Deuteronomy 29:16
New International Version
You yourselves know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through the countries on the way here.

New Living Translation
“You remember how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the lands of enemy nations as we left.

English Standard Version
“You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed.

Berean Standard Bible
For you yourselves know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we passed through the nations on the way here.

King James Bible
(For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by;

New King James Version
(for you know that we dwelt in the land of Egypt and that we came through the nations which you passed by,

New American Standard Bible
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we passed through the midst of the nations through which you passed;

NASB 1995
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed;

NASB 1977
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed.

Legacy Standard Bible
for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed;

Amplified Bible
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we passed through the nations along the way;

Christian Standard Bible
“Indeed, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and passed through the nations where you traveled.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Indeed, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and passed through the nations where you traveled.

American Standard Version
(for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye passed;

English Revised Version
(for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye passed;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
You know how we lived in Egypt and how we passed through other countries on our way here.

Good News Translation
"You remember what life was like in Egypt and what it was like to travel through the territory of other nations.

International Standard Version
"Now, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the territory of other nations.

Majority Standard Bible
For you yourselves know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we passed through the nations on the way here.

NET Bible
"(For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we crossed through the nations as we traveled.

New Heart English Bible
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed;

Webster's Bible Translation
(For ye know how we have dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which ye passed by;

World English Bible
(for you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the middle of the nations through which you passed;
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for you have known how you dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we passed by through the midst of the nations which you have passed by;

Young's Literal Translation
for ye have known how ye dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we passed by through the midst of the nations which ye have passed by;

Smith's Literal Translation
(For ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we passed through in the midst of the nations which ye passed through;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For you know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, and how we have passed through the midst of nations, and passing through them,

Catholic Public Domain Version
For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we passed through the midst of nations. And when passing through them,

New American Bible
You know that we lived in the land of Egypt and that we passed through the nations, that you too passed through

New Revised Standard Version
You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
(For you know how we have sojourned in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which you passed by;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because you know that we passed through in the land of Egypt and we passed through among the nations which you passed through;
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
for ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the midst of the nations through which ye passed;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For ye know how we dwelt in the land of Egypt, how we came through the midst of the nations through whom ye came.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Covenant in Moab
15but also with those who are standing here with us today in the presence of the LORD our God, as well as with those who are not here today. 16For you yourselves know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we passed through the nations on the way here. 17You saw the abominations and idols among them made of wood and stone, of silver and gold.…

Cross References
Exodus 32:4
He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”

1 Kings 11:5-7
Solomon followed Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians and Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. / So Solomon did evil in the sight of the LORD; unlike his father David, he did not follow the LORD completely. / At that time on a hill east of Jerusalem, Solomon built a high place for Chemosh the abomination of Moab and for Molech the abomination of the Ammonites.

2 Kings 17:15
They rejected His statutes and the covenant He had made with their fathers, as well as the decrees He had given them. They pursued worthless idols and became worthless themselves, going after the surrounding nations that the LORD had commanded them not to imitate.

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Psalm 115:4-8
Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ...

Psalm 135:15-18
The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ...

Ezekiel 20:7-8
And I said to them: ‘Each of you must throw away the abominations before his eyes, and you must not defile yourselves with the idols of Egypt. I am the LORD your God.’ / But they rebelled against Me and refused to listen. None of them cast away the abominations before their eyes, and they did not forsake the idols of Egypt. So I resolved to pour out My wrath upon them and vent My anger against them in the land of Egypt.

Judges 2:11-13
And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals. / Thus they forsook the LORD, the God of their fathers, who had brought them out of the land of Egypt, and they followed after various gods of the peoples around them. They bowed down to them and provoked the LORD to anger, / for they forsook Him and served Baal and the Ashtoreths.

Hosea 13:2
Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

Acts 7:41
At that time they made a calf and offered a sacrifice to the idol, rejoicing in the works of their hands.

Romans 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Galatians 4:8
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods.


Treasury of Scripture

(For you know how we have dwelled in the land of Egypt; and how we came through the nations which you passed by;

through the nations

Deuteronomy 2:4,9,19,24
And command thou the people, saying, Ye are to pass through the coast of your brethren the children of Esau, which dwell in Seir; and they shall be afraid of you: take ye good heed unto yourselves therefore: …

Deuteronomy 3:1,2
Then we turned, and went up the way to Bashan: and Og the king of Bashan came out against us, he and all his people, to battle at Edrei…

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Countries Dwelt Egypt Midst Mind Nations Passed Way Yourselves
Deuteronomy 29
1. Moses exhorts them to obedience, reminding of the works they had seen
10. All are presented before the Lord to enter into his covenant
18. The great wrath on him who flatters himself in his wickedness
29. Secret things belong unto God














For you yourselves know
This phrase emphasizes personal experience and collective memory. The Hebrew root for "know" is יָדַע (yada), which implies an intimate, experiential knowledge. This is not mere intellectual awareness but a deep, personal understanding. The Israelites are reminded of their firsthand experiences, which serve as a foundation for their faith and obedience. This personal knowledge is crucial in the covenant relationship with God, as it calls for a response based on what they have seen and lived through.

how we lived in the land of Egypt
The phrase recalls the Israelites' time in Egypt, a period marked by slavery and oppression. The Hebrew word for "lived" is יָשַׁב (yashab), meaning to dwell or inhabit. This was not a temporary stay but a significant period that shaped their identity. Historically, Egypt was a place of both refuge and bondage for the Israelites. This duality serves as a reminder of God's deliverance and faithfulness, as He brought them out of a land where they were not free to serve Him fully.

and how we passed through the nations
The journey through the nations refers to the Israelites' travels during the Exodus and their wanderings in the wilderness. The Hebrew root עָבַר (avar) for "passed through" conveys the idea of crossing over or traversing. This journey was not just physical but also spiritual, as it was a time of testing, learning, and reliance on God. The nations they encountered often represented challenges and temptations, yet also opportunities to witness God's power and provision.

as you traveled
This phrase underscores the ongoing nature of their journey. The Hebrew word for "traveled" is הָלַךְ (halak), which means to walk or go. It signifies movement and progress, both physically and spiritually. The Israelites' travels were directed by God, who led them with a pillar of cloud by day and a pillar of fire by night. This journey is symbolic of the Christian walk, where believers are called to follow God's leading, trusting in His guidance and provision every step of the way.

(16, 17) These verses seem rightly placed in a parenthesis. (Comp. Ezekiel 20:7-8; Ezekiel 20:18.)

Verses 16-29. - The summons to renew the covenant is enforced by a fresh exposition of the evil and danger of apostasy from the Lord. This is introduced by a reference to the experience which the people already had of idolatry in Egypt, and among the nations with whom they had come in contact during their march through the wilderness, from which they must have learned the utter worthlessness of all idols, that they were no gods, but only wood and stone, Verses 16, 17. - These verses are not a parenthesis, as in the Authorized Version. Ver. 18 is connected, not with ver. 15, but with ver. 17; there should be a full stop at the end of ver. 15. Their idols; literally, their blocks or logs (גִלוּלִים, from גָלַל, to roll something too heavy to be carried), a term of contempt used frequently in Scripture of idols.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

you yourselves
אַתֶּ֣ם (’at·tem)
Pronoun - second person masculine plural
Strong's 859: Thou and thee, ye and you

know
יְדַעְתֶּ֔ם (yə·ḏa‘·tem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 3045: To know

how
אֲשֶׁר־ (’ă·šer-)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

we lived
יָשַׁ֖בְנוּ (yā·šaḇ·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 3427: To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marry

in the land
בְּאֶ֣רֶץ (bə·’e·reṣ)
Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct
Strong's 776: Earth, land

of Egypt
מִצְרָ֑יִם (miṣ·rā·yim)
Noun - proper - feminine singular
Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa

and passed
עָבַ֛רְנוּ (‘ā·ḇar·nū)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - first person common plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on

through
בְּקֶ֥רֶב (bə·qe·reḇ)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 7130: The nearest part, the center

the nations
הַגּוֹיִ֖ם (hag·gō·w·yim)
Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 1471: A foreign nation, a Gentile, a troop of animals, a flight of locusts

as you traveled.
עֲבַרְתֶּֽם׃ (‘ă·ḇar·tem)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural
Strong's 5674: To pass over, through, or by, pass on


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 29:16 For you know how we lived (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 29:15
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