Deuteronomy 6:14-15
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The phrase "go after other gods" isn't just about worshipping different deities; it means taking them as your pattern. When you chase after the gods of surrounding nations, you're choosing to imitate their impure lifestyles, letting them shape who you become.
You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Just before this command, God’s people are being reminded to love Him with their whole being and to keep His words ever present in their lives. Moses is laying out the covenant laws for them as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land, a land filled with people who worship other gods. This verse serves as a direct warning against adopting the idolatrous practices of their neighbors, emphasizing that their loyalty must be solely to the one true God.
The world around you whispers different ideas about who you should be and what you should live for. The Bible warns that imitating the wrong people leads to the wrong character.
Imitation is Transformation
This verse is a stark warning against adopting the worship practices of surrounding nations. But it's more than just a rule about who to bow down to. It's about the deeper principle of imitation.
When you 'go after' other gods, you're not just choosing a deity; you're choosing a lifestyle, a worldview, and a moral compass. The gods of the nations were often associated with impurity, violence, and deceit. By following their gods, the Israelites would inevitably begin to adopt their corrupt ways.
As the commentary suggests, the object of worship becomes our pattern. If we chase after wealth, power, or pleasure as our ultimate goal, we begin to shape our lives around those pursuits, becoming like them. True worship shapes us into the likeness of the God we serve.
You're not living in a vacuum. Cultural influences press in, suggesting alternative paths and priorities. How do you discern between the true and the false?
The Danger of Proximity
Deuteronomy is addressed to the Israelites as they are about to enter the Promised Land. This land is 'full' of other nations with their own deeply ingrained religious systems. The command isn't just abstract; it's practical and immediate.
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These 'other gods' weren't just distant, mythical figures. They were the gods worshipped by the people living right next door—the Canaanites, the Egyptians, the Moabites. Their practices were visible, perhaps even tempting in their perceived benefits or cultural integration.
The warning highlights that our spiritual health is significantly impacted by our environment. It’s easy to drift when the currents around us pull us away from God. This means we need intentionality to stay anchored to God's truth amidst surrounding influences.
Understand the original words
ʾĕlōhîm · Hebrew Noun
False deities or idols worshipped by surrounding nations. In biblical theology, these are non-entities that divert worship from the one true God and lead to spiritual adultery.
qannāʾ · Hebrew Adjective
A characterization of God’s protective love for His covenant people that refuses to share their devotion with rivals. It implies that God demands exclusive loyalty and reacts against unfaithfulness.
ʾap̄ · Hebrew Noun
The righteous reaction of God against sin and rebellion. It is not an unbridled emotional outburst, but a manifestation of His holiness and justice in response to covenant breaking.
This passage lays the foundational principle: there can be no other gods before the one true God. Deuteronomy 6:14 directly builds upon this by warning against adopting the specific gods of neighboring nations.
Joshua 24:14Here, Joshua calls the Israelites to 'put away the foreign gods' and 'serve the Lord,' echoing the command in Deuteronomy not to be swayed by the practices of surrounding peoples.
1 Kings 11:4-5This passage shows the negative consequences of Solomon not following the Lord fully, as he 'went after other gods' because of his foreign wives, directly illustrating the danger Deuteronomy warns against.
Matthew 4:10When Jesus is tempted by Satan, he quotes Deuteronomy (8:19, but the principle is the same), stating 'Away from me, Satan! For it is written: ‘Worship the Lord your God, and serve him only.’' This highlights the absolute exclusivity required in worship.
Romans 12:2Paul urges believers not to be conformed to the world but to be transformed by the renewal of their minds. This parallels the Deuteronomic call to remain distinct from the surrounding cultures and their gods, by staying focused on God's ways.
gillDeuteronomy 6:14: "Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;"
Ye shall not go after other gods,.... To serve and worship them, and swear by them; and which indeed are no gods, only nominal and fictitious ones; idols which are nothing in the world, and ought to have no veneration and adoration given them; to go after them is to worship them, and this is to depart from the true God, and go a whoring after false deities: of the gods of the people which…
clarkeDeuteronomy 6:14: "Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;"
Ye shall not go after other gods - The object of religious worship among every people, whether that object be true or false, is ever considered as the pattern or exemplar to his worshippers. Christians are termed the followers of God; they take God for their pattern, and walk - act, as he does. Hence we see the meaning of the terms in this verse: Ye shall not go after - ye shall not take f…
The phrase "go after other gods" isn't just about worshipping different deities; it means taking them as your pattern. When you chase after the gods of surrounding nations, you're choosing to imitate their impure lifestyles, letting them shape who you become.
Just before this command, God’s people are being reminded to love Him with their whole being and to keep His words ever present in their lives. Moses is laying out the covenant laws for them as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land, a land filled with people who worship other gods. This verse serves as a direct warning against adopting the idolatrous practices of their neighbors, emphasizing that their loyalty must be solely to the one true God.
Just before this command, God’s people are being reminded to love Him with their whole being and to keep His words ever present in their lives. Moses is laying out the covenant laws for them as they stand on the brink of entering the Promised Land, a land filled with people who worship other gods. This verse serves as a direct warning against adopting the idolatrous practices of their neighbors, emphasizing that their loyalty must be solely to the one true God.
"You shall not go after other gods, the gods of the peoples who are around you— for the LORD your God in your midst is a jealous God—lest the anger of the LORD your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the ear…" — The phrase "go after other gods" isn't just about worshipping different deities; it means taking them as your pattern. When you chase after the gods of surrounding nations, you're choosing to imitate…
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Last reviewed October 2026
