The Meaning of Deuteronomy 5:26 Explained

Deuteronomy 5:26

KJV: For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

YLT: For who of all flesh is he who hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire like us -- and doth live?

Darby: For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we, and has lived?

ASV: For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

KJV Reverse Interlinear

For who [is there of] all flesh,  that hath heard  the voice  of the living  God  speaking  out of the midst  of the fire,  as we [have], and lived? 

What does Deuteronomy 5:26 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 5:26 mean?

For who [is there] of all flesh who has heard the voice of the God living speaking from the midst of the fire as we and [have] lived
כִּ֣י מִ֣י כָל־ בָּשָׂ֡ר אֲשֶׁ֣ר שָׁמַ֣ע קוֹל֩ אֱלֹהִ֨ים חַיִּ֜ים מְדַבֵּ֧ר מִתּוֹךְ־ הָאֵ֛שׁ כָּמֹ֖נוּ ؟ וַיֶּֽחִי

מִ֣י  who  [is  there] 
Parse: Interrogative
Root: מִי  
Sense: who?, whose?, whom?, would that, whoever, whosoever.
כָל־  of  all 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
בָּשָׂ֡ר  flesh 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: בָּשָׂר  
Sense: flesh.
שָׁמַ֣ע  has  heard 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
קוֹל֩  the  voice 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: קֹול 
Sense: voice, sound, noise.
אֱלֹהִ֨ים  of  the  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
חַיִּ֜ים  living 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: חַי 
Sense: living, alive.
מְדַבֵּ֧ר  speaking 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Participle, masculine singular
Root: דָּבַר 
Sense: to speak, declare, converse, command, promise, warn, threaten, sing.
מִתּוֹךְ־  from  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.
כָּמֹ֖נוּ  as  we 
Parse: Preposition, first person common plural
Root: כְּמֹו  
Sense: like, as, the like of which conj.
؟ וַיֶּֽחִי  and  [have]  lived 
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.