Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 4:12
And the LORD spoke 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.
12. the Lord spake out of the midst of the fire ] So Deu 4:15; Deu 4:33; Deu 4:36; Deu 5:4; Deu 5:22; Deu 5:24; Deu 9:10; Deu 10:4. J, Exo 19:18, descended in fire; P, Exo 24:17, the glory of Jehovah like devouring fire.
the voice of words only a voice ] E, Exo 19:19, God answered by a voice; P, Exo 24:16, called out of the cloud; E, Exo 19:16; Exo 19:19; Exo 20:18, reiterates the sound of a trumpet, exceeding loud. The omission of this by D is noteworthy.
ye saw no form ] Heb. t e mnah, form or shape; E, Exo 20:4. This feeling, that seeing is more sensuous than hearing, was shared by the prophets, who forbad the presentation of God in any physical shape, yet did not hesitate to use words describing Him in the likeness of a man: father, husband, warrior, even as a travailing woman, Deu 32:18, Isa 42:13 f.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Hero worship exhibited itself in the practice of setting up images of human form as household gods (Penates, compare Gen 31:19; Gen 35:2), or as local and civic divinities: a practice forbidden by Deu 4:16. Nature worship in its baser shapes is seen in the Egyptian idolatry of animals and animal figures, and is condemned in Deu 4:17-18 : while its less ignoble flight, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, is forbidden in Deu 4:19. The great legislator may be regarded as taking in the passage before us a complete and comprehensive survey of the various forms of idolatrous and corrupt worship practiced by the surrounding Oriental nations, and as particularly and successively forbidding them every one.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
i.e. No resemblance or representation of God, whereby either his essence or properties or actions were represented, such as were usual among the heathens.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
12. ye heard the voice of the words,but saw no similitudeAlthough articulate sounds were heardemanating from the mount, no form or representation of the DivineBeing who spoke was seen to indicate His nature or propertiesaccording to the notions of the heathen.
De4:14-40. A PARTICULARDISSUASIVE AGAINSTIDOLATRY.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
And the Lord spake unto you out of the midst of the fire,…. For the Lord descended on Mount Sinai in a cloud, in fire, and was in the thick darkness, from whence he delivered out the ten commands:
ye heard the voice of the words; distinctly and plainly, not only the sound of them, but the words themselves, and so as to understand what was meant by them;
but saw no similitude; not any likeness of the person speaking, by which they could form any idea of him in their minds, which was purposely done to prevent idolatry:
only ye heard a voice; that was all.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
Deu 4:12
. And the Lord spake unto you. It is a confirmation of the Second Commandment, that God manifested Himself to the Israelites by a voice, and not in a bodily form; whence it follows that those who are not contented with His voice, but seek His visible form, substitute imaginations and phantoms in His place. But here arises a difficult question, for God made Himself known to the patriarchs in other ways besides by His voice alone; thus Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew Him not only by hearing, but by sight. Moses himself saw Him in the midst of the burning bush; and He also manifested Himself to the Prophets under visible figures. Since it would be superfluous to heap together many citations, let the remarkable vision of Isaiah suffice, which is related in (Isa 6:0), and those of Ezekiel, which we read of in (Eze 1:0 and Eze 10:0) And yet God was not forgetful of Himself, when He thus presented Himself to the sight of His servants. Wherefore, this argument does not appear to be valid and good, that it is sinful to represent God in a visible image, because His voice was once heard without His being seen; when, on the other side, it is easy to object that visible forms have often been exhibited, wherein He testified His presence. The solution is twofold: first, that, although God may have invested Himself in certain forms for the purpose of manifesting Himself, this must be accounted as a peculiar circumstance, and not be taken as a general rule; secondly, that the visions shewn to the patriarchs were testimonies of His invisible glory, rather to elevate men’s minds to things above than to keep them entangled amongst earthly elements. In the promulgation of His Law, God first prescribed what believers must follow; because He saw that this was the best method ( compendium) for retaining the minds of His people in true religion, and at the same time the best remedy for idolatry. Unless we submit to this counsel of God, we shall not only betray a licentious spirit of contention, but shall run directly against God, like butting bulls. For it was not in vain that Moses laid down this principle, that when God collected to Himself a Church, and handed down a certain and inviolable rule for holy living, He had not invested Himself in a bodily shape, but had exhibited the living image of His glory in the doctrine itself. Hence we may conclude that all those who seek for God in a visible figure, not only decline, but actually revolt, from the true study of piety.
If any one should object that God is not inconsistent with Himself, and yet, as has been said, that He has more than once taken upon Himself a visible form, the reply is simple and easy, that, whenever He appeared to the patriarchs in a visible form, He gave a temporary sign, which still was by no means contradictory of this commandment. Isaiah saw the Lord of hosts sitting on His throne; yet he boldly cries out as from the mouth of God, “To whom will ye liken me?” (Isa 40:25.) Nor need I repeat how constantly he speaks against idolaters; certainly he inveighs more strongly than any of the prophets against the folly, nay, the madness of those who make to themselves any image of God; because they thus turn truth into falsehood; and finally he assumes the same principle as that of Moses, that the true nature of God is corrupted by tricks and delusions if a corruptible thing be called His image. But what was His vision itself? The seraphim, who surrounded God’s throne, sufficiently shewed by their covering their faces with their wings that the sight of Him could not be borne by mortals. As to what Ezekiel relates, no painter could represent it; for God has always appeared distinguished from the shape of any creature by those marks which surpass man’s apprehension. This conclusion, therefore, always remains sure, that no image is suitable to God, because He would not be perceived by His people otherwise than in a voice. But then also fire was a symbol of His presence, yet He testified by it that His glory is incomprehensible, and thus would prevent men from idol-making. We have elsewhere explained what it is “to guard themselves as to their souls.” (93) But we infer, from his anxious exhortations, that they should take heed, how great is the leaning of the human soul to idolatry. This is the tendency of that attestation against them, which I have inserted from (Deu 8:0); for Moses not only threatens them, but, as if summoning witnesses according to the custom of solemn trials, denounces that they shall perish, in order to inspire them with greater fear by this earnest mode of address. Whence it appears that this insane lust (of idolatry) is not to be repressed by ordinary means. With the same object he says that they are “corrupted, or corrupt themselves,” who make any similitude of God. Thus Paul also declares that in this way the truth is changed into a lie, (Rom 1:25😉 and Jeremiah and Habakkuk condemn images for their falsehood. (Jer 10:14; Hab 2:18.) No wonder, then, that an idol should be called the “corruption” of men, since it adulterates the worship of God; and it is a most just recompense to those who pollute the pure and perfect knowledge of God, that they should be thence infected with a rottenness which consumes their souls. Hence, also, the stupid ignorance of the Papists is confuted who confine this prohibition to the ancient people, as if it were now permitted to paint or to sculpture (images of God) (94) as if they had been Jews whom Paul was addressing, when he reasoned from the common origin of our nature: “Forasmuch as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver,” or corruptible matter. (Act 17:29) (95) There is no necessity for entering into details; but the Spirit declares no less plainly now that we must keep ourselves from idols, (1Jo 5:21,) than He of old forbade their being made. Moreover, it was an act of diabolical madness to make away with one of the Ten Commandments, in order that they might rush into this foul and detestable extravagance with impunity. They pretend that the Jews were formerly prohibited from idolatry with greater strictness, because they were too much disposed to it, as if they were not themselves much worse in this respect. But, setting aside this, who does not see that the vice of superstition, which is natural to the human mind, was corrected by this remedy? Until, therefore, men have laid aside their nature, we infer that this Commandment is necessary for them.
(93) See Lat. of ver. 15. The explanation to which he alludes is probably that given on Deu 8:11. Vol. 1 p. 397.
(94) Added from Fr.
(95) Addition in Fr., “ Or, c’estoit aux Payens qu’il parloit ainsi;” Now, they were heathens whom he thus addressed.
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary
Deu 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.
Ver. 12. Ye saw no similitude. ] Numa the Roman lawgiver would not permit any image, whether painted or carved, to be placed in their temples, eo quod nefas duceret praestantiora deterioribus adsimulare, because he held it unlawful to set forth a better thing by a worse, &c. Hence it was that the Roman temples had no pictures in them for a hundred and seventy years after the building of that city. Irenaeus reproves the heretics called Gnostici, for that they carried about the image of Christ, made in Pilate’s time, after his own proportion; for “to whom will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?” Isa 40:18
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
spake. See note on Deu 2:1.
saw. Figure of speech Zeugma. App-6.: by which one verb ‘saw” is used with two objects and suits only the first. A second verb “heard” must be supplied: compare Exo 3:16. 2Ki 11:12. 1Ti 4:3. It is for the purpose of calling attention to the emphasis thus put on the verb “saw”; an idol being that which is seen.
similitude = appearance of form, or likeness.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
the Lord: Deu 5:4, Deu 5:22
no similitude: Deu 4:15, Num 12:8, Isa 40:18, Col 1:15
only ye heard a voice: Heb. save a voice, Deu 4:33, Deu 4:36, Exo 20:22, 1Ki 19:12, 1Ki 19:13, Isa 30:21, Isa 40:3, Isa 40:6, Mat 3:3, Mat 3:17, Mat 17:5, Joh 12:28-30, 2Pe 1:17, 2Pe 1:18
Reciprocal: Exo 19:9 – that the Exo 19:18 – mount Sinai Jdg 5:5 – that Sinai Job 38:1 – General Psa 97:2 – Clouds Psa 147:19 – word Eze 1:4 – a great Eze 10:5 – the voice Joh 1:18 – seen Joh 5:37 – Ye have Heb 12:19 – and the voice