The Meaning of Deuteronomy 4:26 Explained

Deuteronomy 4:26

KJV: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

YLT: I have caused to testify against you this day the heavens and the earth, that ye do perish utterly hastily from off the land whither ye are passing over the Jordan to possess it; ye do not prolong days upon it, but are utterly destroyed;

Darby: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye pass over the Jordan to possess it: ye shall not prolong your days on it, but shall be utterly destroyed.

ASV: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over the Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

I call  heaven  and earth  to witness  against you this day,  that ye shall soon  utterly  perish  from off the land  whereunto ye go over  Jordan  to possess  it; ye shall not prolong  [your] days  upon it, but shall utterly  be destroyed. 

What does Deuteronomy 4:26 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 4:26 mean?

I call to witness against you this day - heaven and earth that utterly you will perish soon from the land which you cross over the Jordan there to possess not you will prolong [your] days in it but utterly will be destroyed
הַעִידֹתִי֩ בָכֶ֨ם הַיּ֜וֹם אֶת־ הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם וְאֶת־ הָאָ֗רֶץ כִּֽי־ אָבֹ֣ד תֹּאבֵדוּן֮ מַהֵר֒ מֵעַ֣ל הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֨ר אַתֶּ֜ם עֹבְרִ֧ים הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן שָׁ֖מָּה לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ לֹֽא־ תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן יָמִים֙ עָלֶ֔יהָ כִּ֥י הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן

הַעִידֹתִי֩  I  call  to  witness 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, first person common singular
Root: עוּד 
Sense: to return, repeat, go about, do again.
בָכֶ֨ם  against  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
הַיּ֜וֹם  this  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
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.
הַשָּׁמַ֣יִם  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הָאָ֗רֶץ  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
אָבֹ֣ד  utterly 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive absolute
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
תֹּאבֵדוּן֮  you  will  perish 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: אָבַד  
Sense: perish, vanish, go astray, be destroyed.
מַהֵר֒  soon 
Parse: Adverb
Root: מַהֵר  
Sense: hurrying, speedy, swift, hastening adv.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
עֹבְרִ֧ים  cross  over 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine plural
Root: עָבַר 
Sense: to pass over or by or through, alienate, bring, carry, do away, take, take away, transgress.
הַיַּרְדֵּ֛ן  the  Jordan 
Parse: Article, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: יַרְדֵּן  
Sense: the river of Palestine running from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the Dead Sea a distance of approx 200 miles (320 km).
לְרִשְׁתָּ֑הּ  to  possess 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct, third person feminine singular
Root: יָרַשׁ  
Sense: to seize, dispossess, take possession off, inherit, disinherit, occupy, impoverish, be an heir.
תַאֲרִיכֻ֤ן  you  will  prolong 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: אָרַךְ 
Sense: to be long, prolong.
יָמִים֙  [your]  days 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
עָלֶ֔יהָ  in  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
הִשָּׁמֵ֖ד  utterly 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Infinitive absolute
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.
תִּשָּׁמֵדֽוּן  will  be  destroyed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שָׁמַד  
Sense: to destroy, exterminate, be destroyed, be exterminated.