Deuteronomy 4:15

Bible in Basic English

So keep watch on yourselves with care; for you saw no form of any sort on the day when the voice of the Lord came to you in Horeb out of the heart of the fire:

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Take therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spoke to you in Horev out of the midst of the fire.

King James Version
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

Lexham English Bible
"So you must be very careful for yourselves, because you did not see any form on the day Yahweh spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,

English Standard Version
"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,

New Century Version
Since the Lord spoke to you from the fire at Mount Sinai, but you did not see him, watch yourselves carefully!

New English Translation
Be very careful, then, because you saw no form at the time the Lord spoke to you at Horeb from the middle of the fire.

Amplified Bible
"So pay attention and watch yourselves carefully—for you did not see any form [of God] on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire—

New American Standard Bible
"So be very careful yourselves, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,

Geneva Bible (1587)
Take therefore good heede vnto your selues: for ye sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of the fire:

Legacy Standard Bible
"So keep your souls very carefully, since you did not see any form on the day Yahweh spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,

Contemporary English Version
Moses said to Israel: When God spoke to you from the fire, he was invisible. So be careful

Complete Jewish Bible
"Therefore, watch out for yourselves! Since you did not see a shape of any kind on the day Adonai spoke to you in Horev from the fire,

Darby Translation
And take great heed to your souls (for ye saw no form on the day that Jehovah spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire),

Easy-to-Read Version
"On the day the Lord spoke to you from the fire at Mount Horeb, you did not see him—there was no shape for God.

George Lamsa Translation
Take therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire;

Good News Translation
"When the Lord spoke to you from the fire on Mount Sinai, you did not see any form. For your own good, then, make certain

Christian Standard Bible®
“Diligently watch yourselves—because you did not see any form on the day the Lord spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb—

Literal Translation
Therefore you shall carefully watch over your souls, for you have not seen any likeness in the day Jehovah spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire,

Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Kepe well youre soules therfore, for ye sawe no maner of ymage, in the daye wha the LORDE spake vnto you out of the fyre vpon mount Horeb, that ye destroye not youre selues,

American Standard Version
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of form on the day that Jehovah spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;

Bishop's Bible (1568)
Take therfore good heede vnto your selues as pertaynyng vnto your soules, (for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb, out of the middes of fire)

JPS Old Testament (1917)
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves--for ye saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spoke unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire--

King James Version (1611)
Take ye therfore good heed vnto your selues, (for ye saw no maner of similitude on the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb, out of the midst of the fire)

Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And take good heed to your hearts, for ye saw no similitude in the day in which the Lord spoke to you in Choreb in the mountain out of the midst of the fire:

English Revised Version
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of form on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire:

Berean Standard Bible
So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful

Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Therfor kepe ye bisili youre soulis; ye sien not ony licnesse in the dai in which the Lord spak to you in Oreb, fro the myddis of the fier;

Young's Literal Translation
and ye have been very watchful of your souls, for ye have not seen any similitude in the day of Jehovah's speaking unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire,

Update Bible Version
Therefore take good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of form on the day that Yahweh spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.

Webster's Bible Translation
Take ye therefore good heed to yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day [that] the LORD spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;

World English Bible
Take therefore good heed to yourselves; for you saw no manner of form on the day that Yahweh spoke to you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire.

New King James Version
"Take careful heed to yourselves, for you saw no form when the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,

New Living Translation
"But be very careful! You did not see the Lord 's form on the day he spoke to you from the heart of the fire at Mount Sinai.

New Life Bible
"So watch yourselves and be careful. For you saw no body on the day the Lord spoke to you in the fire at Mount Sinai.

New Revised Standard
Since you saw no form when the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the fire, take care and watch yourselves closely,

J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
Ye must take diligent heed, therefore unto your own souls, for ye saw no manner of form, on the day Yahweh spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire;

Douay-Rheims Bible
Keep therefore your souls carefully. You saw not any similitude in the day that the Lord God spoke to you in Horeb from the midst of the fire:

Revised Standard Version
"Therefore take good heed to yourselves. Since you saw no form on the day that the LORD spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire,

THE MESSAGE
You saw no form on the day God spoke to you at Horeb from out of the fire. Remember that. Carefully guard yourselves so that you don't turn corrupt and make a form, carving a figure that looks male or female, or looks like a prowling animal or a flying bird or a slithering snake or a fish in a stream. And also carefully guard yourselves so that you don't look up into the skies and see the sun and moon and stars, all the constellations of the skies, and be seduced into worshiping and serving them. God set them out for everybody's benefit, everywhere. But you— God took you right out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to become the people of his inheritance—and that's what you are this very day.

New American Standard Bible (1995)
"So watch yourselves carefully, since you did not see any form on the day the LORD spoke to you at Horeb from the midst of the fire,

Contextual Overview

¹ And now give ear, O Israel, to the laws and the decisions which I am teaching you, and do them; so that life may be yours, and you may go in and take for yourselves the land which the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. ² Make no addition to the orders which I give you, and take nothing from them, but keep the orders of the Lord your God which I give you. ³ Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baal-peor: for destruction came from the Lord on all those among you who went after Baal-peor. ⁴ But you who kept faith with the Lord are living, every one of you, today. ⁵ I have been teaching you laws and decisions, as I was ordered to do by the Lord my God, so that you might keep them in the land to which you are going to take it for your heritage. ⁶ So keep these laws and do them; for so will your wisdom and good sense be clear in the eyes of the peoples, who hearing all these laws will say, Truly, this great nation is a wise and far-seeing people. ⁷ For what great nation has a god so near to them as the Lord our God is, whenever we are turned to him in prayer? ⁸ And what great nation has laws and decisions so right as all this law which I put before you today? ⁹ Only take care, and keep watch on your soul, for fear that the things which your eyes have seen go from your memory and from your heart all the days of your life; but let the knowledge of them be given to your children and to your children's children; ¹⁰ That day when you were waiting before the Lord your God in Horeb, and the Lord said to me, Make all the people come together, so that hearing my words they may go in fear of me all the days of their life on earth and give this teaching to their children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Take ye: Deuteronomy 4:9, Deuteronomy 4:23, Joshua 23:11, 1 Chronicles 28:9, 1 Chronicles 28:10, Psalms 119:9, Proverbs 4:23, Proverbs 4:27, Jeremiah 17:21, Malachi 2:15

of similitude: Deuteronomy 4:12, Isaiah 40:18, 2 Corinthians 4:4-6, Hebrews 1:3

Reciprocal: Exodus 20:4 - General Exodus 23:13 - be circumspect Exodus 32:1 - make Numbers 12:8 - similitude Deuteronomy 5:8 - graven image 2 Kings 10:31 - took no heed 2 Kings 17:12 - Ye shall not Isaiah 40:25 - General Luke 17:3 - heed Romans 1:23 - an image

Cross-References

Genesis 4:24
If seven lives are to be taken as punishment for Cain's death, seventy-seven will be taken for Lamech's.

Leviticus 26:18
And if, even after these things, you will not give ear to me, then I will send you punishment seven times more for your sins.

Leviticus 26:21
And if you still go against me and will not give ear to me, I will put seven times more punishments on you because of your sins.

Leviticus 26:24
Then I will go against you, and I will give you punishment, I myself, seven times for all your sins.

Leviticus 26:28
Then my wrath will be burning against you, and I will give you punishment, I myself, seven times for your sins.

1 Kings 16:7
And the Lord sent his word against Baasha and his family by the mouth of the prophet Jehu, the son of Hanani, because of all the evil he did in the eyes of the Lord, moving him to wrath by the work of his hands, because he was like the family of Jeroboam, and because he put it to death.

Psalms 59:11
Put them not to death, for so my people will keep the memory of them: let them be sent in all directions by your power; make them low, O Lord our saviour.

Psalms 79:12
And give punishment seven times over into the breast of our neighbours for the bitter words which they have said against you, O Lord.

Proverbs 6:31
But if he is taken in the act he will have to give back seven times as much, giving up all his property which is in his house.

Ezekiel 9:4
The Lord said to him, Go through the town, through the middle of Jerusalem, and put a mark on the brows of the men who are sorrowing and crying for all the disgusting things which are done in it.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves,.... As to keep all the laws given them, so particularly to avoid idolatry:

for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day the Lord spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire; and therefore, as they had nothing that directed and led them, so they had nothing that could be a temptation to them, to make any form or likeness, and worship it.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 4:15. Ye saw no manner of similitude — Howsoever God chose to appear or manifest himself, he took care never to assume any describable form. He would have no image worship, because he is a SPIRIT, and they who worship him must worship him in Spirit and in truth. These outward things tend to draw the mind out of itself, and diffuse it on sensible, if not sensual, objects; and thus spiritual worship is prevented, and the Holy Ghost grieved. Persons acting in this way can never know much of the religion of the heart.