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

1You must not sacrifice to him a bull or sheep that has a blemish or any other defect, because that is considered offensive to the Lord your God. 2Suppose a man or woman is discovered among you – in one of your villages that the Lord your God is giving you – who sins before the Lord your God and breaks his covenant by serving other gods and worshiping them – the sun, moon, or any other heavenly bodies which I have not permitted you to worship. 4When it is reported to you and you hear about it, you must investigate carefully. If it is indeed true that such a disgraceful thing is being done in Israel, 5you must bring to your city gates that man or woman who has done this wicked thing – that very man or woman – and you must stone that person to death.

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 to the sky and see the sun, moon, and stars – the whole heavenly creation – you must not be seduced to worship and serve them, for the Lord your God has assigned them to all the people of the world.
• 2 Kings 21:3He rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed; he set up altars for Baal and made an Asherah pole just like King Ahab of Israel had done. He bowed down to all the stars in the sky and worshiped them.
• Job 31:26if I looked at the sun when it was shining, and the moon advancing as a precious thing,
• Jeremiah 8:2They will be spread out and exposed to the sun, the moon and the stars. These are things they adored and served, things to which they paid allegiance, from which they sought guidance, and worshiped. The bones of these people will never be regathered and reburied. They will be like manure used to fertilize the ground.
• Ezekiel 8:16Then he brought me to the inner court of the Lord’s house. Right there at the entrance to the Lord’s temple, between the porch and the altar, were about twenty-five men with their backs to the Lord’s temple, facing east – they were worshiping the sun toward the east!
• Jeremiah 7:22Consider this: When I spoke to your ancestors after I brought them out of Egypt, I did not merely give them commands about burnt offerings and sacrifices.
• Jeremiah 19:5They have built places here for worship of the god Baal so that they could sacrifice their children as burnt offerings to him in the fire. Such sacrifices are something I never commanded them to make! They are something I never told them to do! Indeed, such a thing never even entered my mind!
• Jeremiah 32:35They built places of worship for the god Baal in the Valley of Ben Hinnom so that they could sacrifice their sons and daughters to the god Molech. Such a disgusting practice was not something I commanded them to do! It never even entered my mind to command them to do such a thing! So Judah is certainly liable for punishment.’

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