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)
The phrase "go a whoring after their gods" isn't just about physical misconduct; it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual adultery. It emphasizes that straying from God is a betrayal, like a spouse abandoning their partner for someone else, a concept echoed in New Testament imagery of Christ and the Church.
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)
God is reiterating His commands to Moses about entering the Promised Land, emphasizing the need to drive out the Canaanites and avoid making any treaties or alliances with them. This passage warns against the dangers of cultural and religious assimilation, specifically how participating in their feasts and sacrifices, and eventually intermarrying, would lead Israel into idolatry. The consequences of such compromise are stark: spiritual adultery and abandoning their covenant with God.
Imagine being invited to a party where the food is delicious, the company is lively, but the 'reason' for the celebration is worshiping a false god. What happens when the lines between fellowship and forbidden worship blur?
Shared Meals, Shared Beliefs
This verse warns against participating in the feasts of the Canaanites. It wasn't just about sharing a meal; these meals were an integral part of their religious worship.
God commanded Israel to drive out the Canaanites, not out of hate, but out of a fierce love to protect them. What does this tell us about the nature of true covenants?
The Peril of 'Covenants' with the World
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The command to avoid covenants with the Canaanites wasn't just about political treaties; it was a profound warning against forming alliances that would compromise their spiritual identity.
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 directly illustrates the consequences warned against in Exodus 34:15, showing how Israel abandoned God to serve the Baals after making alliances with the Canaanites.
1 Kings 11:1-8Solomon's life serves as a tragic example of the dangers highlighted here; his foreign wives led him to worship other gods, demonstrating how covenants and close relationships can lead to spiritual compromise.
1 Corinthians 10:14-22Paul uses a similar concept, warning believers against participating in idolatrous feasts because it means sharing in the sacrifices offered to demons, paralleling the danger of 'eating of his sacrifice' in Exodus.
Jeremiah 3:6-9The prophets repeatedly used the metaphor of spiritual adultery for Israel's unfaithfulness to God, echoing the 'go a whoring' language and the covenant unfaithfulness described in Exodus 34:15.
Ezekiel 20:30-32The prophet confronts Israel for their continued spiritual adultery and seeking 'inquires of them by me,' mirroring the continuous lure of idolatry and the breaking of their covenant relationship with God.
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…
The phrase "go a whoring after their gods" isn't just about physical misconduct; it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual adultery. It emphasizes that straying from God is a betrayal, like a spouse abandoning their partner for someone else, a concept echoed in New Testament imagery of Christ and the Church.
God is reiterating His commands to Moses about entering the Promised Land, emphasizing the need to drive out the Canaanites and avoid making any treaties or alliances with them. This passage warns against the dangers of cultural and religious assimilation, specifically how participating in their feasts and sacrifices, and eventually intermarrying, would lead Israel into idolatry. The consequences of such compromise are stark: spiritual adultery and abandoning their covenant with God.
God is reiterating His commands to Moses about entering the Promised Land, emphasizing the need to drive out the Canaanites and avoid making any treaties or alliances with them. This passage warns against the dangers of cultural and religious assimilation, specifically how participating in their feasts and sacrifices, and eventually intermarrying, would lead Israel into idolatry. The consequences of such compromise are stark: spiritual adultery and abandoning their covenant with 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," — The phrase "go a whoring after their gods" isn't just about physical misconduct; it's a powerful metaphor for spiritual adultery. It emphasizes that straying from God is a betrayal, like a spouse aba…
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Last reviewed October 2026