The Meaning of Deuteronomy 4:33 Explained

Deuteronomy 4:33

KJV: Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

YLT: Hath a people heard the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, thou -- and doth live?

Darby: Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking from the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

ASV: Did ever a people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as thou hast heard, and live?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Did [ever] people  hear  the voice  of God  speaking out  of the midst  of the fire,  as thou hast heard,  and live? 

What does Deuteronomy 4:33 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 4:33 mean?

did [ever] hear [any] people the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire as have heard you and live
הֲשָׁ֣מַֽע עָם֩ ק֨וֹל אֱלֹהִ֜ים מְדַבֵּ֧ר מִתּוֹךְ־ הָאֵ֛שׁ כַּאֲשֶׁר־ שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ אַתָּ֖ה ؟ וַיֶּֽחִי

הֲשָׁ֣מַֽע  did  [ever]  hear 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
עָם֩  [any]  people 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
ק֨וֹל  the  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
אֱלֹהִ֜ים  of  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
מְדַבֵּ֧ר  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
מִתּוֹךְ־  out  of  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הָאֵ֛שׁ  of  the  fire 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
שָׁמַ֥עְתָּ  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
؟ וַיֶּֽחִי  and  live 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָיָה  
Sense: to live, have life, remain alive, sustain life, live prosperously, live for ever, be quickened, be alive, be restored to life or health.