Deuteronomy 18:9

When you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.

Berean Standard Bible

Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the Israelites on the plains of Moab, issuing covenant instructions as the generation prepares to cross the Jordan. The command establishes a behavioral boundary for the people entering the territory Yahweh is granting them.

The words — כִּי (ki) translates literally as "if" or "when," marking the temporal trigger of the entry. בָּא (ba') means "[have] gone," anchoring the prohibition to the physical act of arriving in the land.

The thread — The warning against adopting foreign cultic practices appears in Deuteronomy 12:29, Leviticus 18:26, and Leviticus 18:30. These passages consistently link covenant fidelity and land occupancy to the rejection of neighboring religious customs.

Why it lands — The text requires the cessation of cultural assimilation before claiming the territory. It demands a clear separation of worship and practice from the surrounding nations.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֤יkiif אַתָּה֙'a.Tahyou בָּ֣אba'[have] gone אֶל־'el-into הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land אֲשֶׁר־'a.Sher-which יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei./khaGod/ your נֹתֵ֣ןno.Ten[is] about to giveלָ֑ךְLa/khto <the>/ youלֹֽא־lo'-not תִלְמַ֣דtil.Madyou will learn לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla./'a.Sotto/ do כְּתוֹעֲבֹ֖תke./to.'a.Votaccording to/ [the] abominations of הַגּוֹיִ֥םha./go.Yimthe/ nations הָהֵֽם׃ha./Hem<the>/ those

King James Version

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 12:29 When the LORD your God cuts off before you the nations you are entering to dispossess, and you drive them out and live in their land,
Leviticus 18:26 But you are to keep My statutes and ordinances, and you must not commit any of these abominations—neither your native-born nor the foreigner who lives among you.
Leviticus 18:30 You must keep My charge not to practice any of the abominable customs that were practiced before you, so that you do not defile yourselves by them. I am the LORD your God.”