The Meaning of Deuteronomy 4:32 Explained

Deuteronomy 4:32

KJV: For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

YLT: For, ask, I pray thee, at the former days which have been before thee, from the day that God prepared man on the earth, and from the one end of the heavens even unto the other end of the heavens, whether there hath been as this great thing -- or hath been heard like it?

Darby: For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man on the earth, and from one end of the heavens to the other end of the heavens, whether there hath been anything as this great thing is, or if anything hath been heard like it?

ASV: For ask now of the days that are past, which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth, and from the one end of heaven unto the other, whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is, or hath been heard like it?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For ask  now of the days  that are past,  which were  before  thee, since the day  that God  created  man  upon the earth,  and [ask] from the one side  of heaven  unto the other, whether there hath been [any such thing] as this great  thing  [is], or hath been heard  like it? 

What does Deuteronomy 4:32 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 4:32-49 - Israel's Peculiar Privileges
Every argument that love and wisdom, the great past and the miracles of the Exodus could suggest, was brought to bear on the hearts of the chosen people, fortifying them against the temptations to backsliding. They were bidden to ask from ancient history and from one end of heaven to another, if any such wonders had ever been known in the history of the nations. But it must be sorrowfully confessed that memory and wonder are not enough to permanently fortify the heart against the insidious entrance of evil. Only the Holy Spirit can do that, Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 5:16.
So eager is the divine heart that none should perish but that all should come to repentance, that guide-posts to refuge are carefully multiplied. Here again their names and locations are specified, lest any should not have met with former notifications, Numbers 35:6; Numbers 35:14; 2 Peter 3:9. [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 4:32 mean?

For ask now concerning the days that are past which were before you since the day that created God man on the earth and from one end of heaven and to the other of the heavens [ask] whether has happened like [any thing] great this or has been heard [anything] like it
כִּ֣י שְׁאַל־ נָא֩ לְיָמִ֨ים רִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים אֲשֶׁר־ הָי֣וּ לְפָנֶ֗יךָ לְמִן־ הַיּוֹם֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ בָּרָ֨א אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀ אָדָם֙ עַל־ הָאָ֔רֶץ וּלְמִקְצֵ֥ה הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם וְעַד־ קְצֵ֣ה הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם הֲנִֽהְיָ֗ה כַּדָּבָ֤ר הַגָּדוֹל֙ הַזֶּ֔ה א֖וֹ הֲנִשְׁמַ֥ע ؟ כָּמֹֽהוּ

שְׁאַל־  ask 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁאַל 
Sense: to ask, enquire, borrow, beg.
נָא֩  now 
Parse: Interjection
Root: נָא  
Sense: I (we) pray, now, please.
לְיָמִ֨ים  concerning  the  days 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
רִֽאשֹׁנִ֜ים  that  are  past 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: רִאשֹׁון  
Sense: first, primary, former.
לְפָנֶ֗יךָ  before  you 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, common plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
לְמִן־  since 
Parse: Preposition-l
Root: מִן 
Sense: from, out of, on account of, off, on the side of, since, above, than, so that not, more than.
הַיּוֹם֙  the  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
אֲשֶׁר֩  that 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּרָ֨א  created 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: בָּרָא 
Sense: to create, shape, form.
אֱלֹהִ֤ים ׀  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אָדָם֙  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  the  earth 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וּלְמִקְצֵ֥ה  and  from  one  end 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition-l, Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְעַד־  and  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
קְצֵ֣ה  the  other 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קָצֶה 
Sense: end, extremity.
הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם  of  the  heavens 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
הֲנִֽהְיָ֗ה  [ask]  whether  has  happened 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
כַּדָּבָ֤ר  like  [any  thing] 
Parse: Preposition-k, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: דָּבָר  
Sense: speech, word, speaking, thing.
הַגָּדוֹל֙  great 
Parse: Article, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: גָּבֹול 
Sense: great.
הַזֶּ֔ה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
הֲנִשְׁמַ֥ע  has  been  heard 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
؟ כָּמֹֽהוּ  [anything]  like  it 
Parse: Preposition, third person masculine singular
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.