The Meaning of Deuteronomy 4:48 Explained

Deuteronomy 4:48

KJV: From Aroer, which is by the bank of the river Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon,

YLT: from Aroer, which is by the edge of the brook Arnon, even unto mount Sion, which is Hermon --

Darby: from Aroer, which is on the bank of the river Arnon, as far as mount Sion, which is Hermon,

ASV: from Aroer, which is on the edge of the valley of the Arnon, even unto mount Sion (the same is Hermon),

KJV Reverse Interlinear

From Aroer,  which [is] by the bank  of the river  Arnon,  even unto mount  Sion,  which [is] Hermon, 

What does Deuteronomy 4:48 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 4:32-49 - Israel's Peculiar Privileges
Every argument that love and wisdom, the great past and the miracles of the Exodus could suggest, was brought to bear on the hearts of the chosen people, fortifying them against the temptations to backsliding. They were bidden to ask from ancient history and from one end of heaven to another, if any such wonders had ever been known in the history of the nations. But it must be sorrowfully confessed that memory and wonder are not enough to permanently fortify the heart against the insidious entrance of evil. Only the Holy Spirit can do that, Romans 8:1-4; Galatians 5:16.
So eager is the divine heart that none should perish but that all should come to repentance, that guide-posts to refuge are carefully multiplied. Here again their names and locations are specified, lest any should not have met with former notifications, Numbers 35:6; Numbers 35:14; 2 Peter 3:9. [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 4:48 mean?

from Aroer which [is] on the bank of the River Arnon and even to Mount Sion that [is] Hermon
מֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר אֲשֶׁ֨ר עַל־ שְׂפַת־ נַ֧חַל אַרְנֹ֛ן וְעַד־ הַ֥ר שִׂיאֹ֖ן ה֥וּא חֶרְמֽוֹן

מֵעֲרֹעֵ֞ר  from  Aroer 
Parse: Preposition-m, Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: עֲרֹועֵר  
Sense: a city on the north bank of the river Arnon, the southern point of the territory of Sihon the king of the Amorites and later of Reuben; modern ‘Arair’.
אֲשֶׁ֨ר  which  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
שְׂפַת־  the  bank 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular construct
Root: שָׂפָה  
Sense: lip, language, speech, shore, bank, brink, brim, side, edge, border, binding.
נַ֧חַל  of  the  River 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: נַחַל 
Sense: torrent, valley, wadi, torrent-valley.
אַרְנֹ֛ן  Arnon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: אַרְנׄון  
Sense: a river and surrounding valley in south Palestine, forms the border between Moab and the Amorites.
וְעַד־  and  even  to 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Preposition
Root: עַד  
Sense: as far as, even to, until, up to, while, as far as.
הַ֥ר  Mount 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct
Root: הַר  
Sense: hill, mountain, hill country, mount.
שִׂיאֹ֖ן  Sion 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: שִׂיאֹון  
Sense: another name for Mount Hermon.
ה֥וּא  that  [is] 
Parse: Pronoun, third person masculine singular
Root: הוּא 
Sense: he, she, it.
חֶרְמֽוֹן  Hermon 
Parse: Proper Noun, feminine singular
Root: חֶרְמֹון  
Sense: a mountain on the northeastern border of Palestine and Lebanon and overlooking the border city of Dan.