Exodus 34:15 kjv
Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
Exodus 34:15 nkjv
lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods, and one of them invites you and you eat of his sacrifice,
Exodus 34:15 niv
"Be careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land; for when they prostitute themselves to their gods and sacrifice to them, they will invite you and you will eat their sacrifices.
Exodus 34:15 esv
lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice,
Exodus 34:15 nlt
"You must not make a treaty of any kind with the people living in the land. They lust after their gods, offering sacrifices to them. They will invite you to join them in their sacrificial meals, and you will go with them.
Exodus 34 15 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 34:14 | For thou shalt worship no other god: for the Lord, whose name is Jealous, is a jealous God: | God's jealous nature against idolatry. |
| Deu 7:2-4 | And when the Lord thy God shall deliver them before thee…Thou shalt make no covenant with them…For they will turn away thy son from following me… | Direct prohibition against covenants, reason given. |
| Deu 12:30-31 | Take heed to thyself that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? | Warning against inquiring after pagan ways. |
| Psa 106:35-39 | But were mingled among the heathen, and learned their works. And they served their idols: which were a snare… | Historical outcome of Israel mingling. |
| Jdg 2:17 | And yet they would not hearken unto their judges, but they went a whoring after other gods… | Israel's spiritual whoredom throughout Judges. |
| Hos 4:12 | My people ask counsel at their stocks, and their staff declareth unto them: for the spirit of whoredoms hath caused them to err… | Idolatry as spiritual prostitution. |
| Jer 3:6 | ...Israel hath played the harlot upon every high mountain and under every green tree… | Prophetic condemnation of Israel's idolatry. |
| Lev 17:7 | And they shall no more offer their sacrifices unto devils, after whom they have gone a whoring. | Connecting sacrifice to pagan deities and harlotry. |
| Num 25:1-3 | And Israel abode in Shittim, and the people began to commit whoredom with the daughters of Moab. And they called the people unto the sacrifices of their gods: and Israel did eat, and bowed down to their gods. | A clear historical fulfillment of the warning. |
| Deu 7:3 | Neither shalt thou make marriages with them; thy daughter thou shalt not give unto his son… | Specific application of the covenant warning: intermarriage. |
| 1 Kgs 11:4 | For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods… | Solomon's downfall due to foreign wives and idolatry. |
| Neh 13:25-27 | ...have ye not heard that Achan the son of Zerah committed a trespass…And they had mingled themselves with the people… | Ezra's warning against mixed marriages leading to idolatry. |
| 1 Cor 8:10-11 | For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol’s temple, shall not the conscience of him… | New Testament instruction on food offered to idols. |
| 1 Cor 10:20-21 | But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils… | Fellowship with God incompatible with idol participation. |
| Rev 2:14 | But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. | Revelation links idol-meat with fornication, echoing the OT warning. |
| Act 15:29 | That ye abstain from meats offered to idols, and from blood, and from things strangled, and from fornication… | Apostolic decree concerning idol food for Gentiles. |
| Exo 23:32 | Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. | Earlier, explicit command in the covenant code. |
| Lev 18:30 | Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs… | Command to not follow customs of Canaanites. |
| Rom 1:24-25 | Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves: Who changed the truth of God into a lie, and worshipped and served the creature more than the Creator… | Describes spiritual descent related to idolatry. |
| Eph 5:11 | And have no fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, but rather reprove them. | Principle of separation for believers today. |
Exodus 34 verses
Exodus 34 15 Meaning
Exodus 34:15 issues a solemn warning against forming treaties or social connections with the pagan inhabitants of the land Israel was about to inherit. The primary concern is the insidious nature of idolatry, where participation in their sacrificial meals leads directly to spiritual harlotry, breaking faithfulness to God. It highlights the direct threat pagan practices pose to the covenant relationship between God and His people, as such interactions inevitably draw God's people into their false worship.
Exodus 34 15 Context
Exodus 34 details the renewal of the covenant after Israel’s apostasy with the Golden Calf. Moses ascends Mount Sinai for a second time, receiving a fresh set of tablets and a re-affirmation of God’s covenant laws. This chapter begins with God proclaiming His attributes—merciful, gracious, long-suffering, yet also just. The commands that follow, including verse 15, emphasize absolute devotion to Yahweh and strict separation from the idolatrous practices of the nations surrounding Israel. This particular verse is part of a series of specific injunctions concerning the people’s conduct upon entering Canaan (Exo 34:10-26). It serves as a stern warning against the assimilation that would compromise their unique identity as God’s chosen people and violate their covenant fidelity to Him. The command is a direct polemic against the polytheistic and morally corrupt religious systems prevalent in Canaan, which included deities like Baal and Asherah, often worshipped with fertility cult rituals involving ritual prostitution and sometimes child sacrifice. To make a covenant, to "go a whoring," or to eat from pagan sacrifices directly undermined the exclusivity and holiness of their covenant with Yahweh.
Exodus 34 15 Word analysis
- Lest thou make a covenant: The Hebrew is karat berit (כָּרַת בְּרִית), literally "to cut a covenant." This signifies a formal, binding agreement, not just casual association. Such treaties often involved shared religious oaths and reciprocal obligations, implicitly acknowledging the other party's gods.
- with the inhabitants of the land: Refers to the various Canaanite groups (Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites mentioned in Exo 34:11). These were the dominant, established peoples of the Promised Land, deeply steeped in polytheistic religions.
- and they go a whoring: The Hebrew verb is zanah (זָנָה). While literally meaning to commit prostitution, it is widely used metaphorically throughout the Old Testament to describe idolatry or unfaithfulness to God. It highlights God's perspective on idolatry as a spiritual adultery, betraying the intimate and exclusive covenant relationship with Him.
- after their gods: Denotes following and serving false deities, challenging God's exclusive claim on Israel's worship. These were territorial deities or gods associated with natural forces, unlike the one, transcendent God of Israel.
- and do sacrifice unto their gods: The Hebrew is zabach (זָבַח), referring to the act of slaughtering an animal for religious offering. This was a core ritual in pagan worship, aiming to propitiate or commune with their deities.
- and one call thee: Implies an invitation to participate in social or communal gatherings, which in that culture were frequently intertwined with religious activities and festivals. It speaks to the pervasive nature of paganism in everyday life.
- and thou eat of his sacrifice: Participation in a sacrificial meal was an act of communion, signifying fellowship and loyalty with the deity being worshipped and with other worshippers. For an Israelite, partaking in such a meal implicitly acknowledged the pagan deity, thereby breaking faith with Yahweh.
Exodus 34 15 Bonus section
The severe consequences for ignoring this command are widely documented in the historical books of the Old Testament, such as Judges and 1 Kings (e.g., the accounts of Israel's recurring apostasy in Judges or Solomon's eventual turn to idolatry in 1 Kings 11). The underlying theological principle is that "bad company corrupts good character" (1 Cor 15:33), which applies not only to individuals but to communities and nations in their relationship with God. This warning establishes a foundational principle for separation from spiritual impurity, which resonates throughout the entire Bible for believers in any era – a call to remain untainted by the world's worship of created things rather than the Creator. The command for separation was directly linked to the dispossessing of the land; if Israel failed to remove the inhabitants, the inhabitants would surely lead them astray.
Exodus 34 15 Commentary
Exodus 34:15 serves as a critical injunction guarding against syncretism and apostasy. God knew the powerful, corrupting influence of the Canaanite religious practices, particularly how social and political alliances could quickly lead to spiritual compromise. By warning against covenants and sharing sacrificial meals, God was protecting Israel's exclusive relationship with Him and their unique identity as His consecrated people. This was not merely a ceremonial or cultural issue but a matter of eternal fidelity and the preservation of pure worship. To eat of a pagan sacrifice was to directly partake in idol worship, rendering God's people defiled and in breach of the very covenant renewed just moments before. It underscores the jealous nature of God, who will not share His glory or His people's devotion with idols.