Lectionary Calendar
Tuesday, September 9th, 2025
the Week of Proper 18 / Ordinary 23
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New Life Version

Deuteronomy 4:17

or like an animal on the earth, or a bird with wings that flies in the sky,

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,
Bible in Basic English
Or any beast of the earth, or winged bird of the air,
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 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 "Now, O Israel, listen to the Laws I am teaching you. Do them so that you may live and go in to take the land for your own that the Lord, the God of your fathers, is giving you. 2 Do not add to the Word that I tell you, and do not take away from it. Keep the Laws of the Lord your God which I tell you. 3 Your eyes saw what the Lord did because of Baal-peor. The Lord your God destroyed from among you all the men who followed the Baal of Peor. 4 But you who stayed faithful to the Lord your God are all alive today. 5 See, I have taught you Laws just as the Lord my God told me. So you are to live by them in the land you are going to have for your own. 6 Keep them and do them. For this will show how wise and understanding you are. The people who will hear all these Laws will say, ‘For sure this great nation is a wise and understanding people.' 7 For what great nation is there that has a god so near as the Lord our God is to us every time we call to Him? 8 What great nation is there that has laws as right as this whole Law which I am giving you today? 9 "Only be careful. Keep watch over your life. Or you might forget the things you have seen. Do not let them leave your heart for the rest of your life. But teach them to your children and to your grandchildren. 10 Remember the day you stood before the Lord your God at Mount Sinai. The Lord said to me, ‘Gather the people together before Me, so I may let them hear My words. Then they may learn to fear Me all the days they live on the earth, and they may teach 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
But Abel brought a gift of the first-born of his flocks and of the fat parts. The Lord showed favor to Abel and his gift.
Genesis 4:11
Now you are cursed because of the ground, which has opened its mouth to receive your brother's blood from your hand.
Genesis 5:18
When Jared had lived 162 years, he became the father of Enoch.
Genesis 5:22
Enoch walked with God 300 years after the birth of Methuselah. He had other sons and daughters.
Genesis 11:4
Then they said, "Come, let us build a city for ourselves, with a tower that touches the heavens. Let us make a name for ourselves, or else we may be sent everywhere over the whole earth."
2 Samuel 18:18
While Absalom was alive, he had set up stones in his honor in the King's Valley. For he said, "I have no son to let my name be remembered." So he called the stones after his own name. And they are there to have Absalom be remembered to this day.
Psalms 49:11
They think in their hearts that their houses will last forever, and that the places where they live will last for all their children to follow. They have used their own names to name their lands.
Daniel 4:30
And he said, ‘Is not this the great Babylon which I have built as a beautiful place for the king? I have built it by my great strength and for the greatness of my power.'

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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