New Living Translation
Deuteronomy 29:18
18I 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.
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“You remember how we lived in the land of Egypt and how we traveled through the lands of enemy nations as we left. 17You have seen their detestable practices and their idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold. 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. 19“Those who hear the warnings of this curse should not congratulate themselves, thinking, ‘I am safe, even though I am following the desires of my own stubborn heart.’ This would lead to utter ruin! 20The Lord will never pardon such people. Instead his anger and jealousy will burn against them. All the curses written in this book will come down on them, and the Lord will erase their names 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 11:16“But be careful. Don’t let your heart be deceived so that you turn away from the Lord and serve and worship other gods.
- Deuteronomy 13:1“Suppose there are prophets among you or those who dream dreams about the future, and they promise you signs or miracles,
- Deuteronomy 17:2“When you begin living in the towns the Lord your God is giving you, a man or woman among you might do evil in the sight of the Lord your God and violate the covenant.
- Hebrews 3:12Be careful then, dear brothers and sisters. Make sure that your own hearts are not evil and unbelieving, turning you away from the living God.
- Jeremiah 9:15So now, this is what the Lord of Heaven’s Armies, the God of Israel, says: Look! I will feed them with bitterness and give them poison to drink.
- Hosea 10:4They spout empty words and make covenants they don’t intend to keep. So injustice springs up among them like poisonous weeds in a farmer’s field.
- Amos 6:12Can horses gallop over boulders? Can oxen be used to plow them? But that’s how foolish you are when you turn justice into poison and the sweet fruit of righteousness into bitterness.
- Acts 8:23for I can see that you are full of bitter jealousy and are held captive by sin.”
- Hebrews 12:15Look after each other so that none of you fails to receive the grace of God. Watch out that no poisonous root of bitterness grows up to trouble you, corrupting many.
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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