Deuteronomy 20 18

Deuteronomy 20:18 kjv

That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 20:18 nkjv

lest they teach you to do according to all their abominations which they have done for their gods, and you sin against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 20:18 niv

Otherwise, they will teach you to follow all the detestable things they do in worshiping their gods, and you will sin against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 20:18 esv

that they may not teach you to do according to all their abominable practices that they have done for their gods, and so you sin against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 20:18 nlt

This will prevent the people of the land from teaching you to imitate their detestable customs in the worship of their gods, which would cause you to sin deeply against the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 20 verses

Deuteronomy 20 18 Meaning

Deuteronomy 20:18 states the essential reason for the complete destruction (חֵרֶם, ḥērem) of the specific nations in the Promised Land. This drastic command aimed to prevent Israel from learning and adopting the idolatrous, morally corrupt, and detestable practices of the Canaanites, which were done in the worship of their false gods. The adoption of such abominations would inevitably lead Israel into sin against the LORD their God, violating their covenant relationship and risking divine judgment. The verse highlights God's protective desire for Israel's spiritual purity and their exclusive devotion to Him.

Deuteronomy 20 18 Context

Deuteronomy chapter 20 outlines the laws for Israelite warfare as they prepared to enter the Promised Land. Verses 1-9 discuss rules for military service, including exemptions. Verses 10-15 cover general guidelines for besieging and dealing with distant cities, allowing for peace treaties and subjugation. However, verses 16-18 present a stark contrast regarding cities within the land of Canaan itself. For these specific nations (Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites, Girgashites), God commanded their complete annihilation (herem). Verse 18 then explicitly states the theological justification for this radical command: it was a preventative measure. Israel was commanded to utterly destroy these inhabitants, not out of mere territorial expansion or ethnic animosity, but because their pervasive and deep-seated idolatry and accompanying abominable practices posed an existential threat to Israel's spiritual fidelity and holiness as God's covenant people. The context emphasizes that God's people must remain pure and undefiled in their worship and life, setting them apart from the corrupted practices of the surrounding cultures. This instruction formed a crucial part of God's strategy to preserve His covenant and His relationship with Israel.

Deuteronomy 20 18 Word analysis

• that they teach you not: Hebrew: לֹא יְלַמְּדוּ אֶתְכֶם (lo' y'lam'du etkhem).
  • לֹא (lo'): "Not," a strong negative. Emphasizes prohibition.
  • יְלַמְּדוּ (y'lam'du): "They teach/instruct/train." From the root lamad, meaning to learn or teach. Here, it implies not merely formal instruction but the pervasive influence and adoption of practices through cultural exposure and interaction. The fear is of insidious spiritual contamination.
  • אֶתְכֶם (etkhem): "You" (masculine plural). Refers to the Israelites.
  • Significance: Highlights God's foresight and protective concern for His people's spiritual well-being. It is a divine intervention to prevent the slow but certain erosion of their faith and moral integrity by the dominant surrounding cultures. The intent of the herem is therefore preventative spiritual purification.
• to do after all their abominations: Hebrew: לַעֲשׂוֹת כְּכָל-תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶם (la'asot k'chol-to'evotehem).
  • לַעֲשׂוֹת (la'asot): "To do" or "to practice." The verb emphasizes action, the actual performing of the detestable deeds.
  • כְּכָל (k'chol): "According to all," "like all of." Indicates the comprehensive nature of the pagan practices that could be absorbed.
  • תּוֹעֲבֹתֵיהֶם (to'evotehem): "Their abominations." From to'evah (תּוֹעֵבָה), a key term in the Pentateuch, especially in Deuteronomy and Leviticus. It denotes something utterly detestable, repugnant, or abhorrent to God, often involving idolatry (e.g., Exod 8:26, Deut 7:25), sexual perversions (Lev 18:22, 29), child sacrifice (Deut 12:31), and various pagan cultic practices (Deut 18:9-12). It goes beyond mere cultural differences to actions that profoundly violate divine holiness and moral order.
  • Significance: Specifies the corrupting nature of the practices. It's not about cultural appropriation in general, but specific acts rooted in idolatry and extreme immorality, which are an affront to God. These abominations rendered the land defiled and led to the previous inhabitants being "vomited out" (Lev 18:28).
• which they have done unto their gods: Hebrew: אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם (asher asu le'loheyhem).
  • אֲשֶׁר עָשׂוּ (asher asu): "Which they have done." Links the abominations directly to their practitioners.
  • לֵאלֹהֵיהֶם (le'loheyhem): "Unto their gods." The suffix indicates "their," and elohey is the plural of elohim (gods), referring to pagan deities (Baals, Ashtoreths, Moloch, etc.).
  • Significance: Crucially reveals the source and motivation of the abominations. They are not merely general evils but cultic acts intertwined with pagan worship, making them an act of spiritual rebellion and prostitution against the true God. This clarifies the battle is ultimately spiritual.
• so should ye sin against the LORD your God: Hebrew: וַחֲטָאתֶם לַיהוָה אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (va'chata'tem l'YHWH Eloheykhem).
  • וַחֲטָאתֶם (va'chata'tem): "And you would sin" or "you will certainly sin." From chata (חָטָא), meaning "to miss the mark," "to go astray," "to incur guilt." It's a direct consequence.
  • לַיהוָה (l'YHWH): "Against the LORD." The divine covenant name, indicating Israel's specific and unique relationship with God.
  • אֱלֹהֵיכֶם (Eloheykhem): "Your God." Emphasizes the personal and exclusive nature of their relationship.
  • Significance: Articulates the grave consequence of failing to eradicate pagan influence. Such actions are a direct offense against the covenant God who delivered and chose Israel. Sin here is a breaking of the exclusive loyalty demanded by the covenant. This validates the severity of the herem as a measure to protect Israel's fidelity and spiritual life, more important than physical life or material gain.

Words-Group Analysis:

• "that they teach you not to do after all their abominations": This phrase captures the preventative and didactic purpose of the command. God anticipates Israel's vulnerability to spiritual compromise. The herem (complete destruction) is framed as a measure to prevent learning these vile ways, indicating the profound spiritual danger posed by the Canaanites' practices. God's ultimate concern is for Israel's holiness.
• "which they have done unto their gods": This clarifies that the abominations are not arbitrary immoral acts but deeply rooted, religious cultic practices. It exposes the source of depravity as false worship and devotion to rival deities. This highlights that the war is not just physical but a spiritual one against the kingdom of darkness.
• "so should ye sin against the LORD your God": This emphasizes the direct impact on Israel's covenant relationship with YHWH. Learning and performing these acts would lead to grave sin, severing the special bond between God and His chosen people, inevitably incurring divine displeasure and judgment. The herem command is thus an expression of God's zeal for His own glory and His jealous love for His people, preventing their spiritual destruction by guarding their covenant faithfulness.

Deuteronomy 20 18 Bonus section

This command represents a unique, unrepeatable instance of divine judgment in redemptive history, specifically tailored for the nascent nation of Israel entering their covenant land. It served both as an act of divine justice against peoples whose iniquity was complete (Gen 15:16) and as a crucial protection for Israel's foundational period. The severity reflects the grave danger of pervasive spiritual and moral corruption; God values the holiness of His people and the integrity of His covenant more than anything else. While its direct physical application ended with the conquest, the underlying principle – the absolute necessity for God's people to remain distinct from corrupting worldly influences and devoted solely to Him – remains a timeless truth for all believers. In the New Covenant, this translates into a spiritual battle against sin and evil, separating oneself from the ungodly practices and values of the world, rather than physical conquest.

Deuteronomy 20 18 Commentary

Deuteronomy 20:18 reveals the underlying theological imperative for the otherwise severe command of herem against the nations in Canaan. The primary goal was not conquest for its own sake, nor was it ethnic cleansing in a modern sense, but a radical measure to safeguard Israel's unique spiritual purity and exclusive worship of the one true God, YHWH. The Canaanite culture was saturated with abhorrent practices – including child sacrifice, ritual prostitution, and various forms of divination and sorcery – all linked to their idolatrous worship. Allowing these nations to persist alongside Israel would inevitably lead to spiritual syncretism, contaminating God's chosen people and corrupting their mission to be a holy nation set apart for Him. God, in His protective love and jealousy for His covenant, commanded the complete removal of this corrupting influence, foreseeing the inevitable outcome: "so should ye sin against the LORD your God." This verse stresses God's absolute intolerance for spiritual compromise and His unwavering demand for unreserved devotion from His people. The principle endures that true devotion to God requires separation from spiritual contamination, albeit applied spiritually in the New Covenant era (e.g., fleeing idolatry, separating from ungodly influences).