Deuteronomy 17:3

Deuteronomy 17:3 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, either the sun, or moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded;
• New International Version (NIV)and contrary to my command has worshiped other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or the moon or the stars in the sky,
• English Standard Version (ESV)and has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, or the sun or the moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have forbidden,
• New King James Version (NKJV)who has gone and served other gods and worshiped them, either the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded,

Context of Deuteronomy 17:3

1When you offer an animal as a sacrifice to the Lord your God, it must be perfect. Do not bring any sheep or bull that has something wrong with it. The Lord hates any gift like that. 2The Lord your God will give you towns to live in. You may hear that a man or a woman who lives in one of your towns has done a bad thing. He has done a sin that is against the covenant of the Lord your God. He may have started to worship false gods that I have commanded you not to worship. Perhaps he worships the sun, the moon or the stars. 4If you hear news like that, you must check the report carefully. If it is true that a wicked thing like that has happened in Israel, 5you must punish that person. Take the man or woman who has done that wicked thing to the gate of the town. Then you must throw stones at that person to kill them.

Deuteronomy 17:3 word by word

וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ וַֽיַּעֲבֹד֙ אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ לָהֶ֑ם וְלַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ׀ א֣וֹ לַיָּרֵ֗חַ א֛וֹ לְכָל־צְבָ֥א הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־צִוִּֽיתִי׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And hath goneיָלַךְyâlak · to walkH3212
• and servedעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• otherאַחֵר'achêr · anotherH312
• godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• and worshippedשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• them, either the sunשֶׁ֫מֶשׁshemesh · sunH8121
• or moonיָרֵחַyârêach · moonH3394
• or any of the hostצָבָאtsâbâ' tsebâ'âh · armyH6635
• of heavenשָׁמַיִםshâmayim shâmeh · heavenH8064
• which I have not commandedצָוָהtsâvâh · to commandH6680

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 17:3

• Deuteronomy 4:19When you look up at the sky, you see the sun, the moon and the stars. They all shine up in the sky. But do not bend down low to them or worship them. They are there because the Lord your God has made them. He has given them to people everywhere in the world.
• 2 Kings 21:3Manasseh built again the altars on the hills that his father Hezekiah had destroyed. He built altars for people to worship Baal. He also made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done. He bent down low to worship all the stars in the sky.
• Job 31:26I have looked at the sun when it shines brightly. And I have seen the moon when it is very beautiful.
• Jeremiah 8:2They will leave the bones all over the ground, under the sun, the moon and the stars. Those were the gods that my people loved. They served them and they worshipped them. Nobody will take their bones and bury them again. They will lie on the ground, like dung.
• Ezekiel 8:16Then the Lord took me to the inside yard of his temple. I could see about 25 men who were standing between the altar and the front of the temple. Their backs were turned towards the Lord's temple. Their faces looked towards the east. They were bending down low to worship the sun that was rising in the east!
• Jeremiah 7:22Remember this: I brought your ancestors safely out of Egypt. Then I gave them my commands. Those commands were not only about burnt offerings and sacrifices.
• Jeremiah 19:5They have built altars here to give honour to Baal. They light fires to give their children to Baal as burnt offerings. I never even thought about it. I never commanded my people to offer those kinds of sacrifices. I never even thought about it.
• Jeremiah 32:35They have built altars in Ben-Hinnom valley to worship Baal. On those altars, they light fires to burn their sons and daughters as sacrifices to Molech. I never commanded them to do that. I never even thought about it. It has caused Judah's people to be guilty of sin.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17:3

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2-7Verses 2-7 Compare Deuteronomy 13:1 ff. Here special reference is made to the legal forms to be adopted, Deuteronomy 17:5-7. The sentence was to be carried into effect at “the gates” (compare Genesis 19:1 note) of the town in which the crime was committed; because, as “all the people” were to take a part, an open space would be requisite for the execution. Note the typical and prophetical aspect of the injunction; compare Acts 7:58; Hebrews 13:12.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3The forces of heaven include visible things such as the sun, moon, and stars. They also include unseen beings such as angels. Worshiping anything that God created is a clear violation of the second commandment (see 5:9).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2-72-7. If there be found among you ... man or woman, that hath wrought wickedness--The grand object contemplated in choosing Israel was to preserve the knowledge and worship of the one true God; and hence idolatry of any kind, whether of the heavenly bodies or in some grosser form, is called "a transgression of His covenant." No rank or sex could palliate this crime. Every reported case, even a flying rumor of the perpetration of so heinous an offense, was…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 17:3

• Church
• Idolatry
• Intolerance, Religious
• Moon
• Sun

In the dictionaries

• Host of heaven
• Heaven
• Idolatry
• Moon
• Mouth
• Sun
• Atonement, Day of
• Chariots of the Sun
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 17

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Original Douay–Rheims Annotations
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings