Deuteronomy 7:26 kjv
Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing.
Deuteronomy 7:26 nkjv
Nor shall you bring an abomination into your house, lest you be doomed to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest it and utterly abhor it, for it is an accursed thing.
Deuteronomy 7:26 niv
Do not bring a detestable thing into your house or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. Regard it as vile and utterly detest it, for it is set apart for destruction.
Deuteronomy 7:26 esv
And you shall not bring an abominable thing into your house and become devoted to destruction like it. You shall utterly detest and abhor it, for it is devoted to destruction.
Deuteronomy 7:26 nlt
Do not bring any detestable objects into your home, for then you will be destroyed, just like them. You must utterly detest such things, for they are set apart for destruction.
Deuteronomy 7 26 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 20:4-5 | "You shall not make for yourself a carved image... for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God..." | God's command against idols. |
| Deut 12:2-4 | "You shall utterly destroy all the places... You shall tear down their altars..." | Destruction of idolatrous sites. |
| Deut 13:17 | "Nothing of the devoted things shall cling to your hand..." | Warning against taking accursed spoil. |
| Josh 6:17-18 | "The city shall be devoted to the Lord for destruction... But by all means keep yourselves from the devoted things..." | Command to destroy Jericho entirely. |
| Josh 7:1, 11-12 | "But the people of Israel broke faith... took some of the devoted things..." | Achan's sin of taking accursed things. |
| Josh 7:15 | "And he who is taken with the devoted thing shall be burned..." | Consequence for keeping accursed things. |
| Lev 19:4 | "Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves gods of cast metal..." | General prohibition against idolatry. |
| Lev 27:28-29 | "But no devoted thing that a man devotes to the Lord... shall be sold or redeemed..." | Explains what "devoted thing" (cherem) means. |
| 1 Sam 15:3, 18-19 | "Now go and strike Amalek and devote to destruction all that they have..." | Saul's disobedience concerning "cherem". |
| Ps 115:4-8 | "Their idols are silver and gold... those who make them become like them..." | Idols are lifeless, worshippers become like them. |
| Isa 2:18-20 | "And the idols shall utterly pass away... In that day mankind will cast away their idols..." | Prophecy of idols' destruction. |
| Jer 16:18 | "...because they have defiled my land with the carcasses of their detestable idols..." | Idolatry defiles the land. |
| Hab 2:18-19 | "What profit is an idol when its maker has shaped it... a mute idol?" | The folly and powerlessness of idols. |
| 2 Kgs 23:24 | "Moreover, Josiah put away the mediums and the necromancers and the teraphim and the idols..." | Josiah's reform of idolatry. |
| Eze 37:23 | "They shall not defile themselves anymore with their idols and their detestable things..." | Future cleansing from idols. |
| Rom 12:9 | "Let love be genuine. Abhor what is evil; cling to what is good." | New Testament call to abhor evil. |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | "Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry." | Call to flee all forms of idolatry. |
| 2 Cor 6:16-17 | "What agreement has the temple of God with idols? For we are the temple... Therefore go out from their midst and be separate..." | Call to separation from evil/idolatry. |
| Eph 5:5 | "For you may be sure of this, that everyone who is sexually immoral or impure... has no inheritance in the kingdom..." | Modern forms of idolatry. |
| Col 3:5 | "Put to death therefore what is earthly in you: sexual immorality... and greed, which is idolatry." | Greed equated with idolatry. |
| 1 Jn 5:21 | "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." | Simple, direct command for believers. |
| Rev 21:8 | "...and murderers and sexually immoral and sorcerers and idolaters... their portion will be in the lake that burns..." | Final judgment for idolaters. |
Deuteronomy 7 verses
Deuteronomy 7 26 Meaning
Deuteronomy 7:26 mandates a complete and absolute rejection of all idolatrous objects, prohibiting their entry into the home. It sternly warns that possessing such a "detestable thing" (an idol or associated object from pagan worship) renders the possessor equally "devoted to destruction" (accursed and set apart for judgment). The verse calls for an intense and unequivocal loathing and abhorrence of these items because they are themselves accursed, reflecting God's holy demand for absolute separation from anything associated with false worship.
Deuteronomy 7 26 Context
Deuteronomy chapter 7 sets forth God's strict commands for Israel regarding the conquest of Canaan. It emphasizes their status as God's chosen and holy people, separate from the surrounding nations. The chapter prohibits making covenants with the Canaanites, intermarrying, and commands the utter destruction of their pagan altars, pillars, Asherim, and carved images (Deut 7:2-5). The underlying principle is the prevention of spiritual contamination and the worship of false gods, which would lead Israel away from the One True God and bring divine judgment. Verse 26, specifically, extends the prohibition from public worship sites to personal households, ensuring no relic of Canaanite idolatry defiles a true worshipper or invites a curse upon their home.
Deuteronomy 7 26 Word analysis
- Nor shall you bring (לֹא תָבִיא - lo tavi): A strong prohibition against importing or bringing something in. It implies actively keeping such items out, preventing contamination from the very threshold.
- an abominable thing (תּוֹעֵבָה - shiqquts or שִׁקּוּץ - shiqquts / תֹּועֵבָה - to'evah): The Hebrew word shiqquts (rendered "detestable" or "abominable thing") refers specifically to something vile, disgusting, or an abomination, often associated with idols and idolatrous practices (e.g., child sacrifice). It signifies what God utterly loathes. The presence of shiqquts is offensive to God's holy nature.
- into your house (אֶל בֵּיתְךָ - el beitkha): Emphasizes the personal and private sphere. Idolatry is not only forbidden publicly but must not be harbored privately. This ensures total removal from every aspect of Israelite life, making it a matter of personal sanctity.
- lest you be (וְהָיִיתָ - ve'hayita): A direct warning of consequence, establishing a clear cause-and-effect relationship between bringing in the idol and the subsequent spiritual state of the person.
- a devoted thing (חֵרֶם - cherem): This critical term, cherem, signifies something irrevocably banned, often dedicated to destruction. Here, it means to be utterly accursed or designated for judgment, separated from God's favor and designated for divine wrath due to contamination.
- like it (כָּמֹהוּ - kamohu): This small but crucial phrase highlights assimilation. By adopting or keeping an abominable thing, the person effectively becomes identified with its cursed status. It's a profound spiritual identification with the object's condemnation.
- you shall utterly detest it (שַׁקֵּץ תְּשַׁקְּצֶנּוּ - shaqqets teshakketsennu): Uses an infinitive absolute (shaqqets) before the finite verb (teshakketsennu) for emphatic intensification. This construction signifies a total, unreserved, and vehement loathing. It's not a mere disapproval but a deep, visceral revulsion.
- and utterly abhor it (וְתַעֵב תְּתַעֲבֶנּוּ - veta'ev teta'avennu): Similarly uses the infinitive absolute with the verb for emphatic revulsion. The Hebrew word ta'ev means to be disgusted by, to loathe, to consider an abomination. Together with "detest," it conveys an absolute, active, and zealous rejection of idolatry. This is not passive avoidance but active, moral condemnation.
- for it is (כִּי חֵרֶם הוּא - ki cherem hu): Provides the theological basis for the command. The item itself is intrinsically cursed. Its very nature or previous dedication to false gods makes it cherem, warranting total rejection and destruction.
Deuteronomy 7 26 Bonus section
The command in Deut 7:26 foreshadows and illustrates the broader concept of holiness and spiritual warfare. It's not just about inanimate objects, but about the spirit of defilement these objects represent. The "devoted thing" (cherem) could also signify something so corrupt that it belongs completely to God for His judgment, thus it cannot be assimilated into common use or personal possession. This strict adherence was a protection for Israel, preventing spiritual apostasy through seemingly small acts of compromise. In the New Testament, while believers are not bound by the ceremonial laws concerning physical idols in the same way, the principle of abstaining from all forms of idolatry (e.g., greed, materialism, self-worship) and from all that defiles the soul remains foundational (Col 3:5; 2 Cor 6:16-17). The radical call to detest and abhor applies to anything that would replace God or pollute His dwelling, which in the New Covenant, is the believer's body as the temple of the Holy Spirit.
Deuteronomy 7 26 Commentary
Deuteronomy 7:26 articulates a non-negotiable principle central to biblical faith: the absolute intolerance of compromise with spiritual evil. God's demand for holiness extends from public worship to the private household, underscoring that His people must be distinct and unadulterated. The imagery of becoming "like it" if an accursed thing is brought into one's home powerfully illustrates the contagious nature of sin and spiritual defilement. Idolatry, whether ancient cult objects or modern-day preoccupations that displace God, introduces a curse that taints not just the object but also the person and household. The emphasis on "utterly detest" and "utterly abhor" highlights a moral posture of active revulsion towards anything that profanes God's name or leads His people astray. This strong language ensures that no idol's remnant or cultural souvenir, no matter how innocuous it may seem, becomes a snare or a spiritual foothold for paganism within Israel. It is a call to a radical and uncompromising commitment to God alone, requiring a complete purge of all rivals to His worship.