Go yourself and listen to what the Lord our God says. Then come and tell us everything he tells you, and we will listen and obey.’
Parallel translations
- WEB Go near, and hear all that Yahweh our God shall say, and tell us all that Yahweh our God tells you; and we will hear it, and do it.”
- KJV Go thou near, and hear all that the LORD our God shall say: and speak thou unto us all that the LORD our God shall speak unto thee; and we will hear it, and do it.
- BSB Go near and listen to all that the LORD our God says. Then you can tell us everything the LORD our God tells you; we will listen and obey.”
- NKJV You go near and hear all that the Lord our God may say, and tell us all that the Lord our God says to you, and we will hear and do it.’
- NASB Go near and listen to everything that the Lord our God says; then speak to us everything that the Lord our God speaks to you, and we will listen and do it.’
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
Israel asks Moses to receive God's word for them and promises to obey it. They embrace mediation while pledging obedience.
Overview
The people request that Moses go near to hear God and relay his words, promising to listen and do. Their request for a mediator is commended by God in the following verses. Their pledge of obedience, though sincere, also exposes a heart that cannot keep covenant apart from grace, a need answered in Christ and the Spirit.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 2
- Exod 20:19They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”
- Heb 12:19the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which those who heard it begged that not one more word should be spoken to them,
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Commentaries & study tools
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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 5:27 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.