Deuteronomy 4:28

Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

There you will serve gods made by human hands—objects of wood and stone that cannot see, hear, eat, or smell.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וַעֲבַדְתֶּם־שָׁ֣ם אֱלֹהִ֔ים מַעֲשֵׂ֖ה יְדֵ֣י אָדָ֑ם עֵ֣ץ וָאֶ֔בֶן אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־יִרְאוּן֙ וְלֹ֣א יִשְׁמְע֔וּן וְלֹ֥א יֹֽאכְל֖וּן וְלֹ֥א יְרִיחֻֽן׃

Transliteration

wəʿăḇaḏtem-there ʾĕlōhîm, maʿăśēh yəḏê ʾāḏām, ʿēṣ and-ʾeḇen, which not-yirʾûn and-not yišməʿûn and-not yōʾḵəlûn and-not yərîḥun.

Grammar Details

• *wəʿăḇaḏtem*: waw consecutive + verb, Qal perfect, 2nd person masculine plural - and you will serve
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: masculine plural noun - gods/deities
• *maʿăśēh*: construct state, masculine singular noun - work/product of
• *yəḏê*: construct state, feminine dual noun - hands of
• *ʾāḏām*: masculine singular noun - man/mankind
• *ʿēṣ*: masculine singular noun - wood/tree
• *ʾeḇen*: feminine singular noun - stone
• *yirʾûn*: verb, Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they see
• *yišməʿûn*: verb, Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they hear
• *yōʾḵəlûn*: verb, Qal imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they eat
• *yərîḥun*: verb, Hiphil imperfect, 3rd person masculine plural - they smell

Word Meanings

• *ʾĕlōhîm*: gods/deities/divine beings (plural form)
• *maʿăśēh*: work/product/handiwork
• *ʿēṣ*: wood/tree/timber
• *ʾeḇen*: stone/rock

Other Translations

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• KJV1611 – Modern English

  And there you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• King James Version 1611 (Original)

  And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  And there ye shall serve{H5647} gods,{H430} the work{H4639} of men's{H120} hands,{H3027} wood{H6086} and stone,{H68} which neither see,{H7200} nor hear,{H8085} nor eat,{H398} nor smell.{H7306}

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  And there ye shall serve{H5647}{(H8804)} gods{H430}, the work{H4639} of men's{H120} hands{H3027}, wood{H6086} and stone{H68}, which neither see{H7200}{(H8799)}, nor hear{H8085}{(H8799)}, nor eat{H398}{(H8799)}, nor smell{H7306}{(H8686)}.

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  and there ye shall serue goddes which are the workes of mans hande, wod and stone which nether se nor heare nor eate nor smell.

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  There shal ye serue goddes, which are ye workes of mens handes, euen wodd & stone, which nether se ner heare, ner eate ner smell.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  And there ye shall serue gods, euen ye worke of mans hand, wood, and stone, which neither see, nor heare, nor eate, nor smell.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  And there ye shall serue gods which are the worke of mans hande, wood and stone, which neither see, nor heare, nor eate, nor smell.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  There you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  and ye have served there gods, work of man's hands, wood and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• American Standard Version (1901)

  And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  There you will be the servants of gods, made by men's hands, of wood and stone, having no power of seeing or hearing or taking food or smelling.

• World English Bible (2000)

  There you shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell.

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

  There you will worship gods made by human hands– wood and stone that can neither see, hear, eat, nor smell.

Referenced Verses

• Deut 28:36 : 36 The LORD will drive you and the king you set over yourself to a nation that neither you nor your ancestors have known, and there you will serve other gods made of wood and stone.
• Deut 28:64 : 64 Then the LORD will scatter you among all nations, from one end of the earth to the other, and there you will serve other gods—gods of wood and stone, which neither you nor your ancestors have known.
• Jer 16:13 : 13 Therefore, I will hurl you out of this land into a land you and your ancestors have not known. There you will serve other gods day and night, for I will show you no favor.'
• 1 Sam 26:19 : 19 Now, may my lord the king please hear the words of his servant. If the LORD has incited you against me, may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed before the LORD, because they have driven me out today to prevent me from having a share in the LORD's inheritance, saying, 'Go, serve other gods.'
• Isa 44:9 : 9 All who make idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses see nothing and know nothing, so they will be put to shame.
• Isa 46:7 : 7 They lift it on their shoulders and carry it; they set it in its place, and there it stays. It does not move from its spot. If someone cries to it, it cannot answer or save them from their troubles.
• Jer 10:3 : 3 For the customs of the nations are worthless. They cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped by the hands of a craftsman with a chisel.
• Jer 10:9 : 9 Hammered silver is brought from Tarshish and gold from Uphaz—the work of the craftsman and of the goldsmith. Their clothing is blue and purple, all made by skilled workers.
• Isa 45:20 : 20 Gather together and come; assemble, you fugitives from the nations. Ignorant are those who carry about idols of wood, who pray to gods that cannot save.
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 5 They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see. 6 They have ears but cannot hear, noses but cannot smell. 7 They have hands but cannot touch, feet but cannot walk, nor can they make a sound with their throats. 8 Those who make them become like them, as do all who trust in them.
• Ps 135:15-18 : 15 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, the work of human hands. 16 They have mouths but cannot speak, eyes but cannot see. 17 They have ears but cannot hear; there is no breath in their mouths. 18 Those who make them will become like them; so will all who trust in them.
• Ezek 20:32 : 32 What you have in mind will never happen. You say, 'We will be like the nations, like the peoples of the world, who serve wood and stone.'
• Ezek 20:39 : 39 As for you, house of Israel, this is what the Sovereign LORD says: Go and serve your idols, every one of you! But afterward, you will surely listen to me and no longer profane my holy name with your gifts and idols.
• Acts 7:42 : 42 But God turned away and gave them up to worship the host of heaven, as it is written in the book of the prophets: 'Did you bring me offerings and sacrifices for forty years in the wilderness, house of Israel?'