King James Version

Exodus 20:19

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear: but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

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Hebrew

Tap a word to see its meaning. Words run left to right in English reading order.

וַיֹּֽאמְרוּ֙vayomrvand sayאָמַרconjunction, verb, qal, sequential imperfect, 3rd person, masculine, plural — “and say”, the next action in the storyH559to say (used with great latitude)answer, appoint, avouch, bid, boast self, call, certify, challenge, charge, [phrase] (at the, give) command(-ment), commune, consider, declare, demand, [idiom] desire, determine, [idiom] expressly, [idiom] indeed, [idiom] intend, name, [id…אֶלelamongאֵלpreposition — “among”H413near, with or among; often in general, toabout, according to, after, against, among, as for, at, because(-fore, -side), both...and, by, concerning, for, from, [idiom] hath, in(-to), near, (out) of, over, through, to(-ward), under, unto, upon, whether, with(-in).מֹשֶׁ֔הmoshehMosesמֹשֶׁהnoun, proper name — “Moses”H4872Mosheh, the Israelite lawgiverMoses.דַּבֵּרdaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a commandH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.אַתָּ֥הatahtheeאַתָּהpronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.עִמָּ֖נוּimanvwithעִםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).וְנִשְׁמָ֑עָהvenishmaahand hearשָׁמַעconjunction, verb, qal, cohortative, 1st person, common, plural — “and hear”, a determination or requestH8085to hear intelligently (often with implication of attention, obedience, etc.; causatively, to tell, etc.)[idiom] attentively, call (gather) together, [idiom] carefully, [idiom] certainly, consent, consider, be content, declare, [idiom] diligently, discern, give ear, (cause to, let, make to) hear(-ken, tell), [idiom] indeed, listen, make (a) n…וְאַלvealand notאַלconjunction, particle, negative — “and not”H408not (the qualified negation, used as a deprecative); once (Job 24:25) as a noun, nothingnay, neither, [phrase] never, no, nor, not, nothing (worth), rather than.יְדַבֵּ֥רyedaberspeakדָבַרverb, piel, jussive, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “speak”, a wish or indirect commandH1696perhaps properly, to arrange; but used figuratively (of words), to speak; rarely (in a destructive sense) to subdueanswer, appoint, bid, command, commune, declare, destroy, give, name, promise, pronounce, rehearse, say, speak, be spokesman, subdue, talk, teach, tell, think, use (entreaties), utter, [idiom] well, [idiom] work.עִמָּ֛נוּimanvwithעִםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 1st person, common, plural — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).אֱלֹהִ֖יםelohimGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “God”, the ordinary formH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.פֶּןpenthat...notפֵּןconjunction — “that...not”H6435properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest(lest) (peradventure), that...not.נָמֽוּתnamutdieמוּתverb, qal, imperfect, 1st person, common, plural — “die”, an unfinished actionH4191to die (literally or figuratively); causatively, to kill[idiom] at all, [idiom] crying, (be) dead (body, man, one), (put to, worthy of) death, destroy(-er), (cause to, be like to, must) die, kill, necro(-mancer), [idiom] must needs, slay, [idiom] surely, [idiom] very suddenly, [idiom] in (no) w…

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(20-16) And they said unto Moses: 'Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.'

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And they said unto Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Young’s Literal Translation

and say unto Moses, 'Speak thou with us, and we hear, and let not God speak with us, lest we die.'

World English Bible

They said to Moses, “Speak with us yourself, and we will listen; but don’t let God speak with us, lest we die.”

Darby Translation

and said to Moses, Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.

Douay-Rheims

Saying to Moses: Speak thou to us, and we will hear: let not the Lord speak to us, lest we die.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(20-16) And they said unto Moses: 'Speak thou with us, and we will hear; but let not God speak with us, lest we die.'

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

and said to Moses, Speak thou to us, and let not God speak to us, lest we die.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ εἶπαν πρὸς Μωυσῆν, λάλησον σὺ ἡμῖν, καὶ μὴ λαλείτω πρὸς ἡμᾶς ὁ Θεὸς, μὴ ἀποθάνωμεν.