed by mankind. The knowledge of a rational system of astronomy served to destroy this superstition; and very little of it remains now in the world, except among a few Christian and Mohammedan astrologers; those miserable sinners who endeavor, as much as possible, to revive the old idolatry, while vainly professing to believe in the true God! Nor is it to be doubted that God will proceed with them as he has done of old with the worshippers of the host of heaven. Sound philosophy is next in importance to sound divinity; and next to the study of the work of grace is that of the operations of God in nature; for these visible things make known his eternal power and Godhead.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · 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 4:19 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.

וּפֶן\־u.fen-and lestH6435
תִּשָּׂ֨אti.Sa'you should lift upH5375
עֵינֶ֜יךָ'ei.Nei.khaeyes yourH5869
הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָהha.sha.May.mahthe heavens towardsH8064
וְֽ֠רָאִיתָVe.ra.'i.taand you will seeH7200
אֶת\־'et-<obj.>H853
הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁha.She.meshthe sunH8121
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַיָּרֵ֜חַhai.ya.Re.achthe moonH3394
וְאֶת\־ve.'Etand <obj.>H853
הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗יםha.ko.kha.Vimthe starsH3556
כֹּ֚לkolallH3605
צְבָ֣אtze.Va'[the] host ofH6635
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִםha.sha.Ma.yimthe heavensH8064
וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ve.ni.dach.Taand you will be drawn asideH5080
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָve.hish.ta.cha.Vi.taand you will bow downH7812
לָהֶ֖םla.Hemto them
וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑םva.'a.vad.Tamand you will serve themH5647
אֲשֶׁ֨ר'a.SherwhichH834
חָלַ֜קcha.Lakhe has assignedH2505
יְהוָ֤הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
אֹתָ֔ם'o.Tam<obj.> themH853
לְכֹל֙le.Kholto allH3605
הָֽעַמִּ֔יםha.'a.Mimthe peoplesH5971
תַּ֖חַתTa.chatunderH8478
כָּל\־kol-allH3605
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם\׃ha.sha.Ma.yimthe heavensH8064

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

Cross references for Deuteronomy 4:19

  • Romans 1:25

    Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator, who is blessed for ever. Amen.

  • Deuteronomy 17:3

    And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

  • 2 Kings 21:3

    For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

  • Genesis 1:16-18

    And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also. And God set them in the firmament of the heaven to give light upon the earth, And to rule over the day and over the night, and to divide the light from the darkness: and God saw that it was good.

  • 2 Kings 17:16

    And they left all the commandments of the Lord their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

  • Genesis 2:1

    Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

  • Psalms 148:3-5

    Praise ye him, sun and moon: praise him, all ye stars of light. Praise him, ye heavens of heavens, and ye waters that be above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: for he commanded, and they were created.

  • Joshua 10:12-13

    Then spake Joshua to the Lord in the day when the Lord delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon. And the sun stood still, and the moon stayed, until the people had avenged themselves upon their enemies. Is not this written in the book of Jasher? So the sun stood still in the midst of heaven, and hasted not to go down about a whole day.

  • Nehemiah 9:6

    Thou, even thou, art Lord alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

  • Psalms 136:7-9

    To him that made great lights: for his mercy endureth for ever: The sun to rule by day: for his mercy endureth for ever: The moon and stars to rule by night: for his mercy endureth for ever.

  • Amos 5:25-26

    Have ye offered unto me sacrifices and offerings in the wilderness forty years, O house of Israel? But ye have borne the tabernacle of your Moloch and Chiun your images, the star of your god, which ye made to yourselves.

  • Jeremiah 33:25

    Thus saith the Lord; If my covenant be not with day and night, and if I have not appointed the ordinances of heaven and earth;

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
when thou.
17:3; 2Ki 23:4,5,11; Job 31:26,27; Jer 8:2; Eze 8:16; Am 5:25,26
the host.
Ge 2:1; 2Ki 17:16; 21:3; Jer 19:13; Zep 1:5; Ac 7:42; Ro 1:25
which the Lord.
Ge 1:16-18; Jos 10:12,13; Ne 9:6; Ps 74:16,17; 136:7-9; 148:3-5
Jer 31:35; 33:25; Mt 5:45
divided. or, imparted.

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

Context

  • Deuteronomy 4:18

    The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

  • Deuteronomy 4:19

    And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

  • Deuteronomy 4:20

    But the Lord hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, even out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as ye are this day.

Read all of Deuteronomy 4

Deuteronomy 4:19 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Y porque alzando tus ojos al cielo, y viendo el sol y la luna y las estrellas, y todo el ejército del cielo, no seas incitado, y te inclines á ellos, y les sirvas; que Jehová tu Dios los ha concedido á todos los pueblos debajo de todos los cielos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
et de peur que tu ne lèves tes yeux vers les cieux et que tu ne voies le soleil, et la lune et les étoiles, toute l’armée des cieux, et que tu ne te laisses séduire et ne te prosternes devant eux, et ne les serves: lesquels l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, a donnés en partage à tous les peuples, sous tous les cieux.
German
Elberfelder 1871
und daß du deine Augen nicht zum Himmel erhebest und die Sonne und den Mond und die Sterne, das ganze Heer des Himmels, sehest und verleitet werdest und dich vor ihnen bückest und ihnen dienest, welche Jehova, dein Gott, allen Völkern unter dem ganzen Himmel zugeteilt hat.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
ne forte elevatis oculis ad cælum, videas solem et lunam, et omnia astra cæli, et errore deceptus adores ea, et colas quæ creavit Dominus Deus tuus in ministerium cunctis gentibus, quæ sub cælo sunt.