Deuteronomy 4:19
New International Version
And when you look up to the sky and see the sun, the moon and the stars—all the heavenly array—do not be enticed into bowing down to them and worshiping things the LORD your God has apportioned to all the nations under heaven.

New Living Translation
And when you look up into the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the forces of heaven—don’t be seduced into worshiping them. The LORD your God gave them to all the peoples of the earth.

English Standard Version
And beware lest you raise your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, you be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Berean Standard Bible
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.

King James Bible
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.

New King James Version
And take heed, lest you lift your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, you feel driven to worship them and serve them, which the LORD your God has given to all the peoples under the whole heaven as a heritage.

New American Standard Bible
And be careful not to raise your eyes to heaven and look at the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the heavenly lights, and allow yourself to be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

NASB 1995
“And beware not to lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

NASB 1977
“And beware, lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Legacy Standard Bible
and lest you lift up your eyes to heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and be drawn away and worship them and serve them, those which Yahweh your God has apportioned for all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Amplified Bible
And beware that you do not raise your eyes toward heaven and see the sun and the moon and the stars, all the host of heaven, and let yourselves be led astray and worship them and serve them, [mere created bodies] which the LORD your God has allotted to [serve and benefit] all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Christian Standard Bible
When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the stars in the sky—do not be led astray to bow in worship to them and serve them. The LORD your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
When you look to the heavens and see the sun, moon, and stars—all the array of heaven—do not be led astray to bow down and worship them. The LORD your God has provided them for all people everywhere under heaven.

American Standard Version
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.

Aramaic Bible in Plain English
And that you would not lift up your eyes into the sky and see the sun and the moon and the stars and all the hosts of the sky and you would go astray and serve them and worship them which LORD JEHOVAH your God distributed for all the nations under Heaven.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
and lest having looked up to the sky, and having seen the sun and the moon and the stars, and all the heavenly bodies, thou shouldest go astray and worship them, and serve them, which the Lord thy God has distributed to all the nations under heaven.

Contemporary English Version
And when you see the sun or moon or stars, don't be tempted to bow down and worship them. The LORD put them there for all the other nations to worship.

Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest perhaps lifting up thy eyes to heaven, thou see the sun and the moon, and all the stars of heaven, and being deceived by error thou adore and serve them, which the Lord thy God created for the service of all the nations, that are under heaven.

English Revised Version
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 the LORD thy God hath divided unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Don't let yourselves be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky-the sun, the moon, the stars, or anything else. The LORD your God has given them to all people everywhere.

Good News Translation
Do not be tempted to worship and serve what you see in the sky--the sun, the moon, and the stars. The LORD your God has given these to all other peoples for them to worship.

International Standard Version
Do not gaze toward the heavens and observe the sun, the moon, the stars—the entire array of the sky—with the intent to worship and serve what the LORD your God gave every nation.

JPS Tanakh 1917
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 the LORD thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.

Literal Standard Version
And lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and have seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and have been drawn away, and have bowed yourself to them and served them, which your God YHWH has apportioned to all the peoples under all the heavens.

Majority Standard Bible
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.

New American Bible
And when you look up to the heavens and behold the sun or the moon or the stars, the whole heavenly host, do not be led astray into bowing down to them and serving them. These the LORD, your God, has apportioned to all the other nations under the heavens;

NET Bible
When you look up to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars--the whole heavenly creation--you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the LORD your God has assigned them to all the people of the world.

New Revised Standard Version
And when you look up to the heavens and see the sun, the moon, and the stars, all the host of heaven, do not be led astray and bow down to them and serve them, things that the LORD your God has allotted to all the peoples everywhere under heaven.

New Heart English Bible
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 host of heaven, 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.

Webster's Bible Translation
And lest thou shouldst lift up thy eyes to heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldst be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided to all nations under the whole heaven.

World English Bible
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 Yahweh your God has allotted to all the peoples under the whole sky.

Young's Literal Translation
'And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Warning Against Idolatry
18or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below. 19When 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. 20Yet 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.…

Cross References
Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were completed in all their vast array.

Deuteronomy 4:18
or of any creature that crawls on the ground or fish that is in the waters below.

Deuteronomy 13:5
Such a prophet or dreamer must be put to death, because he has advocated rebellion against the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt and redeemed you from the house of slavery; he has tried to turn you from the way in which the LORD your God has commanded you to walk. So you must purge the evil from among you.

Deuteronomy 13:10
Stone him to death for trying to turn you away from the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

Deuteronomy 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--

2 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.

2 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.


Treasury of Scripture

And lest you lift up your eyes to heaven, and when you see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, should be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD your God has divided to all nations under the whole heaven.

when thou

Deuteronomy 17:3
And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;

2 Kings 23:4,5,11
And the king commanded Hilkiah the high priest, and the priests of the second order, and the keepers of the door, to bring forth out of the temple of the LORD all the vessels that were made for Baal, and for the grove, and for all the host of heaven: and he burned them without Jerusalem in the fields of Kidron, and carried the ashes of them unto Bethel…

Job 31:26,27
If I beheld the sun when it shined, or the moon walking in brightness; …

the host

Genesis 2:1
Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

2 Kings 17:16
And they left all the commandments of the LORD their God, and made them molten images, even two calves, and made a grove, and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served Baal.

2 Kings 21:3
For he built up again the high places which Hezekiah his father had destroyed; and he reared up altars for Baal, and made a grove, as did Ahab king of Israel; and worshipped all the host of heaven, and served them.

which the Lord

Genesis 1:16-18
And God made two great lights; the greater light to rule the day, and the lesser light to rule the night: he made the stars also…

Joshua 10:12,13
Then spake Joshua to the LORD in the day when the LORD delivered up the Amorites before the children of Israel, and he said in the sight of Israel, Sun, stand thou still upon Gibeon; and thou, Moon, in the valley of Ajalon…

Nehemiah 9:6
Thou, even thou, art LORD alone; thou hast made heaven, the heaven of heavens, with all their host, the earth, and all things that are therein, the seas, and all that is therein, and thou preservest them all; and the host of heaven worshippeth thee.

divided.

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Allotted Army Beware Divided Drawn Driven Eyes Heaven Host Moon Nations Peoples Seest Serve Shouldest Shouldst Sky Stars Sun Whole Worship
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Allotted Army Beware Divided Drawn Driven Eyes Heaven Host Moon Nations Peoples Seest Serve Shouldest Shouldst Sky Stars Sun Whole Worship
Deuteronomy 4
1. An exhortation to obedience
41. Moses appoints the three cities of refuge on that side of Jordan
44. Recapitulation














(19) The sun, and the moon, and the stars.--The purest worship of antiquity--that which we find among the Persians--hardly escaped this snare.

Which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations.--The heavenly bodies could never be regarded as special protectors of any one nation. But Jehovah was pledged to be the God of Israel. This appears to be the argument of Deuteronomy 4:19-20.

Verse 19. - Lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, etc. The worship of the heavenly bodies, especially star-worship, prevailed among the Canaanites and many of the Semitic tribes, but was not confined to them; the Egyptians also reverenced the sun as Re, the moon as Isis, and the stars as the symbols of deities. The Israelites were thus, both from past associations and from what they might encounter in Canaan, exposed to the danger of being seduced into idolatry. Shouldest be driven: shouldest be urged on, drawn, or constrained (cf. Deuteronomy 13:13). Which the Lord thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven, God had allotted (חָלַק) to all mankind the heavenly bodies for their advantage (Genesis 1:14-18; Psalm 104:19; Jeremiah 31:35); it was, therefore, not competent for any one nation to seek to appropriate them as specially theirs, and it was absurd for any to offer religious service to objects intended for the service of man. Targum: Which the Lord thy God prepared for all peoples under heaven; Vulgate: Quae creavit Dominus Deus tuus in ministerium cunctis gentibus. This seems better than the interpretation that God had "allotted them for worship, i.e. had permitted them [the nations] to choose them as the objects of their worship" (Keil, etc.); for:

1. There is no distinction here between the Hebrews and the other nations of the earth; "all nations" includes them as well as the heathen.

2. Though God permitted the heathen to worship the heavenly bodies, he never allotted these to men in order that they might worship them. "It noteth God's bounty in giving all people the use of those creatures, and the base mind of man to worship such things as are given for servants unto men" (Ainsworth).

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
When you look
תִּשָּׂ֨א (tiś·śā)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5375: To lift, carry, take

to the heavens
הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה (haš·šā·may·māh)
Article | Noun - masculine plural | third person feminine singular
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

and see
וְֽ֠רָאִיתָ (wə·rā·’î·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7200: To see

the sun
הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ (haš·še·meš)
Article | Noun - common singular
Strong's 8121: The sun, the east, a ray, a notched battlement

and
וְאֶת־ (wə·’eṯ-)
Conjunctive waw | Direct object marker
Strong's 853: Untranslatable mark of the accusative case

moon
הַיָּרֵ֜חַ (hay·yā·rê·aḥ)
Article | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3394: The moon

and stars—
הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗ים (hak·kō·w·ḵā·ḇîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3556: A star, a prince

all
כֹּ֚ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the host
צְבָ֣א (ṣə·ḇā)
Noun - common singular construct
Strong's 6635: A mass of persons, reg, organized for, war, a campaign

of heaven—
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם (haš·šā·ma·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

do not
וּפֶן־ (ū·p̄en-)
Conjunctive waw | Conjunction
Strong's 6435: Removal, lest

be enticed
וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ (wə·nid·daḥ·tā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Nifal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 5080: To impel, thrust, banish

to bow down
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָ (wə·hiš·ta·ḥă·wî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Hitpael - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 7812: To depress, prostrate

and worship
וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑ם (wa·‘ă·ḇaḏ·tām)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine plural
Strong's 5647: To work, to serve, till, enslave

what
אֲשֶׁ֨ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֤ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

has apportioned
חָלַ֜ק (ḥā·laq)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2505: To be smooth, to apportion, separate

to all
לְכֹל֙ (lə·ḵōl)
Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

the nations
הָֽעַמִּ֔ים (hā·‘am·mîm)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 5971: A people, a tribe, troops, attendants, a flock

under
תַּ֖חַת (ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

heaven.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם׃ (haš·šā·mā·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 4:19 And lest you lift up your eyes (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 4:18
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