Deuteronomy 4:12
New International Version
Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.

New Living Translation
And the LORD spoke to you from the heart of the fire. You heard the sound of his words but didn’t see his form; there was only a voice.

English Standard Version
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.

Berean Standard Bible
And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words but saw no form; there was only a voice.

King James Bible
And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

New King James Version
And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; you only heard a voice.

New American Standard Bible
Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice.

NASB 1995
“Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form— only a voice.

NASB 1977
“Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—only a voice.

Legacy Standard Bible
Then Yahweh spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of words, but you saw no form—only a voice.

Amplified Bible
Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but you saw no form—there was only a voice.

Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn’t see a form; there was only a voice.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Then the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You kept hearing the sound of the words, but didn’t see a form; there was only a voice.

American Standard Version
And Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only ye heard a voice.

Contemporary English Version
and the LORD spoke to you from the fire. You could hear him and understand what he was saying, but you couldn't see him.

English Revised Version
And the LORD spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only ye heard a voice.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
The LORD spoke to you from the fire. You heard a voice speaking but saw no one. There was only a voice.

Good News Translation
Tell them how the LORD spoke to you from the fire, how you heard him speaking but did not see him in any form at all.

International Standard Version
the LORD your God spoke from the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of words, but you saw no form; there was only a voice.

Majority Standard Bible
And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words but saw no form; there was only a voice.

NET Bible
Then the LORD spoke to you from the middle of the fire; you heard speech but you could not see anything--only a voice was heard.

New Heart English Bible
The LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.

Webster's Bible Translation
And the LORD spoke to you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only ye heard a voice.

World English Bible
Yahweh spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you heard the voice of words, but you saw no form; you only heard a voice.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and YHWH speaks to you out of the midst of the fire; you are hearing a voice of words, but you are seeing no likeness, only a voice;

Young's Literal Translation
'And Jehovah speaketh unto you out of the midst of the fire; a voice of words ye are hearing and a similitude ye are not seeing, only a voice;

Smith's Literal Translation
And Jehovah will speak to you from the midst of the fire, ye hearing a voice of words, and ye seeing not an appearance, except a voice.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You heard the voice of his words, but you saw not any form at all.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And the Lord spoke to you from the midst of fire. You heard the voice of his words, but you did not see any form at all.

New American Bible
Then the LORD spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.

New Revised Standard Version
Then the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of words but saw no form; there was only a voice.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And the LORD spoke to you on the mountain out of the midst of the fire; you heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And LORD JEHOVAH spoke with you in the mountain from within the fire; the voice that spoke you were hearing and you were not seeing a form, except the voice only.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
And the LORD spoke unto you out of the midst of the fire; ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only a voice.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And the Lord spoke to you out of the midst of the fire a voice of words, which ye heard: and ye saw no likeness, only ye heard a voice.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
An Exhortation to Obedience
11You came near and stood at the base of the mountain, a mountain blazing with fire to the heavens, with black clouds and deep darkness. 12And the LORD spoke to you out of the fire. You heard the sound of the words, but saw no form; there was only a voice. 13He declared to you His covenant, which He commanded you to follow—the Ten Commandments that He wrote on two tablets of stone.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:1-22
And God spoke all these words: / “I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery. / You shall have no other gods before Me. ...

Exodus 19:9-19
The LORD said to Moses, “Behold, I will come to you in a dense cloud, so that the people will hear when I speak with you, and they will always put their trust in you.” And Moses relayed to the LORD what the people had said. / Then the LORD said to Moses, “Go to the people and consecrate them today and tomorrow. They must wash their clothes / and be prepared by the third day, for on the third day the LORD will come down on Mount Sinai in the sight of all the people. ...

Hebrews 12:18-21
For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire; to darkness, gloom, and storm; / to a trumpet blast or to a voice that made its hearers beg that no further word be spoken. / For they could not bear what was commanded: “If even an animal touches the mountain, it must be stoned.” ...

1 Kings 19:11-13
Then the LORD said, “Go out and stand on the mountain before the LORD. Behold, the LORD is about to pass by.” And a great and mighty wind tore into the mountains and shattered the rocks before the LORD, but the LORD was not in the wind. After the wind there was an earthquake, but the LORD was not in the earthquake. / After the earthquake there was a fire, but the LORD was not in the fire. And after the fire came a still, small voice. / When Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his cloak and went out and stood at the mouth of the cave. Suddenly a voice came to him and said, “What are you doing here, Elijah?”

Acts 7:38
He was in the assembly in the wilderness with the angel who spoke to him on Mount Sinai, and with our fathers. And he received living words to pass on to us.

Exodus 33:11
Thus the LORD would speak to Moses face to face, as a man speaks to his friend. Then Moses would return to the camp, but his young assistant Joshua son of Nun would not leave the tent.

John 1:18
No one has ever seen God, but the one and only Son, who is Himself God and is at the Father’s side, has made Him known.

1 Timothy 6:16
He alone is immortal and dwells in unapproachable light. No one has ever seen Him, nor can anyone see Him. To Him be honor and eternal dominion! Amen.

Exodus 24:16-17
and the glory of the LORD settled on Mount Sinai. For six days the cloud covered it, and on the seventh day the LORD called to Moses from within the cloud. / And the sight of the glory of the LORD was like a consuming fire on the mountaintop in the eyes of the Israelites.

Psalm 81:7
You called out in distress, and I rescued you; I answered you from the cloud of thunder; I tested you at the waters of Meribah. Selah

1 John 4:12
No one has ever seen God; but if we love one another, God remains in us, and His love is perfected in us.

Exodus 3:2-6
There the angel of the LORD appeared to him in a blazing fire from within a bush. Moses saw the bush ablaze with fire, but it was not consumed. / So Moses thought, “I must go over and see this marvelous sight. Why is the bush not burning up?” / When the LORD saw that he had gone over to look, God called out to him from within the bush, “Moses, Moses!” “Here I am,” he answered. ...

1 Corinthians 13:12
Now we see but a dim reflection as in a mirror; then we shall see face to face. Now I know in part; then I shall know fully, even as I am fully known.

Isaiah 6:1-5
In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord seated on a throne, high and exalted; and the train of His robe filled the temple. / Above Him stood seraphim, each having six wings: With two wings they covered their faces, with two they covered their feet, and with two they were flying. / And they were calling out to one another: “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of Hosts; all the earth is full of His glory.” ...

Matthew 17:5
While Peter was still speaking, a bright cloud enveloped them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Listen to Him!”


Treasury of Scripture

And the LORD spoke to you out of the middle of the fire: you heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; only you heard a voice.

the Lord

Deuteronomy 5:4,22
The LORD talked with you face to face in the mount out of the midst of the fire, …

no similitude

Deuteronomy 4:15
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:

Numbers 12:8
With him will I speak mouth to mouth, even apparently, and not in dark speeches; and the similitude of the LORD shall he behold: wherefore then were ye not afraid to speak against my servant Moses?

Isaiah 40:18
To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?

Deuteronomy 4:33,36
Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live? …

Exodus 20:22
And the LORD said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.

1 Kings 19:12,13
And after the earthquake a fire; but the LORD was not in the fire: and after the fire a still small voice…

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Deuteronomy 4
1. An exhortation to obedience
41. Moses appoints the three cities of refuge on that side of Jordan
44. Recapitulation














And the LORD spoke
The Hebrew word for "LORD" here is "YHWH," the sacred tetragrammaton, which signifies the covenantal name of God. This emphasizes the personal and relational nature of God with His people, Israel. The act of speaking indicates divine communication, a foundational aspect of the relationship between God and humanity. It underscores the belief that God is not distant but actively involved in guiding His people.

to you
This phrase personalizes the message, indicating that the communication from God was directed specifically to the Israelites. It highlights the communal aspect of the covenant, where God addresses His chosen people collectively, reinforcing their identity and purpose as a nation set apart.

out of the fire
Fire in the Hebrew Bible often symbolizes God's presence, purity, and power. The fire on Mount Sinai was a visible manifestation of God's holiness and majesty. It served as a reminder of His unapproachable holiness and the awe-inspiring nature of His presence. This imagery would have been a powerful reminder to the Israelites of the seriousness and sanctity of God's law.

You heard the sound of words
The emphasis on hearing rather than seeing is significant. In a culture where idols and images were prevalent, the auditory experience of God's word set the Israelites apart. The Hebrew word for "heard" is "shama," which implies not just hearing but also obeying. This underscores the importance of listening to and following God's commandments.

but saw no form
This phrase is crucial in the context of Israel's prohibition against idolatry. The absence of a visible form emphasizes the transcendence and incomparability of God. It serves as a theological foundation for the commandment against making graven images, reminding the Israelites that God cannot be contained or represented by any physical form.

there was only a voice
The focus on the voice rather than a visual representation highlights the primacy of God's word. In the Hebrew tradition, the spoken word is powerful and creative, as seen in the creation narrative. This reinforces the idea that God's word is sufficient for guidance and revelation, and it calls the Israelites to a faith that is based on trust in His spoken promises rather than visual evidence.

Verse 12. - On this occasion the people heard the voice of the words, but saw no similitude; there was no form or shape apparent to the eye. No man can see God's face (Exodus 33:20, 23); "no man hath seen God at any time" (John 1:18); and though the nobles or elders of Israel who went up with Moses into the mount are said to have seen God, it is evident that what they saw was only some luminous manifestation of his glory, and not a form or shape of which a similitude could be made (Exodus 24:9-17). Even Moses, with whom God said that he would speak mouth to month, and who should behold the similitude of God (Numbers 12:8), was told that he could not see his face, his essential personality, but only his back, the reflection of his glory (Exodus 33:18-23).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
And the LORD
יְהוָ֛ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

spoke
וַיְדַבֵּ֧ר (way·ḏab·bêr)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Consecutive imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

to you
אֲלֵיכֶ֖ם (’ă·lê·ḵem)
Preposition | second person masculine plural
Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to

out of
מִתּ֣וֹךְ (mit·tō·wḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 8432: A bisection, the centre

the fire.
הָאֵ֑שׁ (hā·’êš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 784: A fire

You
אַתֶּ֣ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

heard
שֹׁמְעִ֔ים (šō·mə·‘îm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

the sound
ק֤וֹל (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

of the words,
דְּבָרִים֙ (də·ḇā·rîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1697: A word, a matter, thing, a cause

but saw
רֹאִ֖ים (rō·’îm)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural
Strong's 7200: To see

no
אֵינְכֶ֥ם (’ê·nə·ḵem)
Adverb | second person masculine plural
Strong's 369: A non-entity, a negative particle

form;
וּתְמוּנָ֛ה (ū·ṯə·mū·nāh)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8544: Something portioned, out, as a, shape, phantom, embodiment, manifestation

there was only
זוּלָתִ֥י (zū·lā·ṯî)
Preposition
Strong's 2108: Scattering, removal, except

a voice.
קֽוֹל׃ (qō·wl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 4:12 Yahweh spoke to you out (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 4:11
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