Deuteronomy 18:16 kjv
According to all that thou desiredst of the LORD thy God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, neither let me see this great fire any more, that I die not.
Deuteronomy 18:16 nkjv
according to all you desired of the LORD your God in Horeb in the day of the assembly, saying, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor let me see this great fire anymore, lest I die.'
Deuteronomy 18:16 niv
For this is what you asked of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly when you said, "Let us not hear the voice of the LORD our God nor see this great fire anymore, or we will die."
Deuteronomy 18:16 esv
just as you desired of the LORD your God at Horeb on the day of the assembly, when you said, 'Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God or see this great fire any more, lest I die.'
Deuteronomy 18:16 nlt
For this is what you yourselves requested of the LORD your God when you were assembled at Mount Sinai. You said, 'Don't let us hear the voice of the LORD our God anymore or see this blazing fire, for we will die.'
Deuteronomy 18 16 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Ex 19:16-19 | On the morning of the third day there were thunders and lightnings... and a very loud trumpet blast... | Describe Sinai's terrifying phenomena. |
| Ex 20:18-19 | When all the people saw the thunder and the flashes... they trembled... they said to Moses, "You speak to us, and we will listen..." | People's fear and request for Moses to mediate. |
| Heb 12:18-21 | For you have not come to a mountain that can be touched and that is burning with fire... so dreadful was the sight that Moses said, "I am terrified and trembling." | Compares Sinai's fear to new covenant grace. |
| Deut 5:23-27 | When you heard the voice from the midst of the darkness... you said, "Indeed the LORD our God has shown us his glory and his greatness..." but "Let not the LORD our God speak to us anymore, lest we die." | Deuteronomy's retelling of the people's plea at Horeb. |
| Deut 18:15 | The LORD your God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among you... to him you shall listen. | Context of the promise for a prophet. |
| Deut 18:17-19 | And the LORD said to me, "They are right in what they have spoken... I will raise up for them a prophet like you from among their brothers..." | God affirms their request and promises a prophet. |
| Num 12:8 | With him I speak mouth to mouth, clearly, and not in riddles... | Moses' unique face-to-face relationship with God. |
| Isa 6:5 | And I said: "Woe is me! For I am lost; for I am a man of unclean lips... for my eyes have seen the King, the LORD of hosts!" | Fear of death upon seeing God's holiness. |
| Judg 6:22-23 | Gideon perceived that he was the angel of the LORD. Then Gideon said, "Alas, O Lord GOD! For I have seen the angel of the LORD face to face." The LORD said to him, "Peace be to you. Do not fear; you shall not die." | Similar fear of death upon seeing divine beings. |
| Gen 32:30 | So Jacob called the name of the place Peniel, saying, "For I have seen God face to face, and yet my life has been delivered." | Jacob's survival after seeing God. |
| Ex 33:20 | But he said, "You cannot see my face, for man shall not see me and live." | God states humans cannot see His full glory and live. |
| Psa 29:3-9 | The voice of the LORD is over the waters; the God of glory thunders... The voice of the LORD makes the deer give birth... In his temple all cry, "Glory!" | Describes the power and majesty of God's voice. |
| Acts 3:22-23 | Moses said, ‘The Lord God will raise up for you a prophet like me from among your brothers. You shall listen to him in whatever he tells you.' | Peter applies Deut 18:15 to Jesus Christ. |
| Acts 7:37-38 | This is the Moses who said to the Israelites, 'God will raise up for you a prophet from your brothers as he raised up me.' | Stephen also identifies Jesus with the promised prophet. |
| John 1:18 | No one has ever seen God; the only God, who is at the Father's side, he has made him known. | Jesus as the ultimate revelation of God. |
| 1 Tim 2:5 | For there is one God, and there is one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus. | Christ as the supreme mediator. |
| Gal 3:19 | Why then the law? It was added because of transgressions, until the offspring should come to whom the promise had been made, and it was put in place through angels by an intermediary. | The Law given through an intermediary (Moses). |
| Rom 5:1-2 | Therefore, since we have been justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ. Through him we have also obtained access by faith into this grace... | Access to God through Christ, not terrifying fire. |
| 2 Cor 3:7-11 | Now if the ministry of death, carved in letters on stone, came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses' face... will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory? | Compares the glory of the old covenant to the new, the former brings fear/death, the latter life. |
| Luke 9:35 | And a voice came out of the cloud, saying, "This is my Son, my Chosen One; listen to him!" | God speaks directly to affirm Jesus at Transfiguration, commanding to listen. |
| Jer 31:31-34 | Behold, the days are coming, declares the LORD, when I will make a new covenant... They shall all know me, from the least of them to the greatest, declares the LORD... | Prophecy of direct knowledge of God under new covenant, but still through mediated means. |
| Is 30:20-21 | Though the Lord give you the bread of adversity and the water of affliction, yet your Teacher will not hide himself anymore, but your eyes shall see your Teacher... And your ears shall hear a word behind you, saying, "This is the way, walk in it..." | Future direct guidance under God as teacher, implies the coming prophet. |
Deuteronomy 18 verses
Deuteronomy 18 16 Meaning
Deuteronomy 18:16 refers back to the awe-inspiring and terrifying events at Mount Horeb (Sinai) when the Law was given. It highlights Israel's direct plea to God to not experience His raw, unveiled presence and voice again, because they feared death due to their inability to endure such divine holiness. This verse underscores Israel's perceived need for a mediator, setting the stage for God's promise in the subsequent verses (18:17-19) to raise up a prophet "like Moses."
Deuteronomy 18 16 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 18 functions as a significant segment within Moses' final discourses to Israel before entering the promised land. Following injunctions regarding proper worship, clean/unclean animals, and tithes, Moses turns to the necessary provision for spiritual leadership. He begins by outlining the portion of the Levites and priests, ensuring their livelihood is from God's altar. Immediately preceding verse 16, Moses warns the people against all forms of Canaanite idolatry, divination, fortune-telling, necromancy, and similar abominable practices (vv. 9-14). He then introduces the antidote to these illicit means of seeking spiritual guidance: God will raise up a true prophet "like Moses" (v. 15). Verse 16 directly provides the rationale for this divine provision, reminding Israel of their terrified request at Mount Horeb. Thus, the passage establishes a divinely ordained, mediated path to God's revelation, contrasting it sharply with pagan mediums, and setting the expectation for a future authoritative prophet who would reveal God's will to the people.
Deuteronomy 18 16 Word analysis
- according to all that you desired:
- This phrase references Israel's collective experience and verbalized request at Mount Horeb. It emphasizes God's direct response to their plea. The word for "desired" (שָׁאַל - sha'al) implies a fervent request or inquiry.
- of the LORD your God:
- Highlights the unique covenant relationship between Yahweh and Israel. It points to God as the source of both the terrifying encounter and the subsequent provision of a prophet.
- in Horeb:
- Horeb (חֹרֵב - Ḥorēḇ) is an alternate name for Mount Sinai. This specification ties the current discourse directly to the momentous event of the Law's giving, a foundational experience for Israel. It invokes the historical reality of the divine encounter.
- in the day of the assembly:
- Refers to the unique occasion when all Israel gathered before God at Sinai for the ratification of the covenant. The "assembly" (קָהָל - qāhāl) emphasizes the corporate, communal nature of this foundational religious event.
- saying, ‘Let me not hear again the voice of the LORD my God, nor see this great fire anymore, lest I die.’:
- This direct quote captures the overwhelming fear of the people.
- voice of the LORD my God (קוֹל יְהוָה אֱלֹהַי - qol Yahweh Elohai): Refers to the audible manifestation of God's presence, which accompanied thunder, lightning, and a trumpet sound. It implies direct, unmediated communication, which was too much for mortal beings.
- great fire (אֵשׁ גְּדֹלָה - ’ēš gĕdōlāh): Signifies the visual, consuming manifestation of God's holiness and power. This fiery presence on the mountain (Ex 24:17) was overwhelming and depicted God's awesome glory.
- lest I die (וְלֹא אָמוּת - wĕlō’ ’āmût): This expresses their profound apprehension. It reveals their understanding of their own sinfulness and fragility in the face of absolute divine holiness and power. Direct divine contact, for a sinful humanity, was understood to be fatal. It underscored the infinite qualitative difference between God and humanity. This phrase is a theological statement about divine holiness and human frailty.
- Word-Group Analysis:
- "according to all that you desired... lest I die.": This whole clause serves as the reason clause (כי/that is, because) for the prophetic promise in Deuteronomy 18:15. It frames the divine institution of prophets as a compassionate response to human limitation and fear, acting as God's chosen means for communication with His people.
- "the voice of the LORD my God" and "this great fire": These two phrases vividly describe the sensory overwhelming nature of God's unmediated presence at Sinai. They encapsulate the awe, fear, and terror felt by the Israelites, necessitating a go-between.
Deuteronomy 18 16 Bonus section
The request in Deuteronomy 18:16 shows a deeper spiritual reality: that humanity, acutely aware of its unworthiness and mortality, recoiled from direct confrontation with absolute holiness. This wasn't merely a fear of the physical phenomena, but an existential dread arising from encountering the purity and power of God without a shield. It foreshadows the inherent need for a perfect intercessor and mediator to bridge the gap between a holy God and fallen humanity, a role perfectly fulfilled by the promised Prophet who is the Son of God, able to stand between both. The experience at Horeb established a foundational understanding of divine transcendence and human inadequacy that paved the way for the ultimate mediator, enabling fellowship with God not through terrifying fire and fearful voice, but through grace and truth.
Deuteronomy 18 16 Commentary
Deuteronomy 18:16 articulates the historical and theological basis for the prophetic office in Israel. It revisits the foundational moment at Sinai (Horeb) where God descended in fiery glory and spoke directly to His people. However, this direct, unmediated encounter, though demonstrating God's awesome power and holiness, was utterly terrifying for Israel. Their plea—"lest I die"—revealed their profound understanding that sinful humanity could not withstand the full force of God's raw presence. This moment underscored human weakness and the radical transcendence of God. Thus, God, in His graciousness and by their own request, acquiesced to provide a means of mediated revelation: the prophet "like Moses" (as seen in vv. 15 and 18). This verse is pivotal because it explains why a prophetic intermediary was needed, laying the groundwork for understanding the role of all true prophets and, ultimately, the supreme Prophet and Mediator, Jesus Christ, who perfectly bridged the gap between God and humanity.