The Meaning of Deuteronomy 4:23 Explained

Deuteronomy 4:23

KJV: Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

YLT: Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He hath made with you, and have made to yourselves a graven image, a similitude of anything concerning which Jehovah thy God hath charged thee:

Darby: Take heed to yourselves lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves a graven image, the form of anything which Jehovah thy God hath forbidden thee.

ASV: Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image in the form of anything which Jehovah thy God hath forbidden thee.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take heed  unto yourselves, lest ye forget  the covenant  of the LORD  your God,  which he made  with you, and make  you a graven image,  [or] the likeness  of any  [thing], which the LORD  thy God  hath forbidden  thee. 

What does Deuteronomy 4:23 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 4:15-31 - Jehovah "a Jealous God"
How often Moses repeats, "take heed." We must watch as well as pray and keep our souls diligently. We must specially beware of idols-that is, any visible thing which takes the place of the unseen and eternal, veiling it from our view. The soul must learn to lean on the everlasting arm.
How true that description of the iron furnace! The metaphor is derived from the process of smelting metal. We have had our Egypts, where by trials the real ore of character was disintegrated from its rocky matrix. But though God may remove us from outward affliction, He is Himself the furnace of purification, by His Spirit and Word, and in the secrets of our hearts, Deuteronomy 4:24. But His fire burns our bonds, while our heads are unsinged, Daniel 3:25.
If these words meet the eyes of any who are among the scattered and vanished ones, let them seek God again, and they shall certainly find Him; for He is merciful, He will not fail nor destroy, nor forget the olden Covenant, Deuteronomy 4:30-31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 4

1  An exhortation to obedience
41  Moses appoints the three cities of refuge on that side of Jordan
44  Recapitulation

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 4:23 mean?

Take heed to yourselves lest you forget - the covenant of Yahweh your God which He made with you and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of anything has forbidden you Yahweh your God
הִשָּׁמְר֣וּ לָכֶ֗ם פֶּֽן־ תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙ אֶת־ בְּרִ֤ית יְהוָה֙ אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם אֲשֶׁ֥ר כָּרַ֖ת עִמָּכֶ֑ם וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם לָכֶ֥ם פֶּ֙סֶל֙ תְּמ֣וּנַת כֹּ֔ל צִוְּךָ֖ יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ

הִשָּׁמְר֣וּ  Take  heed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
לָכֶ֗ם  to  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
פֶּֽן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙  you  forget 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: כָּשַׁח 
Sense: to forget, ignore, wither.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
בְּרִ֤ית  the  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
יְהוָה֙  of  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔ם  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
כָּרַ֖ת  He  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
עִמָּכֶ֑ם  with  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
Root: עִם  
Sense: with.
וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨ם  and  make 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָכֶ֥ם  for  yourselves 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
פֶּ֙סֶל֙  a  carved  image 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: פֶּסֶל  
Sense: idol, image.
תְּמ֣וּנַת  in  the  form 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: תְּמוּנָה  
Sense: form, image, likeness, representation, semblance.
כֹּ֔ל  of  anything 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
צִוְּךָ֖  has  forbidden  you 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Perfect, third person masculine singular, second person masculine singular
Root: צָוָה  
Sense: to command, charge, give orders, lay charge, give charge to, order.
יְהוָ֥ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).