Albert Barnes' Bible Commentary
Deuteronomy 4:19
Divided - i. e., “whose light God has distributed to the nations for their use and benefit, and which therefore being creatures ministering to man’s convenience must not be worshipped as man’s lords.”
Divided - i. e., “whose light God has distributed to the nations for their use and benefit, and which therefore being creatures ministering to man’s convenience must not be worshipped as man’s lords.”
Verse Deuteronomy 4:19. _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...
3. HEARKEN, O ISRAEL! CHAPTER 4 _ 1. Obedience demanded (Deuteronomy 4:1)_ 2. The covenant to be observed (Deuteronomy 4:9) 3. Take heed unto yourselves lest ye forget (Deuteronomy 4:15
SECOND PART OF MOSES-' FIRST ADDRESS. This contains exhortations to obedience from motives of self-interest and of gratitude to Yahweh, and forms an apparent logical unity with Deuteronomy 1:6 to Deut...
HOST OF HEAVEN: sun, moon, and stars. This sin foreknown. 2 Kings 17:18; 2 Kings 23:4. Compare Amos 5:26 with Acts 7:42;...
Against Idolatry The truth that is beneath the whole Law: God is revealed not in images, but by words and deeds of redemption. Warned to lay their experience to heart (Deuteronomy 4:9), Israel are re...
_lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven_ Change to Sg., confirmed by Sam. and LXX. _and when thou seest the sun_, etc.] Deuteronomy 17:3: _sun, moon or any of the host of heaven_. Unlike the warning...
_VER._ 17-19. _THE LIKENESS OF ANY BEAST THAT IS ON THE EARTH,_ &C.— It is justly observed by Dr. Chandler, in his Vindication, p. 480 that this is the very picture of Egypt, which had gods of all sor...
_VER._ 19. _WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH DIVIDED,_ &C.— i.e. _Distributed,_ or _imparted._ The force of the argument is this: as Jehovah, the true God, whom you adore, has dispensed to all nations unde...
b. WARNING AGAINST MAKING PHYSICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF GOD OR GODS (Deuteronomy 4:15-24) 15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of form on the day that Jehovah spake unto...
_LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES, AND MAKE YOU A GRAVEN IMAGE, THE SIMILITUDE OF ANY FIGURE, THE LIKENESS OF MALE OR FEMALE,_ Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image. The things are here s...
There may be allusion here to the worship of the Persians and Chaldeans. The Israelites fell into this form of idolatry: see e.g. 2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3....
EXHORTATIONS TO OBEDIENCE This chapter contains the practical part of the discourse. Having briefly rehearsed the experiences of the Israelites in the wilderness up to the present point, Moses closes...
FIRST DISCOURSE (DEUTERONOMY 1:14 TO DEUTERONOMY 4:43) The long sojourn in the wilderness is now drawing to a close. The Israelites are encamped in the Plains of Moab within sight of the Promised Land...
DEUTERONOMY: GOD’S LAW OF LOVE LOVE AND OBEY THE *LORD YOUR GOD DEUTERONOMY _PHILIP SMITH_ CHAPTER 4 V1 ‘Therefore, everyone in *Israel, listen to the rules and the laws that I will teach to you...
THE SUN, AND THE MOON, AND THE STARS. — The purest worship of antiquity — that which we find among the Persians — hardly escaped this snare. WHICH THE LORD THY GOD HATH DIVIDED UNTO ALL NATIONS. — The...
וּ פֶן ־תִּשָּׂ֨א עֵינֶ֜יךָ הַ שָּׁמַ֗יְמָה ו
MOSES' FAREWELL SPEECHES Deuteronomy 4:1, Deuteronomy 27:1; Deuteronomy 28:1; Deuteronomy 29:1;...
JEHOVAH “A JEALOUS GOD” Deuteronomy 4:15 How often Moses repeats, “ _take heed._ ” We must watch as well as pray and keep our souls diligently. We must specially beware of idols-that is, any visible...
On the ground of this survey Moser exhorted the people to be obedient, His appeal was based on the greatness of their God and the perfection of His law. Their whole existence as a nation centered arou...
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 LO...
_Service. How then could the nations give way to such stupidity, but because they had forgotten the design of God in creating the heavenly bodies, which Moses therefore takes care to inculcate? (Genes...
It is remarkable, in nations unacquainted with the gospel, how prone the natives have been found to worship the heavenly bodies. Reader! think how precious the gospel is, which hath taught us to consi...
In examining Exodus, Leviticus, and Numbers, we have found what may be called an abstract typical system. That is, we see in them a number of institutions laid down by Jehovah, the pattern of which wa...
19._And lest thou lift up thine eyes. _Moses proceeds further, lest the Jews should imagine any divinity in the sun, and moon, and stars; nor does he only recall them from the error with which many we...
THE FOLLOWING COMMENTARY COVERS CHAPTER S 1, 2, 3, AND 4. Let us examine a little more closely these Chapter s, which shew the pains the Spirit took, to set before the eyes of the people all the moti...
AND LEST THOU LIFT UP THINE EYES UNTO HEAVEN,.... The starry heaven, which to do in itself is not sinful; and may be lawfully and commendably done, to raise admiration at the wonderful works of God in...
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 LO...
_Lest thou shouldest be driven_ Strongly inclined; _to worship them. Which the Lord hath divided unto all nations_ Which are not gods, but creatures, made not for worship, but for the use of men; yea,...
1 An Exhortation to obedience. 41 Moses appointeth the three Cities of refuge on that side Iordan. 1 NOWE therefore hearken, O Israel, vnto the Statutes, and vnto the Iudgments which I teach you, fo...
WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY...
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, Romans 1:25, AND SERVE THEM, WH...
MOSES INSISTS ON OBEDIENCE (vs.1-14) Because God had already blessed Israel and intended to bless them more greatly still. Moses urges them to "listen to the statutes and judgments" he is teaching th...
DIVIDED: Or, imparted...
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...
DRIVEN TO WORSHIP THEM, i.e. strongly inclined, and in a manner constrained, partly by the glory of these heavenly bodies, which may seem to be made for higher purposes than to enlighten this lump of...
Now therefore hearken O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgements which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth...
Deuteronomy 4:19 lift H5375 (H8799) eyes H5869 heaven H8064 see H7200 (H8804) sun H8121 moon H3394 stars...
THEY ARE TO REMEMBER THAT YAHWEH IS WITHOUT FORM, AND IS A CONSUMING FIRE, AND MUST THEREFORE AVOID MAKING ANY GRAVEN IMAGE FOR WORSHIP PURPOSES FOR THAT WOULD BE TO ADULTERATE AND MISREPRESENT YAHWEH...
CONTENTS: The new generations taught the lessons of Sinai. Cities of refuge designated. CHARACTERS: God, Moses. CONCLUSION: The review of God's providences concerning us should quicken us and engage...
Deuteronomy 4:2. _Ye shall not add unto the word._ This would be to debase revelation, and treat the divine law as a defective production of man, that needed additions and retrenchments. Solon, the At...
_Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land._ MOSES’ DISCOURSE 1. In general it is...
DEUTERONOMY—NOTE ON DEUTERONOMY 4:15 Because God does not have a visible form, the worship of idols and images is prohibited (see the second commandment, Deuteronomy 5:8)....
CRITICAL NOTES.—From the mention of what God had done for Israel, Moses passes to the obedience of the law. They were under deep obligation to keep it, and in doing so, consisted their wisdom, greatne...
EXPOSITION DEUTERONOMY 4:1 ADMONITIONS AND EXHORTATIONS. Moses, having presented to the people certain facts in their recent history which had in them a specially animating and encouraging tendency,...
NOW therefore (Deuteronomy 4:1) Moses is now making application. NOW therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and to the judgments, which I teach you, to do them, that you may live, and go in a...
2 Kings 17:16; 2 Kings 21:3; 2 Kings 23:11; 2 Kings 23:4; 2 Kings 23:5
PARTING WORDS Deuteronomy 4:1 INTRODUCTORY WORDS It is, perhaps, strange to some that we speak of the fourth chapter of Deuteronomy as "Parting words," yet the whole Book of Deuteronomy centers in t...
Driven — Strongly inclined. Which the Lord hath divided unto all nations — Which are not Gods, but creatures, made not for the worship, but for the use of men; yea, of the meanest and most barbarous p...