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Deuteronomy 20:18

in Deuteronomy 20

so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.

BSB

The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾

ASV

that they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so would ye sin against Jehovah your God.

KJV

That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the Lord your God.

This verse in Deuteronomy 20

Commentary

5 notes on this verse

This site's exposition

However, in the cities of the nations

on Deuteronomy 20:16-18

The near cities get no such offer. Verse 18 gives the reason, “so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods”.

This site's exposition

so that they cannot teach you

John Gill names the detestable things done for their gods, idolatry and witchcraft among them. When Israel left the nations alive, Psalm 106:34 to 37 records that it worshiped their idols and sacrificed its sons and daughters to demons. The nations did teach Israel to sin.

The record, by era

The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices

A commentator

Matthew Henry

1662–1714

Commentary on the Whole Bible (1710)

proposed

), to introduce their customs into the worship of the God of Israel, and by degrees to forsake him and to worship false gods; for those that dare violate the second commandment will not long keep to the first. Strange worships open the door to strange deities. Care is here taken that in the besieging of cities there should not be any destruction made of fruit-trees,

quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens

That they teach you not to do after all their abominations,....

The Nineteenth Century1 voice

A commentator

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown

1802–1910

Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)

proposed

When thou comest nigh unto a city to fight against it, then proclaim peace unto it--An important principle is here introduced into the war law of Israel regarding the people they fought against and the cities they besieged. With "the cities of those people which God doth give thee" in Canaan, it was to be a war of utter extermination (De 20:17, 18).

The words behind it

14 Hebrew words

Every 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.

  • לְמַ֗עַןso that

    lemaanH4616 →272 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֨רthat

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • לֹֽא־not

    lo'-H3808 →5168 times

  • יְלַמְּד֤וּthey may teach

    yelameduH3925 →85 times

  • אֶתְכֶם֙<obj.> you

    ʾetkhemH853 →10935 times

  • לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתto do

    laasotH6213 →2628 times

  • כְּכֹל֙according to all

    kekholH3605 →5413 times

  • תּֽוֹעֲבֹתָ֔םabominations their

    toavotamH8441 →117 times

  • אֲשֶׁ֥רwhich

    ʾasherH834 →5497 times

  • עָשׂ֖וּthey have done

    ʾasuH6213 →2628 times

  • לֵֽאלֹהֵיהֶ֑םfor gods their

    leloheihemH430 →2601 times

  • וַחֲטָאתֶ֖םand you will sin

    vachatatemH2398 →238 times

  • לַיהוָ֥הto Yahweh

    layahwehH3068 →6520 times

  • אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ סGod your

    ʾeloheikhemH430 →2601 times

A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.

The walk

8 stops

Each 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

    Ephesians 5:11

    Have no fellowship with the fruitless deeds of darkness, but rather expose them.

    it leads to

    • Romans 13:12

      The night is nearly over; the day has drawn near. So let us lay aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light.

    • 1 Timothy 5:20

      But those who persist in sin should be rebuked in front of everyone, so that the others will stand in fear of sin.

    • 2 Thessalonians 3:6

      Now we command you, brothers, in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ, to keep away from any brother who leads an undisciplined life that is not in keeping with the tradition you received…

    • 2 John 1:10–11

      If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him.

    • Romans 16:17

      Now I urge you, brothers, to watch out for those who create divisions and obstacles that are contrary to the teaching you have learned. Turn away from them.

  • Through

    Joshua 23:13

    know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and…

    it leads to

    • Deuteronomy 7:16

      You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.

      Reached by 2 separate paths from here.

    • Numbers 33:55

      But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you…

  • Through

    Exodus 23:33

    They must not remain in your land, lest they cause you to sin against Me. For if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you.”

    it leads to

    • Psalms 106:36

      They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.

Where this verse is studied

About Deuteronomy

Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.
Moses Viewing the Promised Land, Frederic Edwin Church, 1846. Public domain.

This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.