The Meaning of Deuteronomy 5:24 Explained

Deuteronomy 5:24

KJV: And ye said, Behold, the LORD our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

YLT: and say, Lo, Jehovah our God hath shewed us His honour, and His greatness; and His voice we have heard out of the midst of the fire; this day we have seen that God doth speak with man -- and he hath lived.

Darby: and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God has shewn us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice from the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God talks with man, and he lives.

ASV: and ye said, Behold, Jehovah our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth speak with man, and he liveth.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And ye said,  Behold, the LORD  our God  hath shewed  us his glory  and his greatness,  and we have heard  his voice  out of the midst  of the fire:  we have seen  this day  that God  doth talk  with man,  and he liveth. 

What does Deuteronomy 5:24 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 5:22-33 - Moses Between God And The People
"He added no more"-i.e., the Law is perfect. It is written in stone, and therefore is permanent. When the conscience has not learned the efficacy of the blood of Jesus it shrinks from contact with God's holiness, Deuteronomy 5:24-26. But such fear does not save us from going back to our calf-making and license.
Turn from Moses to our blessed Lord, who went into the middle of the thunder and lightning which our sin had incurred. On Him the full force of the storm broke, and we were delivered. Adolphe Monod said: "I have a firm and peaceful confidence in the redemption of Jesus Christ, in His blood and sacrifice, accepted before God, taking the place of the good which I have not done and repairing the evil that I have done."
Note the yearning of Deuteronomy 5:29. It repeats itself elsewhere, Isaiah 48:18; Matthew 23:37. See also Ezekiel 36:26. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 5

1  The covenant in Horeb
6  The ten commandments
23  At the people's request Moses receives the law from God

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 5:24 mean?

and you said surely has shown us Yahweh our God - His glory and His greatness His voice we have heard from the midst of the fire day this we have seen that speaks God with man and yet he [still] lives
וַתֹּאמְר֗וּ הֵ֣ן הֶרְאָ֜נוּ יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙ אֶת־ כְּבֹד֣וֹ וְאֶת־ גָּדְל֔וֹ קֹל֥וֹ שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ מִתּ֣וֹךְ הָאֵ֑שׁ הַיּ֤וֹם הַזֶּה֙ רָאִ֔ינוּ כִּֽי־ יְדַבֵּ֧ר אֱלֹהִ֛ים אֶת־ הָֽאָדָ֖ם וָחָֽי

וַתֹּאמְר֗וּ  and  you  said 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Consecutive imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: אָמַר 
Sense: to say, speak, utter.
הֵ֣ן  surely 
Parse: Interjection
Root: הֵן  
Sense: behold, lo, though hypothetical part.
הֶרְאָ֜נוּ  has  shown  us 
Parse: Verb, Hifil, Perfect, third person masculine singular, first person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֙ינוּ֙  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
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.
כְּבֹד֣וֹ  His  glory 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: כָּבֹוד  
Sense: glory, honour, glorious, abundance.
גָּדְל֔וֹ  His  greatness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: גֹּדֶל  
Sense: greatness.
קֹל֥וֹ  His  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
שָׁמַ֖עְנוּ  we  have  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
מִתּ֣וֹךְ  from  the  midst 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: תָּוֶךְ  
Sense: midst, middle.
הָאֵ֑שׁ  of  the  fire 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.
הַיּ֤וֹם  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּה֙  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.
רָאִ֔ינוּ  we  have  seen 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, first person common plural
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
כִּֽי־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: כִּי 
Sense: that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since.
יְדַבֵּ֧ר  speaks 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
אֱלֹהִ֛ים  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָֽאָדָ֖ם  man 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: אָדָם 
Sense: man, mankind.
וָחָֽי  and  yet  he  [still]  lives 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, 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.