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?
Deuteronomy 4:32 nkjv
"For ask now concerning the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether any great thing like this has happened, or anything like it has been heard.
Deuteronomy 4:32 niv
Ask now about the former days, long before your time, from the day God created human beings on the earth; ask from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything so great as this ever happened, or has anything like it ever been heard of?
Deuteronomy 4:32 esv
"For ask now of the days that are past, which were before you, since the day that God created man on the earth, and ask from one end of heaven to the other, whether such a great thing as this has ever happened or was ever heard of.
Deuteronomy 4:32 nlt
"Now search all of history, from the time God created people on the earth until now, and search from one end of the heavens to the other. Has anything as great as this ever been seen or heard before?
Deuteronomy 4 32 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 9:16 | "...that My name may be declared throughout all the earth." | God's fame displayed |
| Exo 19:4-6 | "You have seen what I did to the Egyptians... a treasured possession..." | Uniqueness of God's choice & deliverance |
| Num 14:13-19 | Moses intercedes, speaking of God's power among Israel | God's great deeds known |
| Dt 4:7 | "...what great nation is there that has a god so near to it..." | God's unique proximity to Israel |
| Dt 4:33 | "Did ever people hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of the fire... and live?" | Unprecedented direct revelation |
| Dt 4:34 | "Or has God attempted to go and take a nation for Himself..." | God's unique act of taking a nation |
| Dt 5:24 | "...the LORD our God has shown us His glory and His greatness..." | Witnessing God's power |
| Dt 7:6-8 | "For you are a holy people to the LORD your God; the LORD your God has chosen you..." | God's unique election of Israel |
| Josh 23:3 | "You yourselves have seen all that the LORD your God has done..." | Recalling God's historical actions |
| Judg 6:13 | "...where are all His miracles which our fathers told us about..." | Memory of God's past wonders |
| 1 Sam 2:2 | "There is no one holy like the LORD, for there is no one besides You..." | Incomparable holiness of God |
| 2 Sam 7:23-24 | "...what one nation in the earth is like Your people Israel, whom God went to redeem for a people..." | Israel's uniqueness due to God's redemption |
| Ps 33:10-11 | "The LORD brings the counsel of the nations to nothing..." | God's sovereignty over all nations |
| Ps 78:1-72 | Historical account of God's acts for Israel, a remembrance of His wonders | Recounting God's faithfulness |
| Ps 86:8 | "There is no one like You among the gods, O Lord..." | God's peerless nature |
| Ps 105:5-6 | "Remember His wonderful works which He has done..." | Call to remember God's deeds |
| Ps 147:19-20 | "He declares His words to Jacob... He has not dealt thus with any nation..." | God's unique revelation to Israel |
| Isa 40:28 | "Have you not known? Have you not heard? The Everlasting God, the LORD, the Creator..." | God as the eternal Creator |
| Isa 44:6-8 | "...I am the first and I am the last; besides Me there is no God." | God's sole deity, challenging idols |
| Jer 10:6-7 | "For there is none like You, O LORD... no one like You." | God's unrivaled greatness |
| Amos 3:2 | "You only have I known among all the families of the earth..." | God's specific choice of Israel |
| Acts 7:37-38 | Moses refers to God's voice in the wilderness | God's speaking to His people |
| Rom 9:4 | "who are Israelites, to whom pertain the adoption, the glory, the covenants, the giving of the law..." | Unique privileges of Israel |
| Heb 1:1-2 | "God, who at various times and in various ways spoke in time past to the fathers by the prophets..." | God's progressive revelation |
Deuteronomy 4 verses
Deuteronomy 4 32 Meaning
Deuteronomy 4:32 is a profound rhetorical question posed by Moses to the Israelites, challenging them to search all of history, from the beginning of creation, and across the entire expanse of the heavens, to find any event or revelation comparable to what the Lord God had done for them. It underscores the unparalleled nature of God's covenant with Israel, His direct communication, and His mighty acts of deliverance, asserting the absolute uniqueness of their divine relationship and the God who initiated it.
Deuteronomy 4 32 Context
Deuteronomy 4 records Moses' solemn address to the Israelites as they stood on the brink of entering the Promised Land, forty years after the Exodus from Egypt. It serves as a foundational sermon, calling the people to remember the Law (Torah) and the covenant made with God at Mount Horeb (Sinai). The preceding verses (Dt 4:1-25) emphasize the importance of obedience to God's statutes and warns against adding to or taking away from His commands, particularly regarding the prohibition of idolatry. Moses reminds them of the fire they witnessed at Horeb and the uniqueness of God's direct, non-visual revelation. Verse 32 specifically initiates a series of rhetorical questions (Dt 4:32-38) that compel the Israelites to reflect on the unprecedented nature of God's actions on their behalf, culminating in the declaration that "the Lord is God in heaven above and on the earth below; there is no other" (Dt 4:39). The verse sets the stage for Moses to explain why Israel should be so uniquely committed to their God and His laws—because no other people have ever experienced such a God or such great things from Him.
Deuteronomy 4 32 Word analysis
For ask now: The Hebrew word for "ask" is sha'al (שְׁאַל), an imperative verb, emphasizing a direct challenge or invitation to thorough inquiry. It's not a suggestion but a command to investigate, implying that the answer will be unequivocally in God's favor.
of the days that are past: In Hebrew, yamim rishonim (יָמִים רִאשֹׁנִים) refers to ancient or former days, stressing a deep historical perspective. It means "the earliest times" or "the original days."
which were before thee, since the day that God created man upon the earth: This phrase, asher hayu lefaneka min-ha-yom asher bara Elohim adam al-ha-aretz (אֲשֶׁר־הָיוּ לְפָנֶיךָ מִן־הַיּוֹם אֲשֶׁר בָּרָא אֱלֹהִים אָדָם עַל־הָאָרֶץ), establishes the chronological boundary for the inquiry. It demands an examination of all human history, from the moment of humanity's creation. "God created man" (bara Elohim adam) signifies a divine act of beginning, providing the widest possible temporal scope for comparison.
and ask from the one side of heaven unto the other: The Hebrew miqtzeh ha-shamayim ve-ad-qtzeh ha-shamayim (מִקְצֵה הַשָּׁמַיִם וְעַד־קְצֵה הַשָּׁמָיִם) is a merism, a literary device using two contrasting parts to represent a whole. It means "from one end of the heavens to the other," indicating a comprehensive spatial or universal scope. The search is not confined to Israel's locale or surrounding nations but extends globally, even cosmically, to every place under the sky.
whether there hath been any such thing as this great thing is: Hanihyah ka-davar ha-gadol ha-zeh (הֲנִהְיָה כַּדָּבָר הַגָּדוֹל הַזֶּה) challenges them to find a "great thing" or "great deed" (referring to the Exodus, the Sinai covenant, and God's miraculous provision). This "great thing" is singular, unprecedented, and refers to God's unique actions for Israel.
or hath been heard like it?: O ha-nishmʿa kamohu (אוֹ הֲנִשְׁמַע כָּמֹהוּ) means "or has anything been heard like it?" This covers not only what might have been directly experienced or observed but also what has been transmitted through oral tradition or written accounts throughout human history. This reinforces the idea of comprehensive investigation, whether by experience or testimony.
"days that are past... created man upon the earth" and "from the one side of heaven unto the other": These two phrases collectively establish the vast and comprehensive boundaries for the Israelites' inquiry. They represent the maximal scope in both time (from creation onward) and space (everywhere under the sky). This emphasizes the absolute uniqueness of God's acts for Israel—no similar event has ever occurred, anywhere, at any point in history. It highlights God's transcendence and His unparalleled involvement with a specific people.
Deuteronomy 4 32 Bonus section
This verse serves as the theological foundation for Israel's unique status among nations. It asserts that their history is unlike any other because their God is unlike any other god. This distinction becomes the primary reason for their obligation to obedience and faithfulness. It also implicitly reminds them that such a unique privilege carries with it unique responsibilities and consequences for disobedience. The verse, therefore, sets a standard for God's power and faithfulness that echoes throughout the Old Testament and finds its ultimate fulfillment in the New Testament with God's greatest act: the sending of His Son, Jesus Christ, and the establishment of a new covenant, which is also an unparalleled "great thing" for all humanity. This unique call to inquiry extends beyond ancient Israel, challenging every generation to acknowledge the unique saving acts of God throughout redemptive history.
Deuteronomy 4 32 Commentary
Deuteronomy 4:32 is a powerful call to ponder the sheer incomparability of God's acts on behalf of Israel. Moses challenges his audience, and implicitly all of humanity, to conduct an exhaustive historical and geographical investigation. The question isn't posed in doubt but as a rhetorical device designed to elicit an obvious, undeniable answer: "No, there has never been anything like it." This verse emphasizes several critical truths. Firstly, it establishes the utterly unique nature of God's self-revelation and covenant with Israel; no other nation or people has ever experienced such a direct, personal, and miraculous relationship with the one true God, particularly through visible signs and audible communication (Dt 4:33). Secondly, it underscores the omnipotence and singular sovereignty of Yahweh as the Creator of the universe, demonstrating that His intervention in history is a reflection of His cosmic authority. He is not merely a tribal deity but the God who created humanity and oversees all the earth. Finally, the verse functions as a profound anti-polytheistic polemic. In a world full of localized and limited gods, Moses proclaims a God who transcends all boundaries of time and space, whose deeds for Israel dwarf all other claims of divine intervention. The "great thing" refers specifically to the Exodus from Egypt, the giving of the Law at Sinai, and God's sustained presence and provision in the wilderness, which form the bedrock of Israel's identity and their covenant relationship.