Deuteronomy 5:24

and you said, “Behold, the LORD our God has shown us His glory and greatness, and we have heard His voice out of the fire. Today we have seen that a man can live even if God speaks with him.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses recounts to the Israelites the moment the tribal heads approached him after hearing God's voice from the burning mountain.

The words — The verb וַתֹּאמְרוּ (vat.to.me.ru) translates literally as "and you said," recording the people's immediate verbal response. The noun כְּבוֹדוֹ (ke.vo.do) means "his glory," denoting the visible manifestation of Yahweh they witnessed.

The thread — The paradox of surviving divine speech appears in Deuteronomy 4:33, while Exodus 33:20 establishes the contrasting principle that no one can see God and live.

Why it lands — The text states that the people observed God speaking and remaining alive, a direct observation that immediately triggers their fear of continued exposure in the following verse.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

King James Version

And ye said, Behold, the Lord our God hath shewed us his glory and his greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire: we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and he liveth.

Cross-references

Exodus 19:19 And as the sound of the ram’s horn grew louder and louder, Moses spoke and God answered him in the thunder.
Deuteronomy 4:33 Has a people ever heard the voice of God speaking out of the fire, as you have, and lived?
Exodus 33:20 But He added, “You cannot see My face, for no one can see Me and live.”
Genesis 32:30 So Jacob named the place Peniel, saying, “Indeed, I have seen God face to face, and yet my life was spared.”
Deuteronomy 5:4 The LORD spoke with you face to face out of the fire on the mountain.
Judges 13:22 “We are going to die,” he said to his wife, “for we have seen God!”