Exodus 34:15
lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice,
English Standard Version (ESV)
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This verse uses "whore" for idolatry not just to describe straying from God, but to highlight how intimate and binding the covenant relationship with Him is, akin to marriage. The warning against eating sacrifices implies that even seemingly casual participation in pagan feasts was a form of spiritual adultery, sharing in the worship of false gods.
This passage comes after God's renewal of the covenant with Israel, promising to do wonders and drive out the Canaanites. Moses is now receiving specific instructions about how to enter the Promised Land, emphasizing the need to utterly destroy idolatrous practices. The immediate warning is about making covenants with the existing inhabitants, which would inevitably lead to participation in their idolatrous feasts and ultimately spiritual unfaithfulness to God.
Understand the original words
zanah · Hebrew Verb
Metaphorical language used throughout Scripture to describe the spiritual infidelity of God's people when they forsake their covenant loyalty to Him to worship idols or false gods.
zebah · Hebrew Noun
The act of presenting an animal or gift to a deity to establish, maintain, or restore a relationship, seeking favor or expressing devotion.
This passage shows the direct consequences of making covenants with the inhabitants of the land, highlighting how the Israelites began to worship the Baals and Asherahs, demonstrating the spiritual unfaithfulness warned against in Exodus 34:15.
1 Corinthians 10:20-21Paul directly connects participation in pagan sacrifices and feasts with fellowship with demons, echoing the warning in Exodus 34:15 that eating from idol sacrifices implies participation in their worship and a covenant with the spiritual forces behind them.
Ezekiel 20:30-32The prophet confronts Israel for their persistent idolatry, using language similar to 'going a whoring' and 'defiling themselves with their idols,' illustrating how the temptation to compromise with surrounding nations leads to spiritual adultery, as cautioned in Exodus 34:15.
1 Kings 11:1-8This passage provides a historical example of the very danger Exodus 34:15 warns against: Solomon makes covenants and intermarries with foreign women, whose influence leads him and Israel into worshipping other gods, showing the devastating outcome of spiritual compromise.
pooleExodus 34:15: "Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;"
A covenant , for cohabitation, or to suffer them quietly to live among you, whom you should drive out. Go a whoring , i.e. commit idolatry, which is oft called and compared to spiritual whoredom. See Jer 2 Jer 3 Eze 16 . And thou eat of his sacrifice to wit of the parts or remainders of his sacrifi…
ellicottExodus 34:15: "Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;"
(15, 16) Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants. —If a covenant were made with the idolatrous nations of Canaan, and they were allowed to dwell in the land together with the Israelites ( Exodus 23:33 ), the danger would be, in the first place, that Israel would be induced to partake in the…
This verse uses "whore" for idolatry not just to describe straying from God, but to highlight how intimate and binding the covenant relationship with Him is, akin to marriage. The warning against eating sacrifices implies that even seemingly casual participation in pagan feasts was a form of spiritual adultery, sharing in the worship of false gods.
This passage comes after God's renewal of the covenant with Israel, promising to do wonders and drive out the Canaanites. Moses is now receiving specific instructions about how to enter the Promised Land, emphasizing the need to utterly destroy idolatrous practices. The immediate warning is about making covenants with the existing inhabitants, which would inevitably lead to participation in their idolatrous feasts and ultimately spiritual unfaithfulness to God.
"lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and when they whore after their gods and sacrifice to their gods and you are invited, you eat of his sacrifice," — This verse uses "whore" for idolatry not just to describe straying from God, but to highlight how intimate and binding the covenant relationship with Him is, akin to marriage. The warning against eat…
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