You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This isn't just a political or military warning; the text is saying that entering into any agreement, even a peace treaty, with these nations would implicitly acknowledge their gods. Because ancient treaties often included invoking each other's deities, Israel was forbidden from any such pacts to avoid being drawn into worshipping foreign gods.
You shall make no covenant with them and their gods.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse concludes the "Book of the Covenant," a collection of laws and instructions given to the Israelites. Immediately preceding, God promises to drive out the Canaanites little by little and warns against making any alliances with them. This command is rooted in the understanding that treaties in that era often involved mutual acknowledgment and worship of each other's gods, which would compromise Israel's exclusive devotion to the Lord.
Ancient treaties weren't just about political agreements. They carried deep religious implications.
The command 'You shall make no covenant with them' goes beyond a simple non-aggression pact. In the ancient Near East, making a covenant often involved mutual recognition and acknowledgment of each other's gods.
This means a treaty with a nation was, in essence, a treaty with their pantheon. To form a political alliance was to implicitly or explicitly endorse their deities. For Israel, whose entire existence was to be centered on the one true God, this kind of religious compromise was unthinkable and dangerous.
Why the absolute ban on coexistence? Because idolatry wasn't just a different belief system; it was a spiritual disease.
The core danger of coexisting with idolaters wasn't just that they had different gods, but that their practices would inevitably 'ensnare' Israel. The command to 'not let them dwell in your land' (v. 33) directly stems from this concern.
Think of it like a contagious illness. The closer Israel lived to these practices—their worship, their festivals, their moral compromises—the more likely they were to catch the 'disease' of idolatry themselves. The historical record of Israel is a testament to this: every time they strayed close to neighboring cultures, they eventually began to 'serve their gods.'
Understand the original words
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berit · Hebrew Noun
A solemn, binding agreement or treaty between two parties, often involving promises, obligations, and consequences. In Scripture, covenants are central to the relationship between God and His people, requiring exclusive loyalty.
elohim · Hebrew Noun
In a biblical context, gods refer to idols or false deities worshipped by surrounding nations. Scripture consistently teaches that these are either non-existent or demonic powers and are strictly forbidden for the people of God.
This passage reiterates the command from Exodus, emphasizing that the Israelites were to show no mercy and make no agreements with the nations in the promised land, highlighting the spiritual danger of assimilation.
Joshua 23:13Joshua warns the elders of Israel, echoing the warnings in Exodus, that if they do not drive out the remaining nations, they will become snares and thorns, leading Israel into idolatry and ruin.
Judges 2:2This verse highlights the consequence of the Israelites not following God's command in Exodus, stating that the nations were left in the land to test Israel, leading them astray.
2 Corinthians 6:14Paul applies this principle of separation from idolatry to the New Testament church, urging believers not to be yoked together with unbelievers, drawing a parallel to the spiritual danger of making covenants with those who worship false gods.
bensonExodus 23:32: "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods."
Exodus 23:32-33 . Thou shalt make no covenant with them — Thou shalt give no toleration to idol-worship, nor suffer it to be introduced into thy territories. Thou shalt make no league with them, either civil or religious. They shall not dwell in thy land — Unless they renounce their idolatry, which is plainly understood; for, upon their becoming proselytes to the Jewish religion, they might dwell among them, and were ca…
pulpitExodus 23:32: "Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods."
Verses 32, 33. - FINAL WARNING AGAINST IDOLATRY. The "Book of the Covenant" ends as it began, with a solemn warning against idolatry. (See Exodus 20:23.) "Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their gods." Thou shalt not even suffer them to dwell side by side with thee in the land, on peaceable terms, with their own laws and religion, lest thou be ensnared thereby, and led to worship their idols and join in the…
This isn't just a political or military warning; the text is saying that entering into any agreement, even a peace treaty, with these nations would implicitly acknowledge their gods. Because ancient treaties often included invoking each other's deities, Israel was forbidden from any such pacts to avoid being drawn into worshipping foreign gods.
This verse concludes the "Book of the Covenant," a collection of laws and instructions given to the Israelites. Immediately preceding, God promises to drive out the Canaanites little by little and warns against making any alliances with them. This command is rooted in the understanding that treaties in that era often involved mutual acknowledgment and worship of each other's gods, which would compromise Israel's exclusive devotion to the Lord.
This verse concludes the "Book of the Covenant," a collection of laws and instructions given to the Israelites. Immediately preceding, God promises to drive out the Canaanites little by little and warns against making any alliances with them. This command is rooted in the understanding that treaties in that era often involved mutual acknowledgment and worship of each other's gods, which would compromise Israel's exclusive devotion to the Lord.
"You shall make no covenant with them and their gods." — This isn't just a political or military warning; the text is saying that entering into any agreement, even a peace treaty, with these nations would implicitly acknowledge their gods. Because ancient…
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Last reviewed October 2026