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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:

KJV

Custodite igitur sollicite animas vestras. Non vidistis aliquam similitudinem in die, qua locutus est vobis Dominus in Horeb de medio ignis :

Vulgate

καὶ φυλάξεσθε σφόδρα τὰς ψυχὰς ὑμῶν, ὅτι οὐκ εἴδετε ὁμοίωμα ἐν τῇ ἡμέρᾳ ᾗ ἐλάλησεν Κύριος πρὸς ὑμᾶς ἐν Χωρὴβ ἐν τῷ ὄρει ἐκ μέσου τοῦ πυρός·

LXX

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;

ASV

וְ/נִשְׁמַרְתֶּ֥ם מְאֹ֖ד לְ/נַפְשֹׁתֵי/כֶ֑ם כִּ֣י לֹ֤א רְאִיתֶם֙ כָּל תְּמוּנָ֔ה בְּ/י֗וֹם דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה אֲלֵי/כֶ֛ם בְּ/חֹרֵ֖ב מִ/תּ֥וֹךְ הָ/אֵֽשׁ

Hebrew

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In the original Hebrew

15 distinct Hebrew words appear in this verse.

אֵ֖שׁ
'sh
noun · 376×
אֶל
'l
preposition · 5475×
חֹרֵ֑ב
chrb
proper_noun · 15×
י
y
noun · 752×
יְדַבֵּ֥ר
ydbr
verb · 1134×
יְהוָ֖ה
yhvh
proper_noun · 6455×
יּ֣וֹם
yvm
noun · 2285×
יַּ֣רְא
yr'
verb · 1312×
כִּֽי
ky
pronoun · 4439×
כָּל
kl
noun · 5376×
לֹ֣א
l'
proper_noun · 5171×
מְאֹֽד
m'd
noun · 297×
שֹׁמְרֵ֥י
shmry
verb · 467×
ת֣וֹךְ
tvk
noun · 416×
תְּמוּנָ֔ה
tmvnh
noun · 10×

Historic Christian voices

7 passages from patristic writers, Reformers, and church catechisms citing this verse.

§2129The divine injunction included the prohibition of every representation of God by the hand of man. Deuteronomy explains: "Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure...."66 It is the absolutely transcendent God who revealed himse…
Q. What is God's will for us in the second commandment? A. That we in no way make any image of God nor worship him in any other way than he has commanded in his Word.
Since God as Spirit is in essence invisible and immense, he cannot really be expressed by any art or image. For this reason we are not afraid to say with Scripture that images of God are mere lies. Therefore we reject not only the idols of the Gentiles, but also the images of Christians. Although Christ assumed human nature, yet he did not on that account assume it in order to …
I believe with perfect faith that the Creator, blessed be His name, has no body, and that He is free from all the properties of matter, and that there can be no physical comparison to Him whatsoever.

Cross-references

  • 1Chr 28:9 — And thou, Solomon my son, know thou the God of thy father, and serve him with a perfect heart and with a willing mind: for the LORD searcheth all hearts, and understandeth all the imaginations of the
  • 2Cor 4:4 — In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not, lest the light of the glorious gospel of Christ, who is the image of God, should shine unto them.
  • Deut 4:9 — Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons,
  • Deut 4:9 — Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons,
  • Deut 4:12 — 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.
  • Deut 4:12 — 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.
  • Deut 5:8 — Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:
  • Exod 20:4 — Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:
  • Exod 23:13 — And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
  • Exod 32:1 — And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for
  • Heb 1:3 — Who being the brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged our sins, sat down on the right hand of the
  • Isa 40:18 — To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
  • Isa 40:25 — To whom then will ye liken me, or shall I be equal? saith the Holy One.
  • Jer 17:21 — Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
  • Jer 17:21 — Thus saith the LORD; Take heed to yourselves, and bear no burden on the sabbath day, nor bring it in by the gates of Jerusalem;
  • Josh 23:11 — Take good heed therefore unto yourselves, that ye love the LORD your God.
  • Luke 17:3 — Take heed to yourselves: If thy brother trespass against thee, rebuke him; and if he repent, forgive him.
  • Mal 2:15 — And did not he make one? Yet had he the residue of the spirit. And wherefore one? That he might seek a godly seed. Therefore take heed to your spirit, and let none deal treacherously against the wife
  • Num 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?
  • Prov 4:23 — Keep thy heart with all diligence; for out of it are the issues of life.
  • Prov 4:27 — Turn not to the right hand nor to the left: remove thy foot from evil.
  • Ps 119:9 — Wherewithal shall a young man cleanse his way? by taking heed thereto according to thy word.
  • Rom 1:23 — And changed the glory of the uncorruptible God into an image made like to corruptible man, and to birds, and fourfooted beasts, and creeping things.