The Meaning of Deuteronomy 4:19 Explained

Deuteronomy 4:19

KJV: And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which the LORD thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven.

YLT: 'And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.

Darby: and lest thou lift up thine eyes to the heavens, and see the sun, and the moon, and the stars, the whole host of heaven, and be drawn away and bow down to them and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath assigned unto all peoples under the whole heaven.

ASV: and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

And lest thou lift up  thine eyes  unto heaven,  and when thou seest  the sun,  and the moon,  and the stars,  [even] all the host  of heaven,  shouldest be driven  to worship  them, and serve  them, which the LORD  thy God  hath divided  unto all nations  under the whole heaven. 

What does Deuteronomy 4:19 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 4:15-31 - Jehovah "a Jealous God"
How often Moses repeats, "take heed." We must watch as well as pray and keep our souls diligently. We must specially beware of idols-that is, any visible thing which takes the place of the unseen and eternal, veiling it from our view. The soul must learn to lean on the everlasting arm.
How true that description of the iron furnace! The metaphor is derived from the process of smelting metal. We have had our Egypts, where by trials the real ore of character was disintegrated from its rocky matrix. But though God may remove us from outward affliction, He is Himself the furnace of purification, by His Spirit and Word, and in the secrets of our hearts, Deuteronomy 4:24. But His fire burns our bonds, while our heads are unsinged, Daniel 3:25.
If these words meet the eyes of any who are among the scattered and vanished ones, let them seek God again, and they shall certainly find Him; for He is merciful, He will not fail nor destroy, nor forget the olden Covenant, Deuteronomy 4:30-31. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 4

1  An exhortation to obedience
41  Moses appoints the three cities of refuge on that side of Jordan
44  Recapitulation

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 4:19 mean?

And [take heed] lest you lift your eyes to heaven and [when] you see - the sun and the moon the stars all the host of heaven and you feel driven and to worship them and serve them which has given as a heritage Yahweh your God - to all the peoples under whole the heaven
וּפֶן־ תִּשָּׂ֨א עֵינֶ֜יךָ הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה וְֽ֠רָאִיתָ אֶת־ הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ וְאֶת־ הַיָּרֵ֜חַ הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗ים כֹּ֚ל צְבָ֣א הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛ וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָ לָהֶ֖ם וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑ם אֲשֶׁ֨ר חָלַ֜ק יְהוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֹתָ֔ם לְכֹל֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים תַּ֖חַת כָּל־ הַשָּׁמָֽיִם

וּפֶן־  And  [take  heed]  lest 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תִּשָּׂ֨א  you  lift 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
עֵינֶ֜יךָ  your  eyes 
Parse: Noun, cdc, second person masculine singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
הַשָּׁמַ֗יְמָה  to  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural, third person feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְֽ֠רָאִיתָ  and  [when]  you  see 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
הַשֶּׁ֨מֶשׁ  the  sun 
Parse: Article, Noun, common singular
Root: שֶׁמֶשׁ  
Sense: sun.
הַיָּרֵ֜חַ  the  moon 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יָרֵחַ  
Sense: moon.
הַכּֽוֹכָבִ֗ים  the  stars 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: כֹּוכָב  
Sense: star.
צְבָ֣א  the  host 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: צָבָא 
Sense: that which goes forth, army, war, warfare, host.
הַשָּׁמַ֔יִם  of  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.
וְנִדַּחְתָּ֛  and  you  feel  driven 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Nifal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: נָדַח 
Sense: to impel, thrust, drive away, banish.
וְהִשְׁתַּחֲוִ֥יתָ  and  to  worship 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Hitpael, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: שָׁחָה  
Sense: to bow down.
וַעֲבַדְתָּ֑ם  and  serve  them 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular, third person masculine plural
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
חָלַ֜ק  has  given  as  a  heritage 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: חָלַק 
Sense: to divide, share, plunder, allot, apportion, assign.
יְהוָ֤ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙  your  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, second person masculine singular
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֹתָ֔ם  - 
Parse: Direct object marker, third person masculine plural
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
לְכֹל֙  to  all 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הָֽעַמִּ֔ים  the  peoples 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
תַּ֖חַת  under 
Parse: Preposition
Root: מִתְחָה 
Sense: the under part, beneath, instead of, as, for, for the sake of, flat, unto, where, whereas.
כָּל־  whole 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: כֹּל  
Sense: all, the whole.
הַשָּׁמָֽיִם  the  heaven 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: שָׁמַיִם  
Sense: heaven, heavens, sky.