Deuteronomy 4:11

“You came near and stood at the foot of the mountain, and the mountain was burning with fire to the heart of the heavens: darkness, cloud, and thick cloud.”
Deuteronomy 4:11 · direct translation from the Hebrew

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With the Hebrew beneath

You came nearוַתִּקְרְבוּןand stoodוַתַּעַמְדוּןat the foot ofתַּחַתthe mountain,הָהָרand the mountainוְהָהָרwas burningבֹּעֵרwith fireבָּאֵשׁtoעַדthe heartלֵבof the heavens:הַשָּׁמַיִםdarkness,חֹשֶׁךְcloud,עָנָןand thick cloud.וַעֲרָפֶל

Allusion · Hebrews 12:18

Go to Hebrews 12:18

Both texts describe the mountain that burned with fire, with darkness and gloom.

They share words that are rare in the original, without a quotation.

אֵשׁeshH784πυρὶpyriG4442“fire”
בֹּעֵרboerH1197κεκαυμένῳkekaumenōiG2545“burn; graze”
חֹשֶׁךְjoshejH2822γνόφῳgnophōiG1105“darkness”

Deuteronomy 4:11, word by word

You came nearתִּקְרְבוּtikrvu

come near

To come near to someone or something.

Where else “tikrvu” appears

and stoodתַּעַמְדוּtaamdu

stand

To be on one's feet, firm in a place, or to rise up to act.

Where else “taamdu” appears

the mountainהָרhar

mountain

A great rise of land, like Sinai or Zion.

Where else “har” appears

was burningבֹּעֵרboer

burn

For fire to be lit, or to make something be consumed in flames.

Where else “boer” appears

with fireאֵשׁesh

fire

Fire that burns or cooks.

Where else “esh” appears

the heartלֵבlev

heart

The deepest part of a person: where they think, feel and decide.

Where else “lev” appears

of the heavensשָּׁמַיִםshamayim

sky

The high space seen above the earth, where the birds, clouds, sun and stars are.

Where else “shamayim” appears

darknessחֹשֶׁךְchoshech

darkness

The absence of light, night.

Where else “choshech” appears

cloudעָנָןanan

cloud of presence

The cloud of YHWH's presence.

Where else “anan” appears

and thick cloudעֲרָפֶלarafel

thick darkness

Thick, dark cloud; deep darkness.

Where else “arafel” appears

The context

10The day that you stood before YHWH your Elohim at Horeb, when YHWH said to me, “Assemble the people for me, and I will make them hear my words, which they will learn in order to fear me all the days that they live on the ground, and they will teach their children.”

11 · This verse (above)

12YHWH spoke to you from the midst of the fire. You were hearing the sound of words, but you saw no form; only a voice.

Read all of Deuteronomy 4

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