Deuteronomy 4:19
17 of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air,
18 or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.
When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
20 Yet the LORD has taken you and brought you out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be the people of His inheritance, as you are today.
21 The LORD, however, was angry with me on account of you, and He swore that I would not cross the Jordan to enter the good land that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance.
This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.
Compare
- BSB
- When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.
- KJV
- And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.
- WEB
- and lest you lift up your eyes to the sky, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the army of the sky, you are drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.
- ASV
- and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.
- DARBY
- and lest thou lift up thine eyes to the heavens, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, the whole host of heaven, and be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath assigned unto all peoples under the whole heaven.
- BLB
- And lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens and you see the sun and the moon and the stars—all the host of the heavens—and you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which YHWH your God has given as a heritage to all the peoples under the whole heavens.
- ÅB
- og at du ikke, når du løfter dine øyne opp til himmelen og ser solen og månen og stjernene, hele himmelens hær, lar deg føre vill, så du tilber dem og dyrker dem, de som Herren din Gud har tildelt alle folkene under hele himmelen.
- OTB
- Og når dere ser opp til himmelen og ser solen, månen og stjernene—hele himmelens hær—la dere ikke lokkes til å bøye dere ned for dem og tilbe ting som Herren deres Gud har tildelt alle folkene under himmelen.
- B1930
- og at du ikke, når du løfter dine øine op til himmelen og ser solen og månen og stjernene, hele himmelens hær, lar dig føre vill, så du tilbeder dem og dyrker dem, de som Herren din Gud har tildelt alle folkene under hele himmelen.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 17:3
and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
Read in context2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped and served all the host of heaven.
Read in contextGenesis 1:16–18
God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
Read in context2 Kings 17:16
They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal.
Read in contextGenesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.
Read in contextPsalms 148:3–5
Praise Him, O sun and moon; praise Him, all you shining stars.
Read in contextJoshua 10:12–13
On the day that the LORD gave the Amorites over to the Israelites, Joshua spoke to the LORD in the presence of Israel: “O sun, stand still over Gibeon, O moon, over the Valley of Aijalon.”
Read in context