Exodus 23:33 kjv
They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
Exodus 23:33 nkjv
They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."
Exodus 23:33 niv
Do not let them live in your land or they will cause you to sin against me, because the worship of their gods will certainly be a snare to you."
Exodus 23:33 esv
They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."
Exodus 23:33 nlt
They must not live in your land, or they will cause you to sin against me. If you serve their gods, you will be caught in the trap of idolatry."
Exodus 23 33 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exod 34:15-16 | "Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants... for when they prostitute themselves after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and you eat of his sacrifice, and you take of their daughters... your daughters prostitute themselves after their gods and make your sons prostitute themselves..." | Warning against covenant, intermarriage, and resultant idolatry. |
| Num 33:55-56 | "But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land from before you, then it shall be that those whom you let remain of them will be as pricks in your eyes and thorns in your sides... then I will do to you as I thought to do to them." | Direct warning: remaining inhabitants will be a torment and lead to divine judgment. |
| Deut 7:2-4 | "And when the LORD your God gives them over to you, you shall strike them... You shall make no covenant with them and show no favor to them. You shall not intermarry with them... For they would turn away your sons from following me, to serve other gods." | Explicit command to utterly destroy nations to prevent turning from God. |
| Deut 7:16 | "And you shall consume all the peoples that the LORD your God will give over to you. Your eye shall not pity them, nor shall you serve their gods, for that would be a snare to you." | Emphasizes avoiding pity and directly connects serving their gods to being a "snare." |
| Josh 23:12-13 | "For if you turn back and cling to the remnant of these nations remaining among you and make marriages with them... then know for certain that the LORD your God will not continue to drive out these nations... and they shall be a snare and a trap for you." | Reiteration of the warning by Joshua; describes consequences of failing to dispossess. |
| Judg 2:2-3 | "And you shall make no covenant with the inhabitants of this land; you shall break down their altars.' But you have not obeyed my voice. Why have you done this? So now I say, I will not drive them out before you; but they shall become thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare to you." | Divine rebuke for Israel's disobedience, fulfilling the warning of a snare. |
| 1 Kgs 11:4 | "For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father." | Solomon's failure through foreign wives illustrates the "snare" in action. |
| 2 Kgs 17:7-18 | Describes the exile of the Northern Kingdom due to idolatry, especially adopting customs of the nations God had driven out. | Historical consequence of embracing the practices of surrounding peoples. |
| Ps 106:34-40 | "They did not destroy the peoples, as the LORD commanded them, but they mingled with the nations and learned their works, and served their idols... Therefore the wrath of the LORD was kindled against his people..." | Poetic summary of Israel's disobedience and the outcome described in Exodus. |
| Lev 18:24-30 | "Do not defile yourselves by any of these things, for by all these the nations whom I am driving out before you have defiled themselves, and the land became defiled, so that I punished its iniquity, and the land vomited out its inhabitants." | Connects the nations' abominations with the defilement of the land and judgment. |
| Jer 10:2-3 | "Thus says the LORD: 'Learn not the way of the nations, nor be dismayed at the signs of the heavens... for the customs of the peoples are vanity.'" | Explicit command not to adopt the religious practices and customs of other nations. |
| Rom 12:2 | "Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewal of your mind..." | New Testament spiritual application: warning against worldly conformity. |
| 2 Cor 6:14-17 | "Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers... What fellowship has light with darkness? ... Therefore 'Come out from among them, and be separate from them,' says the Lord, 'and touch no unclean thing; then I will receive you.'" | Strong New Testament call for spiritual separation from ungodly influences. |
| 1 Cor 10:7 | "Do not be idolaters as some of them were; as it is written, 'The people sat down to eat and drink and rose up to play.'" | Warns against idolatry, drawing on Israel's historical failures as examples for believers. |
| Jas 4:4 | "You adulterous people! Do you not know that friendship with the world is enmity with God? Therefore whoever wishes to be a friend of the world makes himself an enemy of God." | Emphasizes spiritual adultery and conflict with God when befriending the world system. |
| 1 Jn 2:15 | "Do not love the world or the things in the world. If anyone loves the world, the love of the Father is not in him." | Further exhortation against worldly affection and desires, preventing spiritual compromise. |
| 1 Jn 5:21 | "Little children, keep yourselves from idols." | Simple, direct command for believers to avoid idolatry. |
| Matt 6:24 | "No one can serve two masters, for either he will hate the one and love the other, or he will be devoted to the one and despise the other. You cannot serve God and money." | Principle that devotion to God precludes serving competing masters (spiritual application). |
| Phil 2:15 | "That you may be blameless and innocent, children of God without blemish in the midst of a crooked and twisted generation, among whom you shine as lights in the world..." | Call for distinct and holy living in the midst of a morally perverse society. |
| Rev 18:4 | "Then I heard another voice from heaven saying, 'Come out of her, my people, lest you take part in her sins, lest you share in her plagues;'" | Spiritual instruction to separate from corrupt systems and their practices to avoid judgment. |
| Ezra 9:1-2 | Details Israel's failure to separate from surrounding peoples and intermarrying with them, causing a great trespass. | Historical example of the direct disobedience of this command and its painful consequences. |
| Zeph 1:4-6 | Denounces those who worship Yahweh and swear by Molech, highlighting syncretism as a severe transgression. | Illustrates the blend of worship warned against: syncretism. |
| Jer 32:29-35 | Explains why Judah will be burned for its idolatry and detestable practices from its youth. | God's ultimate judgment for persistent idolatry despite warnings. |
| Hos 1:2 | "Go, take to yourself a wife of harlotry and have children of harlotry, for the land has committed great harlotry by departing from the LORD." | Uses spiritual harlotry (idolatry) to illustrate the land's defilement and Israel's sin. |
Exodus 23 verses
Exodus 23 33 Meaning
Exodus 23:33 warns Israel against allowing the existing inhabitants of the land to dwell among them. The primary reason for this command is the profound spiritual danger posed by these nations. Their continued presence would inevitably lead Israel into sin against God by tempting them to serve the false gods and practices of those nations. If Israel succumbs to such idolatry, it will become a destructive trap or "snare," leading to spiritual and ultimately, perhaps, physical ruin, severing their covenant relationship with God.
Exodus 23 33 Context
Exodus 23:33 is the final verse of the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 20:22–23:33), which elaborates on the Ten Commandments given at Mount Sinai. Specifically, it concludes a section (Exo 23:20-33) outlining God's promise to send an angel before Israel to guard them, drive out the Canaanite nations, and bless them, conditional upon their obedience. God gives specific instructions on how Israel is to interact with the land and its existing inhabitants upon entry. The passage before this verse emphasizes the gradual dispossessing of the nations, not due to Israel's power, but by divine intervention. The warning in verse 33 underscores the fundamental spiritual requirement: absolute allegiance to Yahweh, guarding against any influence that might lead to idolatry. It sets a clear boundary for the chosen people concerning the spiritual purity of the Promised Land, a land holy unto the Lord.
Exodus 23 33 Word analysis
- They: Refers to the various indigenous inhabitants of the land of Canaan (Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, Jebusites) mentioned in Exodus 23:23.
- shall not dwell: A strong prohibition and divine command. This is not a suggestion but a covenant expectation. It underscores the absolute necessity of removing idolatrous influence for Israel's spiritual preservation.
- in your land: Refers to the land of Canaan, the "promised land" God was giving to Israel as an inheritance. This land was to be holy, set apart for the worship of the one true God, and not defiled by pagan practices.
- lest they make you sin: The Hebrew chata' (חטא) means "to miss the mark" or "to go astray." The phrase highlights the preventative nature of the command; the presence of these peoples poses an inevitable temptation and spiritual danger, subtly or overtly drawing Israel into idolatry.
- against me: Emphasizes that idolatry is a direct affront and betrayal against Yahweh, the covenant God. Sin is ultimately rebellion against His holiness and authority.
- for if you serve: The Hebrew ‘avad (עבד) means "to work, serve, worship." This highlights active devotion and allegiance. The phrase is a conditional warning: disobedience carries clear consequences.
- their gods: Refers to the pagan deities and idols worshipped by the Canaanite nations, such as Baal, Asherah, and others. These are understood as false gods, representing demonic powers.
- it will surely be a snare: The Hebrew term moqesh (מוקש) refers to a literal trap (e.g., a fowler's snare for birds), and figuratively denotes a destructive pitfall, entanglement, or moral/spiritual ruin. The word "surely" (ki - כי) adds emphasis, signifying the inevitability of this negative outcome if the warning is ignored.
- to you: Specifies that the negative consequences of the "snare" will fall directly upon Israel.
Words-group by words-group analysis
- "They shall not dwell in your land, lest they make you sin against me": This clause sets the imperative and its rationale. The physical presence of the foreign nations is directly linked to the spiritual danger. It's not mere coexistence; it's the corrupting influence on Israel's faith and allegiance to God. The command aims to protect the integrity of God's covenant with His people and the sanctity of the promised land.
- "for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you": This clarifies the specific mechanism of sin (serving false gods) and the inevitable, destructive outcome. Idolatry is not a minor transgression but a grave act with inherent, dire consequences, like stepping into a hidden trap. It would ensnare Israel into further disobedience, divine judgment, and potential loss of the land and God's favor.
Exodus 23 33 Bonus section
This verse encapsulates a fundamental tension that would plague Israel's history, frequently referenced by prophets and chroniclers: their failure to fully obey this command often led to national apostasy and divine judgment (as seen in the book of Judges and the fall of both northern and southern kingdoms). It highlights God's demand for exclusivity in worship (monotheism) as foundational to His relationship with Israel. The concept of the "snare" or "trap" implies a consequence that isn't always immediately obvious, but gradually tightens, leading to eventual downfall. This divine wisdom prioritizes spiritual well-being above immediate comfort or the illusion of peaceful coexistence, because spiritual compromise threatens the very identity and purpose of God's chosen people.
Exodus 23 33 Commentary
Exodus 23:33 is a crucial statement about God's uncompromising nature regarding Israel's loyalty and spiritual purity. It serves as a stern, preventive measure against the seductive power of idolatry and syncretism prevalent in Canaanite culture. God understands the inherent weakness of human nature and the pervasive influence of the surrounding environment. Therefore, He commands the complete removal of the spiritual threat, knowing that any compromise or toleration would inevitably lead Israel to defile their covenant with Him. The warning of the "snare" underscores the deceptive and destructive nature of idolatry—it appears enticing but leads to ruin, eroding spiritual vitality and ultimately incurring divine wrath. This principle holds enduring relevance: believers must guard against ungodly influences and worldliness that subtly draw hearts away from exclusive devotion to God. Examples include the slow compromise of a community with secular values that erode its distinct Christian identity, or individuals allowing media content or relationships that gradually diminish their commitment to biblical truths and holy living.