Deuteronomy 4:25-28

I MUST NOT GO OVER THE JORDAN (Deuteronomy 4:22)See under Deuteronomy 1:37.

c. PUNISHMENT FOR IDOLATRY: BANISHMENT FROM THE LAND (Deuteronomy 4:25-28)

25 When thou shalt beget children, and children's children, and ye shall have been long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image in the form of any thing, and shall do that which is evil in the sight of Jehovah 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 the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. 27 And Jehovah will scatter you among the peoples, and ye shall be left few in number among the nations, whither Jehovah shall lead you away. 28 And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat nor smell.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 4:25-28

82.

Please notice the use of the words corrupt yourselves, as related to the wholeness of man. To depart from God is to involve oneself in the deterioration of the whole self.

83.

Are we to conclude that physical prosperity is a by-product of obedience to God? Discuss.

84.

Isn-'t there irony in Deuteronomy 4:28? i.e. in the object of the service of God's people.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 4:25-28

25 When children shall be born to you, and children's children, and you have grown old in the land, if you corrupt yourselves by making a graven image in the form of anything, and do evil in the sight of the Lord your God, provoking Him to anger.
26 I call Heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that you shall soon utterly perish from off the land which you are going over the Jordan to possess; you will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
27 And the Lord will scatter you among the peoples, and you will be left few in number among the nations to which the Lord will drive you.
28 There you will serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

COMMENT 4:25-28

JEHOVAH WILL SCATTER YOU AMONG THE PEOPLES (Deuteronomy 4:27)Cf. Deuteronomy 28:64, Deuteronomy 29:25-28. See also our comments and more complete discussion under: Deuteronomy 28:7 ff.

YE SHALL SERVE GODS, THE WORK OF MEN'S HANDS, WOOD AND STONE (Deuteronomy 4:28)In contrast to the one, true, invisible, living God, who is spirit (John 4:24). Moses had just emphasized the living nature of the invisible God, Deuteronomy 4:12 (where see references), Deuteronomy 4:15.