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Bible in Basic English

Deuteronomy 4:17

Or any beast of the earth, or winged bird of the air,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Idolatry;   Obedience;   The Topic Concordance - Idolatry;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Beasts;   Birds;   Idolatry;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Idol, Idolatry;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - God;   Idol, idolatry;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Idol, Idolatry;   Israel;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Polytheism;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Idol;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baptism of Fire;   Birds;   Deuteronomy, the Book of;   Figured Stone;   Heaven;   Likeness;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Deuteronomy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Quotations;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Fowl;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Animals of the Bible;   Birds;   Ethics;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
the likeness of any animal that is on the eretz, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
King James Version
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
Lexham English Bible
a replica of any animal that is upon the earth, a replica of any winged bird that flies in the air,
English Standard Version
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
New Century Version
of animals on earth or birds that fly in the air,
New English Translation
any kind of land animal, any bird that flies in the sky,
Amplified Bible
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, or of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
New American Standard Bible
a representation of any animal that is on the earth, a representation of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
Geneva Bible (1587)
The likenes of any beast that is on earth, or the likenesse of any fethered foule that flieth in the aire:
Legacy Standard Bible
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
Contemporary English Version
animals, birds,
Complete Jewish Bible
or a representation of any animal on earth, or a representation of any bird that flies in the air,
Darby Translation
the pattern of any beast that is on the earth, the pattern of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven,
Easy-to-Read Version
or like an animal on the earth, or like a bird that flies in the sky.
George Lamsa Translation
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flies in the air.
Good News Translation
animal or bird,
Christian Standard Bible®
or the form of any animal on the earth, any winged creature that flies in the sky,
Literal Translation
the form of any animal in the earth; the form of any winged bird that flies in the heavens;
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
or beest vpon earth, or fethered foule vnder the heauen,
American Standard Version
the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flieth in the heavens,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth, or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that fleeth in the ayre,
JPS Old Testament (1917)
the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven,
King James Version (1611)
The likenesse of any beast that is on the earth, the likenes of any winged foule that flieth in the aire,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
the likeness of any beast of those that are on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird which flies under heaven,
English Revised Version
the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the heaven,
Berean Standard Bible
of any beast on the earth or bird that flies in the air,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
a licnesse of alle beestis that ben on erthe, ether of bridis fleynge vndur heuene,
Young's Literal Translation
a form of any beast which [is] in the earth -- a form of any winged bird which flieth in the heavens --
Update Bible Version
the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the heavens,
Webster's Bible Translation
The likeness of any beast that [is] on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,
World English Bible
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,
New King James Version
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth or the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
New Living Translation
an animal on the ground, a bird in the sky,
New Life Bible
or like an animal on the earth, or a bird with wings that flies in the sky,
New Revised Standard
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
a model of any beast that is in the earth, - a mode of any winged bird, that flieth in the heavens;
Douay-Rheims Bible
The similitude of any beasts, that are upon the earth, or of birds, that fly under heaven,
Revised Standard Version
the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the sky,

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

In these verses there is an evident allusion to the idolatrous worship in Egypt. Among the Egyptians, almost everything in nature was the object of their idolatry; among beasts were oxen, heifers, sheep, goats, lions, dogs, monkeys, and cats; among birds, the ibis, crane, and hawk; among reptiles, the crocodile, serpents, frogs, flies, and beetles; all the fish of the Nile, and the Nile itself; besides the sun, moon, planets, stars, fire, light, air, darkness, and night. These are all included in the very circumstantial prohibition in the text, and very forcibly in the general terms of Exodus 20:4, the reason of which prohibition becomes self-evident, when the various objects of Egyptian idolatry are considered. Romans 1:23

Reciprocal: Genesis 34:30 - and I being Jeremiah 27:5 - and have

Cross-References

Genesis 4:4
And Abel gave an offering of the young lambs of his flock and of their fat. And the Lord was pleased with Abel's offering;
Genesis 4:11
And now you are cursed from the earth, whose mouth is open to take your brother's blood from your hand;
Genesis 5:18
And Jared was a hundred and sixty-two years old when he became the father of Enoch:
Genesis 5:22
And after the birth of Methuselah, Enoch went on in God's ways for three hundred years, and had sons and daughters:
Genesis 11:4
And they said, Come, let us make a town, and a tower whose top will go up as high as heaven; and let us make a great name for ourselves, so that we may not be wanderers over the face of the earth.
2 Samuel 18:18
Now Absalom, before his death, had put up for himself a pillar in the king's valley, naming it after himself; for he said, I have no son to keep my name in memory: and to this day it is named Absalom's pillar.
Psalms 49:11
The place of the dead is their house for ever, and their resting-place through all generations; those who come after them give their names to their lands.
Daniel 4:30
The king made answer and said, Is this not great Babylon, which I have made for the living-place of kings, by the strength of my power and for the glory of my honour?

Gill's Notes on the Bible

The likeness of any beast that is on the earth,.... As there are scarce any but the likeness of them has been made and worshipped, or the creatures themselves, as the ox by the Egyptians, the sheep by the Thebans, the goat by the Mendesians, and others by different people:

the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air; as the hawk, and the bird called Ibis, and another by the name of Cneph by the Egyptians, and the eagle by others.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 4:17. The likeness of any beast, c. — Such as the Egyptian god Apis, who was worshipped under the form of a white bull the ibis and hawk, among the FOWLS, had also Divine honours paid to them; serpents and the crocodile among REPTILES; besides monkeys, dogs, cats, the scarabaeus, leeks, and onions! See this explained at large, Exodus 20:4; Exodus 20:4.


 
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