Deuteronomy 4:1–22
4 “And now, O Israel, listen to the statutes and the rules1 that I am teaching you, and do them, that you may live, and go in and take possession of the land that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 You shall not add to the word that I command you, nor take from it, that you may keep the commandments of the Lord your God that I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did at Baal-peor, for the Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. 4 But you who held fast to the Lord your God are all alive today. 5 See, I have taught you statutes and rules, as the Lord my God commanded me, that you should do them in the land that you are entering to take possession of it. 6 Keep them and do them, for that will be your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the peoples, who, when they hear all these statutes, will say, ‘Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people.’ 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near to it as the Lord our God is to us, whenever we call upon him? 8 And what great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law that I set before you today?
9 “Only take care, and keep your soul diligently, lest you forget the things that your eyes have seen, and lest they depart from your heart all the days of your life. Make them known to your children and your children’s children— 10 how on the day that you stood before the Lord your God at Horeb, the Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people to me, that I may let them hear my words, so that they may learn to fear me all the days that they live on the earth, and that they may teach their children so.’ 11 And you came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, while the mountain burned with fire to the heart of heaven, wrapped in darkness, cloud, and gloom. 12 Then the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13 And he declared to you his covenant, which he commanded you to perform, that is, the Ten Commandments,2 and he wrote them on two tablets of stone. 14 And the Lord commanded me at that time to teach you statutes and rules, that you might do them in the land that you are going over to possess.
15 “Therefore watch yourselves very carefully. Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, 18 the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth. 19 And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the Lord your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20 But the Lord has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be a people of his own inheritance, as you are this day. 21 Furthermore, the Lord was angry with me because of you, and he swore that I should not cross the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land that the Lord your God is giving you for an inheritance. 22 For I must die in this land; I must not go over the Jordan. But you shall go over and take possession of that good land.”
1 Or just decrees; also verses 5, 8, 14, 45 2 Hebrew the ten words
Section Overview: Wisdom of Israel; Remembering Horeb; Warning against Idolatry
Deuteronomy 4:1–40 is the second division of the first address of Moses. The phrase “And now, O Israel” at the beginning of this address suggests it is a continuation of the preceding one. A similar example can be found at Deuteronomy 10:12, which continues the Sinai exhortation. Having described how Israel reached the border of the Promised Land, Moses now addresses the people’s future life in the land. In the first part of the speech, successful entry into the land depended on obedience to God’s orders. Once in the land, the future well-being of the people will depend on their obedience to the “statutes and rules” Moses is teaching them.
The second part of the first address is a sermon. Chapter 4 is a précis of chapters 5–11, which contain the prologue of the second address. Together chapters 4 and 5–11 present the historical experiences that establish the validity of “the testimonies, the statutes, and the rules” the Israelites received when they left Egypt (Deut. 4:45). They stress the exclusive worship of Yahweh, which is the foundation of all other requirements. Chapter 4 explains the reasons for this duty. Chapter 5 validates the role of Moses in receiving the Torah and establishes its authenticity. In chapters 6–11 Moses begins to carry out his role by urging the general duties of love and reverence for God.
Chapter 4 begins with two questions that emphasize the unique character of Israel: “What great nation is there that has a god so near?” (v. 7); “What great nation is there, that has statutes and rules so righteous as all this law?” (v. 8). Two questions at the end of the chapter emphasize the unique character of the God of Israel: “Did any people ever hear the voice of a god speaking out of the midst of the fire?” (v. 33); “Has any god ever attempted to go and take a nation for himself from the midst of another nation?” (v. 34). The first two questions in verses 1–8 summarize the prologue, and the second two questions in verses 32–40 summarize the epilogue of the sermon. The main topic of the central portion is the warning against the worship of idols and a notice of its consequences.
The danger of neglecting the words of the covenant is repeated with the Hebrew verb shamar (“keep,” “observe”). Moses teaches the people statutes and rules: “keep them” (v. 6); “take care” and “keep your soul diligently, lest you forget” (v. 9); “watch yourselves very carefully” (v. 15); “take care, lest you forget” (v. 23). Moses anticipates the declaration of Isaiah that humanity is “grass, and all its beauty is like the flower of the field. . . . The grass withers, the flower fades, but the word of our God will stand forever” (Isa. 40:6–8). The former generation perished in the wilderness because they forgot their covenant vow at Mount Sinai. In his final address Moses warns the people that they will not live long in the land if they neglect the vow they are about to take as they enter it.
Section Outline
I.C. Exhortation to Faithfulness (4:1–40)
1. Wisdom of Israel (4:1–8)
a. The Word of Life (4:1–4)
b. Obedience to the Word (4:5–8)
2. Be On Guard for Your Life (4:9–22)
a. Guard against Neglect of the Teaching (4:9–14)
b. Guard against Idolatry (4:15–22)
Response
Nothing is more important to faith than an understanding of God as the sole object of our trust. If Israel perceives God correctly, they will fear him and love him. This is much more than monotheism, a belief in one God. Pharaoh Amenhotep IV (Akhenaten), about the time of the exodus, became a devotee of the solar disk, the Aten, establishing a cult that closed other temples and destroyed their images. But one god represented in one of the elements of creation is simple idolatry. Moses reminds Israel that their God cannot be discerned by the human mind. The fatal error of modernism, initiated by what was called the Enlightenment and perpetuated in postmodernism, is to assume there is no knowledge beyond what the senses through the mind can discern. This is a fatal, idolatrous religion. It is another way of worshiping creation, commonly expressed in the power of “mother earth.”
The God of Israel can be known only through the word he speaks to reveal himself. Since personal knowledge of God is exclusive to his word, it is critical that there be no additions or omissions to it (Deut. 4:2). This warning of Moses is not defining “canon” as discussed in theology, a defined set of inspired writings that reveal the whole counsel of God. Moses is simply speaking about the authority of revelation to make clear that knowledge of God in a personal relationship is possible only through the prophetic word. This word must not be distorted by speculative additions or its force limited through omissions. This word enables the people of the covenant to know God truly. Revelation has made clear that God cannot be known fully (vv. 35, 39). But if God is understood truly, it becomes evident that there can be no other God, for the God of Israel encompasses all reality. He revealed himself apart from any form in the power of darkness and fire. His holiness means he is separate from all creation and that therefore nothing in creation can be used to represent him. And because Yahweh is responsible for all creation, it is folly not to place complete faith in him, to love and fear him in every circumstance.
It is important to know the distinguished responsibility given to those who have received the revelation of God. Israel is not the same as other nations because of this unique encounter with God. The grandeur of creation is given by God as revelation to the other nations (v. 19). This is significant for them, but it is fatal for Israel to reduce its knowledge of God to the powers of the heavenly bodies, as might be done by an Egyptian pharaoh. God has shown Israel his great love in delivering them from the iron furnace (v. 20), in giving them regulations for life (vv. 6–8), in being near them so that they can call upon him immediately at any time. Israel must enable the nations to know this God so that they too may see true wisdom and true security. Any use of an idol to represent God necessarily distorts the God who can be known only through revelation. God is represented by Israel to the other nations, for they are the ones who bear the knowledge of his Word.
The sacredness of faith in this incomparable God and the danger of compromise are evident in the life of Moses. Moses will not enter the Land of Promise because of the words of the people (v. 21). These are the words of faithlessness, their failure to trust God in the critical moment. Moses must die with that generation, never experiencing the Land of Promise. The warning is stern (v. 9): watch yourselves and protect your lives very carefully, lest you forget what you have seen.
Or just decrees; also verses 5, 8, 14, 45
Hebrew the ten words
4:1–4 The fundamental responsibility of the people of the covenant is to listen to the rules and regulations that guide their relationships with each other and with God. The great confession of Israel is simply called the Shema, the Hebrew word for listen (Deut. 6:4–5). It is Moses’ responsibility to teach the people how to live according to these rules and regulations. This is the first time this word for “teach” (Hb. lamad) occurs in the Pentateuch, but the whole work of Moses is to teach. The word torah (“law”; 4:8) and a word for “teach” derive from the root word yarah. God calls Moses up the mountain to receive the Torah written on tablets of stone in order to teach them (lehorotam) to the people (Ex. 24:12). The Torah is instruction concerning how to live. Such instruction must be applied to a great variety of situations through rules (huqqim), regulations (mishpatim), commandments (mitsvot), and stipulations (ʿedot). These four terms are basically synonymous, with very little distinction in meaning. The “statutes and the rules” of the first verse translate huqqim and mishpatim, respectively. The first word designates a written rule in general use; the second is the consequence of a decision made by a judge or an officer, a regulation that has been determined. These are practices of daily life that must be learned.
The command not to add or take away anything from Moses’ instruction conveys the sense of divine authority found in these words. Jeremiah 26:2 similarly warns against failing to speak a word of prophecy from God. Analogous sentiments may be found in wisdom literature (Prov. 30:5–6; Eccles. 3:14; 12:11–12). The rules and regulations taught by Moses are instruction with exclusive authority that could be used by later prophets and wisdom teachers to make known God’s will in circumstances long after Moses. No authority could add to this instruction or deny any part of it.
The plague at Baal-peor was proof of the dangers of idolatry, the fundamental violation of all the teaching of Moses. While Israel was encamped at Abel-shittim (lit., “in the acacias [thorny shrubs]”) near the Jordan west of Heshbon, they had their first encounter with the Baal gods of Canaan (Num. 25:1–9). These gods were worshiped in an attempt to provide rain for crops and fecundity for herds. The gods of Canaan became especially prominent around the time of Moses. Israel was unprepared to confront Baal, and the consequences were disastrous. Many Israelites, including a prominent chieftain, were seduced by Moabite women into engaging in their worship. The plague was stopped by the actions of Phinehas, a priest responsible for protecting the sanctuary. His impassioned actions ended in the slaying of two prominent perpetrators violating the very area of the sanctuary. This intervention served to ransom the rest of the people and terminate the plague (Ps. 106:28–31). The sin of Baal-peor was etched in the collective memory of Israel as a low point in its history.
Those who remained loyal to the covenant at Baal-peor were present to hear the teaching of Moses that emphasized that life in the land was dependent entirely on the Israelites’ relationship with God. Those who “held fast” to the covenant displayed the emotional attachment and loyalty that would enable them to resist the allures of idolatry that lead to death. Moses’ speech concludes with the same admonition concerning the choice of life and death: choose life “by loving the Lord your God, by walking in his ways, and by keeping his commandments and his statutes and his rules” (Deut. 30:16). To love the Lord is to hold fast to the covenant stipulations.
4:5–8 God charged Moses with teaching Israel the rules and regulations he received at Mount Sinai. The importance of this teaching is emphasized with the double imperative to “keep them and do them” (v. 6). Obedience to these commands is wisdom for Israel, a covenant life meant to distinguish Israel from all other nations. One such distinction is that their God is near them and immediately responsive to their prayers. Other nations lived largely in fear since they believed they needed to appease their gods and because the limited power of their gods could not assure their safety. A second distinction is the quality of life the covenant regulations provide for Israel. These rules are just; they are the guidance Israel needs to live in peace. Even a cursory comparison of the regulations of Moses with the famous law code of Hammurabi makes evident the distinction of justice as conceived in Israel compared with her neighbors. Prohibition of capital punishment for economic offenses, prohibition of vicarious punishment, and provision for slaves and orphans are some of the obvious differences.
4:9–14 The visual experience of the majesty of the Lord inspired fear in those who witnessed the dense, dark cloud and the blazing fire and heard the thunder of God’s voice on the mountain. Such majesty would be remembered in Israel, as expressed in the prayer of David in 2 Samuel 22:8–16. Such a visual encounter is a fearful experience that cannot be forgotten. Such memory, however, does not necessarily transfer to living in the fear of the Lord, and knowing how to fear the Lord as instructed in Deuteronomy is forgotten all too readily. The exhortation is urgent: “Keep your soul diligently, lest you forget” (Deut. 4:9). Fear of the Lord is the means for removing all other fears, and it is the reason the instruction of the Ten Words must be diligently observed.
Moses reminds the people that the purpose of the theophany at Horeb was to impart the Ten Words of the covenant, written on the two stone tablets (the Decalogue). Though these have come to be known as commandments, the Hebrew consistently calls them ʿaseret debarim (“Ten Words”). These words are of an order wholly different than all other commandments. The Ten Words lay the foundation of the covenant values to be preserved in relationship with God and all other people, irrespective of circumstance. The fundamental charge of the covenant is loyalty to God, which engenders sanctity of life, inviolability of family, and integrity within community. These values must be applied to a variety of circumstances; it is these applications that become commandments and rules for individual cases. Living according to the Torah requires careful analysis of each situation. The teaching revealed to Moses in Exodus provides a variety of examples of such judicial regulations applied to circumstantial analysis (Ex. 21:1). Exodus 21:12, for example, states that the penalty for homicide is death. If a death happens accidentally, the killer is not culpable; cities of refuge are provided for safety. However, if a plot to kill is carried out, not even the altar can provide a place of safety (Ex. 21:13–14). A judge’s interpretation in such situations becomes an example of the rules and regulations (mishpatim) to be followed, demonstrating that adherence to the covenant includes all the practical matters of everyday life.
4:15–20 Moses further develops the implications of the appearance of God at Sinai. Since Israel saw no visible form when God spoke, they are not to make idols in any form. A “carved image” (Hb. pesel) is used only for images of a god that may be made of wood, metal, or stone. Israel is not to make an idol in the form (shape) of anything or a statue (semel) that may be in the likeness of a man or woman. The idols of ancient deities were often in the form of a human male or female. The context does not refer to other gods, so the prohibition must be specifically against images made to represent Yahweh. The purpose of idols was to mediate the deity’s presence to receive their blessing or their message. Since the Lord had spoken to Israel directly, without the mediation of any such idol, they were not to have anything other than an earthen altar made of unsculpted stones (Ex. 20:22–26). A statue assumes that representation of a god somehow attracts the presence of that god. The revelation at Mount Sinai had made it evident that no such contact was possible with the God of the covenant.
The prohibition against representation in any form extends to the likeness of any creature on land or in rivers, lakes, or sky. This is probably an extension of the definition of idol. Any statue or image intended as an idol is forbidden. It does not rule out the possibility of other statues or images that have no function as an idol. The bulls supporting the giant water tank in Solomon’s temple or the cherubs in the Most Holy Place were acceptable because they did not serve an idolatrous purpose. Animal images could serve to represent a god in the absence of a statue. The calf is depicted as the pedestal on which Baal stood, but the calf is also found independently as an idol of Baal.
Worship of the heavenly bodies is also forbidden. Sun, moon, and stars are worshiped as gods by other nations. For Israel sun, stars, lightning, thunder, wind, spirits, angels, and all such powers are recognized to be God’s agents, carrying out his purpose, but they are never worthy of worship (Ps. 89:6–7). The host of heaven is God’s royal court, the divine council. Idols or foreign gods of the nations are impotent statues or spirits, not actual gods (Deut. 4:28). In exile Israel will be led to the worship of impotent images; the impotence of the image is proof of the powerlessness of the gods they represent.
Syncretism is a very subtle form of idolatry. The Israelites could easily be “drawn away” from exclusive worship of the Lord through the polytheism of other nations. The celestial bodies’ majestic position, their movements, their light and warmth, their necessity for agriculture, and their power for life always makes them potential objects of worship. Israel could be drawn into this worship and believe that they were not denying their allegiance to Yahweh made in the oath of the covenant. Job is acutely aware of this seduction (Job 31:26–28). Only nations outside this covenant could have such powers as deities to worship. Israel has been set free from subservience to such deities.
4:21–22 The death of Moses in Transjordan is a judgment that has implications for the future of the people entering the Promised Land. Once he is no longer present to teach or warn them, they may forget the covenant and worship idols (Deut. 31:16–22). Worship of foreign gods will cause them to be exiled from the land they are about to enter.