Deuteronomy 17:3
in Deuteronomy 17and going to worship other gods, bowing down to them or to the sun or moon or any of the host of heaven—which I have forbidden—
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
and hath gone and served other gods, and worshipped them, or the sun, or the moon, or any of the host of heaven, which I have not commanded,
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;
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This verse in Deuteronomy 17
Commentary
6 notes on this verseThe host of heaven - Those glorious creatures, which are to be admired as the wonderful works of God, but not to be set up in God's stead. By condemning the most specious of all idolaters, he intimates, how absurd a thing it is to worship stocks and stones, the works of men's hands. I have not commanded - That is, I have forbidden.
This site's exposition
If a man or woman among you in one of the towns
on Deuteronomy 17:2-4
The offence is idolatry, filed as “transgressing His covenant”. Matthew Henry reads it as breaking the terms on which Israel was taken as a people.
This site's exposition
any of the host of heaven
John Wesley reads the sun, the moon and the host of heaven as the most splendid objects any idolater could worship. If these are forbidden, gods of wood and stone made by hand fall under the same sentence.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
And hath gone,....
That which was the most ancient and plausible idolatry is specified, worshipping the sun, moon, and stars; and, if that was so detestable a thing, much more was it so to worship stocks and stones, or the representations of mean and contemptible animals.
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
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.
The words behind it
16 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| וַיֵּ֗לֶךְ | vaiyelekh | and he has gone | H1980 → | 1546 times |
| וַֽיַּעֲבֹד֙ | vaiyaavod | and he has served | H5647 → | 288 times |
| אֱלֹהִ֣ים | ʾelohim | gods | H430 → | 2601 times |
| אֲחֵרִ֔ים | ʾacherim | other | H312 → | 166 times |
| וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּ | vaiyishtachu | and he has bowed down | H7812 → | 172 times |
| לָהֶ֑ם | lahem | to <the> them | ||
| וְלַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ׀ | velashemesh | and to the sun | H8121 → | 134 times |
| א֣וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| לַיָּרֵ֗חַ | laiyareach | to the moon | H3394 → | |
| א֛וֹ | ʾo | or | H176 → | 321 times |
| לְכָל־ | lekhol | to all | H3605 → | 5413 times |
| צְבָ֥א | tzeva' | [the] host of | H6635 → | 485 times |
| הַשָּׁמַ֖יִם | hashamayim | the heavens | H8064 → | 421 times |
| אֲשֶׁ֥ר | ʾasher | which | H834 → | 5497 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| צִוִּֽיתִי׃ | tziviti | I have commanded | H6680 → | 494 times |
וַיֵּ֗לֶךְand he has gone
vaiyelekhH1980 →1546 times
וַֽיַּעֲבֹד֙and he has served
vaiyaavodH5647 →288 times
אֱלֹהִ֣יםgods
ʾelohimH430 →2601 times
אֲחֵרִ֔יםother
ʾacherimH312 →166 times
וַיִּשְׁתַּ֖חוּand he has bowed down
vaiyishtachuH7812 →172 times
לָהֶ֑םto <the> them
lahem
וְלַשֶּׁ֣מֶשׁ׀and to the sun
velashemeshH8121 →134 times
א֣וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
לַיָּרֵ֗חַto the moon
laiyareachH3394 →
א֛וֹor
ʾoH176 →321 times
לְכָל־to all
lekholH3605 →5413 times
צְבָ֥א[the] host of
tzeva'H6635 →485 times
הַשָּׁמַ֖יִםthe heavens
hashamayimH8064 →421 times
אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich
ʾasherH834 →5497 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
צִוִּֽיתִי׃I have commanded
tzivitiH6680 →494 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Jeremiah 19:5They have built high places to Baal on which to burn their children in the fire as offerings to Baal—something I never commanded or mentioned, nor did it even enter My mind.
it leads to
- Leviticus 18:21
You must not give any of your children to be sacrificed to Molech, for you must not profane the name of your God. I am the LORD.
Reached by 3 separate paths from here.
- Jeremiah 32:35
They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered…
Reached by 2 separate paths from here.
- Deuteronomy 12:31
You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as…
- Psalms 106:37–38
They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons.
- Leviticus 18:21
Through
Deuteronomy 4:19When you look to the heavens and see the sun and moon and stars—all the host of heaven—do not be enticed to bow down and worship what the LORD your God has apportioned to…
it leads to
- Romans 1:25
They exchanged the truth of God for a lie, and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator, who is forever worthy of praise! Amen.
- 2 Kings 21:3
For he rebuilt the high places that his father Hezekiah had destroyed, and he raised up altars for Baal. He made an Asherah pole, as King Ahab of Israel had done, and he worshiped…
- Genesis 1:16–18
God made two great lights: the greater light to rule the day and the lesser light to rule the night. And He made the stars as well.
- Romans 1:25
Through
Jeremiah 32:35They have built the high places of Baal in the Valley of Hinnom to make their sons and daughters pass through the fire to Molech—something I never commanded them, nor had it ever entered…
it leads to
- Jeremiah 7:31
They have built the high places of Topheth in the Valley of Hinnom so they could burn their sons and daughters in the fire—something I never commanded, nor did it even enter My mind.
- Jeremiah 7:31
Where this verse is studied
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.