Deuteronomy 29:18

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“(For you know how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we crossed through the nations as we traveled. 17You have seen their detestable things and idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold.) Beware that the heart of no man, woman, clan, or tribe among you turns away from the Lord our God today to pursue and serve the gods of those nations; beware that there is among you no root producing poisonous and bitter fruit. 19When such a person hears the words of this oath he secretly blesses himself and says, “I will have peace though I continue to walk with a stubborn spirit.” This will destroy the watered ground with the parched. 20The Lord will be unwilling to forgive him, and his intense anger will rage against that man; all the curses written in this scroll will fall upon him and the Lord will obliterate his name from memory.

Deuteronomy 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 11:16Make sure you do not turn away to serve and worship other gods!
• Deuteronomy 13:1Suppose a prophet or one who foretells by dreams should appear among you and show you a sign or wonder,
• Deuteronomy 17:2Suppose 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
• Hebrews 3:12See to it, brothers and sisters, that none of you has an evil, unbelieving heart that forsakes the living God.
• Jeremiah 9:15So then, listen to what I, the Lord God of Israel who rules over all, say. ‘I will make these people eat the bitter food of suffering and drink the poison water of judgment.
• Hosea 10:4They utter empty words, taking false oaths and making empty agreements. Therefore legal disputes sprout up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a plowed field.
• Amos 6:12Can horses run on rocky cliffs? Can one plow the sea with oxen? Yet you have turned justice into a poisonous plant, and the fruit of righteous actions into a bitter plant.
• Acts 8:23For I see that you are bitterly envious and in bondage to sin.”
• Hebrews 12:15See to it that no one comes short of the grace of God, that no one be like a bitter root springing up and causing trouble, and through him 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

• Backsliders
• Confidence
• Family
• Gall
• Heart
• Sin
• Wormwood

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Covenant
• Gall
• Hemlock
• Moses
• Poison
• Root
• Secret
• Smoke

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