Exodus 23:24

Exodus 23:24 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
• English Standard Version (ESV)you shall not bow down to their gods nor serve them, nor do as they do, but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their pillars in pieces.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.
• New Living Translation (NLT)You must not worship the gods of these nations or serve them in any way or imitate their evil practices. Instead, you must utterly destroy them and smash their sacred pillars.

Context of Exodus 23:24

22If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you. 23My angel will go ahead of you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out. Do not bow down before their gods or worship them or follow their practices. You must demolish them and break their sacred stones to pieces. 25Worship the Lord your God, and his blessing will be on your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you, 26and none will miscarry or be barren in your land. I will give you a full life span.

Exodus 23:24 word by word

לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֤ה לֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶם֙ וְלֹ֣א תָֽעָבְדֵ֔ם וְלֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה כְּמַֽעֲשֵׂיהֶ֑ם כִּ֤י הָרֵס֙ תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔ם וְשַׁבֵּ֥ר תְּשַׁבֵּ֖ר מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou shalt not bow downשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
• to their godsאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• nor serveעָבַד‛âbad · to serve: ministerH5647
• them, nor doעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to make: doH6213
• after their worksמַעֲשֶׂהma‛ăώeh · deed: workH4639
• but thou shalt utterlyהָרַסhâras · to overthrowH2040
• them, and quiteשָׁבַרshâbar · to breakH7665
• their imagesמַצֵּבָהmatstsêbâh · pillarH4676

Cross-references for Exodus 23:24

• Exodus 20:5You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the parents to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me,
• Leviticus 18:3You must not do as they do in Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not do as they do in the land of Canaan, where I am bringing you. Do not follow their practices.
• Deuteronomy 12:30and after they have been destroyed before you, be careful not to be ensnared by inquiring about their gods, saying, “How do these nations serve their gods? We will do the same.”
• 2 Chronicles 33:2He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, following the detestable practices of the nations the Lord had driven out before the Israelites.
• Psalms 101:3I will not look with approval on anything that is vile. I hate what faithless people do; I will have no part in it.
• Psalms 106:35but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs.
• Ezekiel 16:47You not only followed their ways and copied their detestable practices, but in all your ways you soon became more depraved than they.
• Exodus 32:20And he took the calf the people had made and burned it in the fire; then he ground it to powder, scattered it on the water and made the Israelites drink it.
• Exodus 34:13Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and cut down their Asherah poles.
• Numbers 33:52drive out all the inhabitants of the land before you. Destroy all their carved images and their cast idols, and demolish all their high places.
• Deuteronomy 7:5This is what you are to do to them: Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones, cut down their Asherah poles and burn their idols in the fire.
• Deuteronomy 12:3Break down their altars, smash their sacred stones and burn their Asherah poles in the fire; cut down the idols of their gods and wipe out their names from those places.
• 2 Chronicles 34:3In the eighth year of his reign, while he was still young, he began to seek the God of his father David. In his twelfth year he began to purge Judah and Jerusalem of high places, Asherah poles and idols.

Commentaries on Exodus 23:24

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 24Break down their images - מצבתיהם matstsebotheyhem, from נצב natsab, to stand up; pillars, anointed stones, etc., such as the baitulia. See Clarke on Genesis 28:18; (note).Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-33Verses 20-33 It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; this is plainly taught by St. Paul, 1Co 10:9. They should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 24In Canaanite worship, people built holy pillars to represent the gods. Sometimes, they carved them to look like humans.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2520-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way--The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 23:24

• Amorites
• Canaanites
• Iconoclasm
• Jebusites
• War

In the dictionaries

• Beware
• Book
• Countenance
• Idolatry
• Ingathering
• Refresh
• Seethe
• Turn
• Wrest
• Bible, the

Commentaries on Exodus 23

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings