Christian Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 29:18
18Be sure there is no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit.
Deuteronomy 29:18 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
- New International Version (NIV)Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations; make sure there is no root among you that produces such bitter poison.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Beware lest there be among you a man or woman or clan or tribe whose heart is turning away today from the Lord our God to go and serve the gods of those nations. Beware lest there be among you a root bearing poisonous and bitter fruit,
- New King James Version (NKJV)so that there may not be among you man or woman or family or tribe, whose heart turns away today from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations, and that there may not be among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood;
Context of Deuteronomy 29:18
16“Indeed, you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and passed through the nations where you traveled. 17You saw their abhorrent images and idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold, which were among them. Be sure there is no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the Lord our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Be sure there is no root among you bearing poisonous and bitter fruit. 19When someone hears the words of this oath, he may consider himself exempt, thinking, ‘I will have peace even though I follow my own stubborn heart.’ This will lead to the destruction of the well-watered land as well as the dry land. 20The Lord will not be willing to forgive him. Instead, his anger and jealousy will burn against that person, and every curse written in this scroll will descend on him. The Lord will blot out his name under heaven,
Read all of Deuteronomy 29Deuteronomy 29:18 word by word
פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּ֠כֶם אִ֣ישׁ אוֹ־אִשָּׁ֞ה א֧וֹ מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה אוֹ־שֵׁ֗בֶט אֲשֶׁר֩ לְבָב֨וֹ פֹנֶ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ לָלֶ֣כֶת לַעֲבֹ֔ד אֶת־אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָהֵ֑ם פֶּן־יֵ֣שׁ בָּכֶ֗ם שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ פֹּרֶ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְלַעֲנָֽה׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Lest there should beיֵשׁyêsh · thereH3426
- among you manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
- or womanאִשָּׁה'ishshâh nâshîym · womanH802
- or familyמִשְׁפָּחָהmishpâchâh · familyH4940
- or tribeשֵׁ֫בֶטshêbeţ · tribeH7626
- whose heartלֵבָבlêbâb · heartH3824
- turneth awayפָּנָהpânâh · to turnH6437
- this dayיוֹםyôm · dayH3117
- from the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- our Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
- to goיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
- serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
- of these nationsגּוֹיgôy gôy · nationH1471
- among you a rootשֹׁ֫רֶשׁsheresh · rootH8328
- that bearethפָּרָהpârâh · be fruitfulH6509
- gallרֹאשׁrô'sh rôsh · poisonH7219
- and wormwoodלַעֲנָהla‛ănâh · wormwoodH3939
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 29:18
- Deuteronomy 11:16Be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside, serve, and bow in worship to other gods.
- Deuteronomy 13:1“If a prophet or someone who has dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
- Deuteronomy 17:2“If a man or woman among you in one of your towns that the Lord your God will give you is discovered doing evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violating his covenant
- Hebrews 3:12Watch out, brothers and sisters, so that there won’t be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart that turns away from the living God.
- Jeremiah 9:15Therefore, this is what the Lord of Armies, the God of Israel, says: “I am about to feed this people wormwood and give them poisonous water to drink.
- Hosea 10:4They speak mere words, taking false oaths while making covenants. So lawsuits break out like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
- Amos 6:12Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does anyone plow there with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood —
- Acts 8:23For I see you are poisoned by bitterness and bound by wickedness.”
- Hebrews 12:15Make sure that no one falls short of the grace of God and that no root of bitterness springs up, causing trouble and defiling many.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 29:18
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 18A root that beareth gall and wormwood - That is, as the apostle expresses it, Hebrews 3:12, An evil heart of unbelief departing from the living God; for to this place he evidently refers. It may also signify false doctrines, or idolatrous persons among themselves.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18The word here and in Deuteronomy 32:32 rendered “gall,” is in Hosea 10:4 translated “hemlock.” It is the name of a plant of intense bitterness, and of quick growth; and is therefore repeatedly used in conjunction with “wormwood” (compare Jeremiah 9:15; Lamentations 3:19; Amos 6:12), to express figuratively the nature and effects of sin (compare the marginal references.). The herb is probably the poppy. Hence, the “water” (i. e. juice) “of gall” Jeremiah…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-21Verses 10-21 The national covenant made with Israel, not only typified the covenant of grace made with true believers, but also represented the outward dispensation of the gospel. Those who have been enabled to consent to the Lord's new covenant of mercy and grace in Jesus Christ, and to give up themselves to be his people, should embrace every opportunity of renewing their open profession of relation to him, and their obligation to him, as the God of…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 18This metaphor describes idolatry as a root. If allowed to grow, it would lead to idol worship, which is the bitter fruit.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2910-29. Ye stand this day all of you before the Lord your God--The whole congregation of Israel, of all ages and conditions, all--young as well as old; menials as well as masters; native Israelites as well as naturalized strangers--all were assembled before the tabernacle to renew the Sinaitic covenant. None of them were allowed to consider themselves as exempt from the terms of that national compact, lest any lapsing into idolatry might prove a root of…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 29:18
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 29
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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