Deuteronomy 4 · Verse 24

Deuteronomy 4:24

For the Lord thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.
Deuteronomy 4:24, King James Version

Deuteronomy 4:24 in other translations

BSBFor the LORD your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
WEBFor the LORD your God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
ASVFor Jehovah thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.
YLTfor Jehovah thy God is a fire consuming--a zealous God.
DARBYFor Jehovah thy God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.
BBEFor the Lord your God is an all-burning fire, and he will not let the honour which is his be given to any other.
WebsterFor the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God.

What does Deuteronomy 4:24 mean?

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 24 Thy God is a consuming fire - They had seen him on the mount as an unconsuming fire, while appearing to Moses, and giving the law; and they had seen him as a consuming fire in the case of Korah, Dathan, Abiram, and their company. They had, therefore, every good to expect from his approbation, and every evil to dread from his displeasure.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 4:24-40
Moses urged the greatness, glory, and goodness of God. Did we consider what a God he is with whom we have to do, we should surely make conscience of our duty to him, and not dare to sin against him. Shall we forsake a merciful God, who will never forsake us, if we are faithful unto him? Whither can we go? Let us be held to our duty by the bonds of love, and prevailed with by the mercies of God to cleave to him. Moses urged God's authority over them, and their obligations to him. In keeping God's commandments they would act wisely for themselves. The fear of the Lord, that is wisdom. Those who enjoy the benefit of Divine light and laws, ought to support their character for wisdom and honour, that God may be glorified thereby. Those who call upon God, shall certainly find him within call, ready to give an answer of peace to every prayer of faith. All these statutes and judgments of the Divine law are just and righteous, above the statutes and judgments of any of the nations. What they saw at mount Sinai, gave an earnest of the day of judgment, in which the Lord Jesus shall be revealed in flaming fire. They must also remember what they heard at mount Sinai. God manifests himself in the works of the creation, without speech or language, yet their voice is heard, Psa 19:1, 3; but to Israel he made himself known by speech and language, condescending to their weakness. The rise of this nation was quite different from the origin of all other nations. See the reasons of free grace; we are not beloved for our own sakes, but for Christ's sake. Moses urged the certain benefit and advantage of obedience. This argument he had begun with, ver. #(1), That ye may live, and go in and possess the land; and this he concludes with, ver. #(40), That it may go well with thee, and with thy children after thee. He reminds them that their prosperity would depend upon their piety. Apostacy from God would undoubtedly be the ruin of their nation. He foresees their revolt from God to idols. Those, and those only, shall find God to their comfort, who seek him with all their heart. Afflictions engage and quicken us to seek God; and, by the grace of God working with them, many are thus brought back to their right mind. When these things are come upon thee, turn to the Lord thy God, for thou seest what comes of turning from him. Let all the arguments be laid together, and then say, if religion has not reason on its side. None cast off the government of their God, but those who first abandon the understanding of a man.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Deuteronomy 4:24 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.

כִּ֚יkiforH3588
יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֔יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
אֵ֥שׁ'esh[is] a fireH784
אֹכְלָ֖ה'o.khe.LahconsumingH398
ה֑וּאHu'heH1931
אֵ֖ל'ela GodH410
קַנָּֽא\׃\ \פka.Na'jealousH7067

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

Cross references for Deuteronomy 4:24

  • Hebrews 12:29

    For our God is a consuming fire.

  • Deuteronomy 9:3

    Understand therefore this day, that the Lord thy God is he which goeth over before thee; as a consuming fire he shall destroy them, and he shall bring them down before thy face: so shalt thou drive them out, and destroy them quickly, as the Lord hath said unto thee.

  • Exodus 24:17

    And the sight of the glory of the Lord was like devouring fire on the top of the mount in the eyes of the children of Israel.

  • Nahum 1:6

    Who can stand before his indignation? and who can abide in the fierceness of his anger? his fury is poured out like fire, and the rocks are thrown down by him.

  • Isaiah 33:14

    The sinners in Zion are afraid; fearfulness hath surprised the hypocrites. Who among us shall dwell with the devouring fire? who among us shall dwell with everlasting burnings?

  • Deuteronomy 6:15

    (For the Lord thy God is a jealous God among you) lest the anger of the Lord thy God be kindled against thee, and destroy thee from off the face of the earth.

  • Exodus 34:14

    For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God:

  • 1 Corinthians 10:22

    Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?

  • Exodus 20:5

    Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

  • Zephaniah 3:8

    Therefore wait ye upon me, saith the Lord, until the day that I rise up to the prey: for my determination is to gather the nations, that I may assemble the kingdoms, to pour upon them mine indignation, even all my fierce anger: for all the earth shall be devoured with the fire of my jealousy.

  • Zephaniah 1:18

    Neither their silver nor their gold shall be able to deliver them in the day of the Lord’s wrath; but the whole land shall be devoured by the fire of his jealousy: for he shall make even a speedy riddance of all them that dwell in the land.

  • Isaiah 42:8

    I am the Lord: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
thy God.
9:3; 32:22; Ex 24:17; Ps 21:9; Isa 30:33; 33:14; Jer 21:12-14
Na 1:6; Zep 1:18; Heb 12:29
a jealous God.
6:15; 29:20; 32:16,21; Ex 20:5; 34:14; Ps 78:58; Isa 42:8; Na 1:2
Zep 3:8; 1Co 10:22

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

Context

  • Deuteronomy 4:23

    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.

  • Deuteronomy 4:24

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

  • Deuteronomy 4:25

    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:

Read all of Deuteronomy 4

Deuteronomy 4:24 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
Porque Jehová tu Dios es fuego que consume, Dios celoso.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
Car l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, est un feu consumant, un ✶Dieu jaloux.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Denn Jehova, dein Gott, ist ein verzehrendes Feuer, ein eifernder Gott
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
quia Dominus Deus tuus ignis consumens est, Deus æmulator.