Deuteronomy 4:28
26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
27 Then the LORD will scatter you among the peoples, and only a few of you will survive among the nations to which the LORD will drive you.
And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
29 But if from there you will seek the LORD your God, you will find Him if you seek Him with all your heart and with all your soul.
30 When you are in distress and all these things have happened to you, then in later days you will return to the LORD your God and listen to His voice.
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
- And there you will serve man-made gods of wood and stone, which cannot see or hear or eat or smell.
- KJV
- And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
- WEB
- There you will serve gods, the work of men’s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
- ASV
- And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men`s hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
- DARBY
- And ye shall there serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.
- BLB
- And you⁺ will serve gods there—the work of the hands of man—wood and stone, which neither see nor hear nor eat nor smell.
- ÅB
- Og der skal dere dyrke guder som er gjort av menneskehender, stokk og stein, som ikke ser og ikke hører og ikke spiser og ikke lukter.
- OTB
- Der vil dere tjene guder laget av menneskehender, av tre og stein, som ikke kan se eller høre eller spise eller lukte.
- B1930
- Og der skal I dyrke guder som er gjort av menneskehender, stokk og sten, som ikke ser og ikke hører og ikke eter og ikke lukter.
Study notes (Tyndale)
Original text and word study
Cross references
Deuteronomy 28:64
Then the LORD will scatter you among all the nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will worship other gods, gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your fathers have known.
Read in contextJeremiah 16:13
So I will cast you out of this land into a land that neither you nor your fathers have known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.’
Read in contextIsaiah 46:7
They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles.
Read in contextDeuteronomy 28:36
The LORD will bring you and the king you appoint to a nation neither you nor your fathers have known, and there you will worship other gods—gods of wood and stone.
Read in context1 Samuel 26:19
Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’
Read in contextPsalms 135:15–18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
Read in contextIsaiah 44:9
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame.
Read in contextEzekiel 20:39
And as for you, O house of Israel, this is what the Lord GOD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you. But afterward, you will surely listen to Me, and you will no longer defile My holy name with your gifts and idols.
Read in context