Deuteronomy 4:19

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 4:15-24

The Divine jealousy of graven images. The great temptation of Israel was to idolatry. Images were worshipped by all those nations among whom they came, and they were in constant danger of conforming to the sinful practice. Hence this warning and statement about the Divine jealousy. Let us observe— I. THAT JEALOUSY PRESUPPOSES LOVE . Love must be strong as death, else jealousy will not be cruel as the grave; nor will its coals prove coals of fire, having a most vehement flame... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Deuteronomy 4:19

Lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven , etc. The worship of the heavenly bodies, especially star-worship, prevailed among the Canaanites and many of the Semitic tribes, but was not confined to them; the Egyptians also reverenced the sun as Re, the moon as Isis, and the stars as the symbols of deities. The Israelites were thus, both from past associations and from what they might encounter in Canaan, exposed to the danger of being seduced into idolatry. Shouldest be driven : shouldest... read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Deuteronomy 4:19

Divided - i. e., “whose light God has distributed to the nations for their use and benefit, and which therefore being creatures ministering to man’s convenience must not be worshipped as man’s lords.” read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Deuteronomy 4:19

Deuteronomy 4:19. Lest thou shouldest be driven Strongly inclined; to worship them. Which the Lord hath divided unto all nations Which are not gods, but creatures, made not for worship, but for the use of men; yea, of the meanest and most barbarous people under heaven, and therefore cannot, without great absurdity, be worshipped, especially by you, who are so much advanced above other nations in wisdom and in knowledge, and in this, that you are my peculiar people. read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 4:1-43

Warning to be obedient (4:1-43)The reason Moses outlined Israel’s history was to show on the one hand that God’s promises did not fail, and on the other that his judgment on disobedience was certain. In view of this, the people were to keep all God’s laws and commandments without altering them to suit themselves. If they modelled their national life in Canaan on these laws, they would benefit themselves and be an example to others (4:1-8).In order that Israel might not forget his laws, God had... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Deuteronomy 4:19

host of heaven: sun, moon, and stars. This sin foreknown. 2 Kings 17:18 ; 2 Kings 23:4 . Compare Amos 5:26 with Acts 7:42 , Acts 7:43 . read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Deuteronomy 4:17-19

Ver. 17-19. The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, &c.— It is justly observed by Dr. Chandler, in his Vindication, p. 480 that this is the very picture of Egypt, which had gods of all sorts; dead persons deified, male and female, and numerous images of them; and which worshipped as deities, bulls, cows, sheep, goats, dogs, cats, birds, the ibis and hawk, serpents, crocodiles, river-horses, together with the sun, moon, and stars of heaven; and, therefore, Moses adds, ver. 20 but the... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Deuteronomy 4:19

Ver. 19. Which the Lord thy God hath divided, &c.— i.e. Distributed, or imparted. The force of the argument is this: as Jehovah, the true God, whom you adore, has dispensed to all nations under heaven the benefit of the sun, moon, and stars, which he has created; you ought therefore to worship him alone, who is the Lord of them all, and has made them ministers to the sons of men. Nothing can be more reasonable than this inference, that we are not made for the sun, but the sun for us; it is... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Deuteronomy 4:1-40

B. An exhortation to observe the law faithfully 4:1-40Moses turned in his address from contemplating the past to an exhortation for the future. This section is the climax of his first speech."The parallel between the literary structure of this chapter and that of the Near Eastern treaty is noteworthy. The author of the treaty is named (1, 2, 5, 10), reference is made to the preceding historical acts, the treaty stipulations are mentioned, the appeal is made for Israel to obey, the treaty... read more

Thomas Constable

Expository Notes of Dr. Thomas Constable - Deuteronomy 4:6-40

II. MOSES’ FIRST MAJOR ADDRESS: A REVIEW OF GOD’S FAITHFULNESS 1:6-4:40". . . an explicit literary structure to the book is expressed in the sermons or speeches of Moses; a substructure is discernible in the covenantal character of the book; and a theological structure is revealed in its theme of the exclusive worship of the Lord as found in the Ten Commandments, particularly in the First Commandment and its positive expression in the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5)." [Note: Patrick D. Miller,... read more

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