The Meaning of Deuteronomy 29:4 Explained

Deuteronomy 29:4

KJV: Yet the LORD hath not given you an heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

YLT: and Jehovah hath not given to you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, till this day,

Darby: But Jehovah hath not given you a heart to perceive, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, to this day.

ASV: but Jehovah hath not given you a heart to know, and eyes to see, and ears to hear, unto this day.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Yet the LORD  hath not given  you an heart  to perceive,  and eyes  to see,  and ears  to hear,  unto this day. 

What does Deuteronomy 29:4 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 29:1-13 - The Covenant That Brings Prosperity
In one great final convocation Moses rehearsed the Covenant, and endeavored to bind the people to its provisions. It becomes us all from time to time to look into the vows that we have made, reviewing them to see if we have carefully observed and kept our pledges. We need also to enlarge their scope as one new department after another is added to the experience of our souls. A review also of God's great love and care through past years should constrain us, as by the mercies of God, to present ourselves anew to Him, as a "living sacrifice," Romans 12:1-2.
Notice the double aspect of Deuteronomy 29:12-13. It is not enough for us to be willing to enter into a covenant with God and to take His oath; we need that God should establish us unto Himself that we may become His peculiar people. The established heart and character are the very special gifts of the Holy Spirit, 1 Thessalonians 3:13, 1 Peter 5:10. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 29

1  Moses exhorts them to obedience, reminding of the works they had seen
10  All are presented before the Lord to enter into his covenant
18  The great wrath on him who flatters himself in his wickedness
29  Secret things belong unto God

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 29:4 mean?

And yet not has given Yahweh you a heart to perceive and eyes to see and ears to hear to [very] day this
וְלֹֽא־ נָתַן֩ יְהוָ֨ה לָכֶ֥ם לֵב֙ לָדַ֔עַת וְעֵינַ֥יִם לִרְא֖וֹת וְאָזְנַ֣יִם לִשְׁמֹ֑עַ עַ֖ד הַיּ֥וֹם הַזֶּֽה

וְלֹֽא־  And  yet  not 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adverb, Negative particle
Root: הֲלֹא 
Sense: not, no.
נָתַן֩  has  given 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: יָתַן 
Sense: to give, put, set.
יְהוָ֨ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
לֵב֙  a  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: לֵב 
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, understanding.
לָדַ֔עַת  to  perceive 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: דָּעָה 
Sense: to know.
וְעֵינַ֥יִם  and  eyes 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, cd
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
לִרְא֖וֹת  to  see 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
וְאָזְנַ֣יִם  and  ears 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, fd
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
לִשְׁמֹ֑עַ  to  hear 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
הַיּ֥וֹם  [very]  day 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
הַזֶּֽה  this 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, masculine singular
Root: זֶה  
Sense: this, this one, here, which, this … that, the one … the other, another, such.