For who is there of all flesh who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
Parallel translations
- WEB For who is there of all flesh, that has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- KJV For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- BSB For who of all flesh has heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the fire, as we have, and survived?
- NASB For who is there of humanity who has heard the voice of the living God speaking from the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?
- NLT Can any living thing hear the voice of the living God from the heart of the fire as we did and yet survive?
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They ask who else has heard the living God's voice from the fire and survived. They recognize their experience as both unique and dangerous.
Overview
The people marvel that mortal flesh has heard the voice of the living God and lived. This expresses awe at God's self-revelation and the gravity of his holiness. The phrase 'living God' contrasts him with dead idols and points to the God who gives life through his Son.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Deut 4:33Did a people ever hear the voice of God speaking out of the middle of the fire, as you have heard, and live?
- Rom 3:20Because by the works of the law, no flesh will be justified in his sight. For through the law comes the knowledge of sin.
- Matt 26:63But Jesus held his peace. The high priest answered him, “I adjure you by the living God, that you tell us whether you are the Christ, the Son of God.”
- 2 Cor 6:16What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, “I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people.”
- Jer 10:10But Yahweh is the true God; he is the living God, and an everlasting King. At his wrath, the earth trembles, and the nations are not able to withstand his indignation.
- Josh 3:10Joshua said, “By this you shall know that the living God is among you, and that he will without fail drive the Canaanite, and the Hittite, and the Hivite, and the Perizzite, and the Girgashite, and the Amorite, and the Jebusite out from before you.
- 1 Th 1:9For they themselves report concerning us what kind of a reception we had from you; and how you turned to God from idols, to serve a living and true God,
- Acts 14:15“Men, why are you doing these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and bring you good news, that you should turn from these vain things to the living God, who made the sky, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them;
- Isa 40:6The voice of one saying, “Cry!” One said, “What shall I cry?” “All flesh is like grass, and all its glory is like the flower of the field.
- Gen 6:12God saw the earth, and saw that it was corrupt, for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
- Ps 84:2My soul longs, and even faints for the courts of Yahweh. My heart and my flesh cry out for the living God.
- Ps 42:2My soul thirsts for God, for the living God. When shall I come and appear before God?
- Dan 6:26I make a decree, that in all the dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel; for he is the living God, and steadfast forever, His kingdom that which shall not be destroyed; and his dominion shall be even to the end.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 5:26 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.