Deuteronomy 4

Deuteronomy 4 concludes the first address that Moses delivered in the land of Moab east of the Jordan (1:1–4:43). In chapters 1–3 Moses reviewed the wilderness journey, and in this chapter he draws on that history to urge obedience to the law. The closing section (verses 44–49) introduces the second address, which begins in chapter 5.

Outline

• Verses 1–8: Moses commands the people not to add to or take away from the statutes and judgments. He reminds them that those who followed Baal-peor were destroyed and says that keeping the law will be Israel's wisdom in the sight of the nations.
• Verses 9–14: He tells them not to forget the voice that spoke out of the fire at Mount Horeb or the Ten Commandments written on two tablets of stone, and to teach these things to their children.
• Verses 15–24: Because they saw no form on that day, he warns them not to worship any image, or the sun, moon, or stars. Moses declares that he himself will not cross the Jordan.
• Verses 25–31: If they serve idols, they will be scattered among the nations; yet even there, if they seek the LORD with all their heart, they will find him.
• Verses 32–40: On the basis of God's speaking out of the fire and bringing them out of Egypt, Moses calls them to know that there is no god besides the LORD and to keep his commandments.
• Verses 41–43: Moses sets apart three cities of refuge east of the Jordan.
• Verses 44–49: The text records the setting: the law was proclaimed in the valley opposite Beth-peor, in the land taken from Sihon and Og.

Key Verses

• Deuteronomy 4:2 "Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it": frequently cited as the principle that nothing is to be added to or taken from God's word (Deuteronomy 4:2).
• Deuteronomy 4:24 "For the LORD thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God": quoted again in Hebrews 12:29.
• Deuteronomy 4:29 "Thou shalt find him, if thou seek him with all thy heart and with all thy soul": affirms that a way of return remains open even in the place of exile.

People and Places

• Moses: the speaker of the address.
• Mount Horeb: the mountain where the law was given. Deuteronomy generally refers to Mount Sinai by this name.
• Baal-peor: the Baal worshiped at Peor. Israel's worship of this god is recounted in Numbers 25.
• Sihon and Og: kings of the Amorites east of the Jordan.
• Bezer, Ramoth in Gilead, and Golan in Bashan: the cities of refuge for the tribes of Reuben, Gad, and Manasseh, respectively.
• Mount Hermon: verse 48 also calls this mountain "mount Sion," a name distinct from Zion in Jerusalem.

Points for Reflection

• The prohibition of images in verses 15–19 is frequently cited in discussions of whether pictures and statues may be placed in places of worship. The Reformed tradition reads it as grounds for strictly forbidding any representation of God in images. Lutheran, Roman Catholic, and Eastern Orthodox traditions tend to distinguish between idols that are objects of worship and images that aid instruction and meditation.
• Verse 2 is cited alongside Revelation 22:18–19 in discussions of the authority of Scripture. In its original context, however, it refers to the law delivered by Moses.
• The scattering and return in verses 25–31 are commonly read as fulfilled in the Babylonian exile and the subsequent return. Dispensationalism sometimes also connects them with the restoration of Israel in the last days. Verse 29 is linked to the promise in Jeremiah 29:4–14: "And ye shall seek me, and find me, when ye shall search for me with all your heart."