English Standard Version
Deuteronomy 29:18
18Beware 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,
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.
- 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;
- New Living Translation (NLT)I am making this covenant with you so that no one among you—no man, woman, clan, or tribe—will turn away from the Lord our God to worship these gods of other nations, and so that no root among you bears bitter and poisonous fruit.
Context of Deuteronomy 29:18
16"You know how we lived in the land of Egypt, and how we came through the midst of the nations through which you passed. 17And you have seen their detestable things, their idols of wood and stone, of silver and gold, which were among them. 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, 19one who, when he hears the words of this sworn covenant, blesses himself in his heart, saying, 'I shall be safe, though I walk in the stubbornness of my heart.' This will lead to the sweeping away of moist and dry alike. 20The Lord will not be willing to forgive him, but rather the anger of the Lord and his jealousy will smoke against that man, and the curses written in this book will settle upon him, and the Lord will blot out his name from 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 11:16Take care lest your heart be deceived, and you turn aside and serve other gods and worship them;
- Deuteronomy 13:1"If a prophet or a dreamer of dreams arises among you and gives you a sign or a wonder,
- Deuteronomy 17:2"If there is found among you, within any of your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman who does what is evil in the sight of the Lord your God, in transgressing his covenant,
- Hebrews 3:12Take care, brothers, lest there be in any of you an evil, unbelieving heart, leading you to fall away from the living God.
- Jeremiah 9:15Therefore thus says the Lord of hosts, the God of Israel: Behold, I will feed this people with bitter food, and give them poisonous water to drink.
- Hosea 10:4They utter mere words; with empty oaths they make covenants; so judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of the field.
- Amos 6:12Do horses run on rocks? Does one plow there with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
- Acts 8:23For I see that you are in the gall of bitterness and in the bond of iniquity."
- Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one fails to obtain the grace of God; that no "root of bitterness" springs up and causes trouble, and by it many become defiled;
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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