Deuteronomy 5:24
This page isn't yet indexed by search engines.
This isn't just an exclamation of awe; it's a declaration of wonder that they are still alive after hearing God's voice directly. Their astonishment highlights how utterly impossible it should have been for frail humanity to survive such divine encounter, proving God's power to sustain them beyond their own perceived limits.
And you said, ‘Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live.
English Standard Version (ESV)
After God declared the Ten Commandments directly to the entire assembly on Mount Sinai with awe-inspiring glory, fire, and thunder, the people were overwhelmed by the terrifying experience. They recoiled from God's immediate presence, expressing amazement that they had survived hearing His voice and seeing His glory, fearing they would die if they heard Him speak directly again. This profound encounter led them to request Moses act as their intermediary for all future divine communication.
Imagine standing at the foot of a mountain, and the air itself is crackling with divine power. What does it feel like when the Almighty God decides to reveal Himself?
The Israelites experienced a profound manifestation of God's presence on Mount Sinai. It wasn't just a gentle whisper; it was a full-on display of "his glory and his greatness." Think thundering voices, flashes of lightning, and smoke obscuring the peak – all signs of God's immense power and majesty. They didn't just see it from afar; they heard His voice calling out from the heart of the fire. This wasn't a distant deity; this was God making His presence intensely known.
You've just witnessed something so powerful, so holy, that it feels like looking at the sun. How can you possibly survive such an encounter?
The most astonishing part for the Israelites wasn't just hearing God's voice, but surviving it. They say, 'we have seen this day that God doth talk with man, and man still live.' Normally, a direct encounter with God's unadulterated holiness would be instantly fatal for sinful humans. Their survival was a testament to God's mercy and a demonstration that He could communicate with humanity, even in His awesome power. It’s a miraculous paradox: God’s voice, which brings judgment, also brought life and a covenant to them.
Understand the original words
Ask a follow-up
kabod · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, often denotes the manifested presence, splendor, or weightiness of God’s character and majesty, frequently associated with fire or light.
gedullah · Hebrew Noun
The immense, surpassing stature of God, emphasizing His sovereignty, power, and incomparable nature in contrast to humanity.
This passage describes the same event at Mount Sinai where God's glory and voice were heard out of fire, setting the stage for the people's awe and fear expressed in Deuteronomy 5:24.
Exodus 20:18-19Here, the people, terrified by God's direct communication from the fire, ask Moses to mediate future messages, directly illustrating their statement in Deuteronomy 5:24 that hearing God directly and living is astonishing.
Job 33:14This verse speaks to the general principle that God does speak to humanity, often in ways that are not fully understood or perceived, contrasting with the direct, awe-inspiring, and survival-defying encounter described in Deuteronomy 5:24.
John 1:14This New Testament passage speaks of the Word becoming flesh, a fulfillment of the ancient encounter where God spoke to humanity, but now in a way that fully integrates divine presence with human experience without overwhelming destruction.
Hebrews 12:18-21This passage directly contrasts the terrifying experience at Mount Sinai described in Deuteronomy 5:24 with the New Covenant experience through Jesus, highlighting the immense awe and fear the people felt in the face of God's fiery presence.
gillDeuteronomy 5:24: "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."
And ye said, behold, the Lord our God hath showed us his glory and his greatness,.... In descending on Mount Sinai in the manner he did, and giving the law from thence with such solemnity; for there was a glory in the ministration of it, as the apostle argues 2 Corinthians…
calvinDeuteronomy 5:22-31: "These words the LORD spake unto all your assembly in the mount out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice: and he added no more. And he wrote them in two tables of stone, and delivered them unto me."
- These words the Lord spoke unto all your assembly in the mount, out of the midst of the fire, of the cloud, and of the thick darkness, with a great voice; and he added no more: and he wrote them in two tables of stone, and del…
This isn't just an exclamation of awe; it's a declaration of wonder that they are still alive after hearing God's voice directly. Their astonishment highlights how utterly impossible it should have been for frail humanity to survive such divine encounter, proving God's power to sustain them beyond their own perceived limits.
After God declared the Ten Commandments directly to the entire assembly on Mount Sinai with awe-inspiring glory, fire, and thunder, the people were overwhelmed by the terrifying experience. They recoiled from God's immediate presence, expressing amazement that they had survived hearing His voice and seeing His glory, fearing they would die if they heard Him speak directly again. This profound encounter led them to request Moses act as their intermediary for all future divine communication.
After God declared the Ten Commandments directly to the entire assembly on Mount Sinai with awe-inspiring glory, fire, and thunder, the people were overwhelmed by the terrifying experience. They recoiled from God's immediate presence, expressing amazement that they had survived hearing His voice and seeing His glory, fearing they would die if they heard Him speak directly again. This profound encounter led them to request Moses act as their intermediary for all future divine communication.
"And you said, ‘Behold, the LORD our God has shown us his glory and greatness, and we have heard his voice out of the midst of the fire. This day we have seen God speak with man, and man still live." — This isn't just an exclamation of awe; it's a declaration of wonder that they are still alive after hearing God's voice directly. Their astonishment highlights how utterly impossible it should ha…
Get the original Greek and Hebrew, verse-by-verse context, and related passages inside the app.
Last reviewed October 2026
