Deuteronomy 5:4
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The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
Commentaries
Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.
A. The True Essence of the Law and Its Fulfilment The exposition of the law commences with a repetition of the ten words of the covenant, which were spoken to all Israel directly by the Lord Himself.
Open source ↗In this chapter we have the second edition of the ten commandments. I. The general intent of them; they were in the nature of a covenant between God and Israel (Deu 5:1-5). II. The particular precepts are repeated (v. 6-21), with the double delivery of them, both by word and writing (Deu 5:22). III. The settling of the correspondence thenceforward between God and Israel, by the mediation and ministry of Moses. 1. It was Israel's humble petition that it might be so (Deu 5:23-27). 2. It was God's gracious grant that it should be so (Deu 5:28-31). And hence he infers the obligation they were under to obedience (Deu 5:32, Deu 5:33).
Open source ↗Original language
The Hebrew and Greek words behind this passage, with Strong's numbers — from openscriptures (CC BY-SA).
Cross-references
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Since that time, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the LORD knew face to face—
Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
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.
He let you hear His voice from heaven to discipline you, and on earth He showed you His great fire, and you heard His words out of the fire.
I speak with him face to face, clearly and not in riddles; he sees the form of the LORD. Why then were you unafraid to speak against My servant Moses?”
And they will tell it to the inhabitants of this land. They have already heard that You, O LORD, are in the midst of this people, that You, O LORD, have been seen face to face, that Your cloud stands over them, and that You go before them in a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night.
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.