Deuteronomy 5:4Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Douay-RheimsHebrew (Masoretic text)

He spoke to us face to face in the mount out of the midst of fire.
Douay-Rheims

פָּנִ֣ים ׀ בְּפָנִ֗ים דִּבֶּ֨ר יְהוָ֧ה עִמָּכֶ֛ם בָּהָ֖ר מִתּ֥וֹךְ הָאֵֽשׁ׃
Hebrew (Masoretic text)

The Church Fathers on this verse

One Church Father comments on this verse

Vissarion (Nechaev)

19th centuryCommentator

In a direct encounter, the Lord proclaimed the Ten Commandments to the entire nation without the presence of Moses. Although the Lord was not visible to the senses, His voice conveying the law was audible to the people of Israel. This caused them to be filled with fear and subsequently request Moses to act as an intermediary to communicate God’s will to them for the future.

Cross references

Passages read together with this verse.

Ex 19:18And all Mount Sinai was on a smoke: because the Lord was come down upon it in fire, and the smoke arose from it as out of a furnace: and all the mount was terrible.
Ex 19:19And the sound of the trumpet grew by degrees louder and louder, and was drawn out to a greater length: Moses spoke, and God answered him.
Deut 34:10And there arose no more a prophet in Israel like unto Moses, whom the Lord knew face to face,
Deut 4:33That a people should hear the voice of God speaking out of the midst of fire, as thou hast heard, and lived:
Deut 4:36From heaven he made thee to hear his voice, that he might teach thee. And upon earth he shewed thee his exceeding great fire, and thou didst hear his words out of the midst of the fire,
Ex 19:9The Lord said to him: Lo, now will I come to thee in the darkness of a cloud, that the people may hear me speaking to thee, and may believe thee for ever. And Moses told the words of the people to the Lord.
Ex 20:18And all the people saw the voices and the flames, and the sound of the trumpet, and the mount smoking; and being terrified and struck with fear, they stood afar off,
Ex 20:22And the Lord said to Moses: Thus shalt thou say to the children of Israel: You have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven.