Deuteronomy 29:18

Make sure there is no man or woman, clan or tribe among you today whose heart turns away from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of those nations. Make sure there is no root among you that bears such poisonous and bitter fruit,

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses the assembled Israelites at Moab, concluding the covenant renewal ceremony before they cross the Jordan into the Promised Land. He issues a warning to the entire community as they stand on the threshold of national destiny.

The words — פֶּן (pen) = lest and יֵ֣שׁ (yesh) = there frame the prohibition against any existing person or group turning to foreign deities. The phrasing establishes a negative condition to prevent spiritual apostasy.

The thread — The warning against a corrosive root appears in Hebrews 12:15, which cautions against bitterness springing up to cause trouble. The command to avoid turning to other gods is echoed in Deuteronomy 11:16, which warns against being enticed to worship foreign idols.

Why it lands — The text commands inspection of the community for idolatrous hearts and corrosive influences, warning that self-deceived peace brings disaster. It asks readers to examine their own allegiances and reject spiritual complacency.

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

פֶּן־pen-lest יֵ֣שׁyeshthereבָּ֠כֶםBa./khem[be] among <the>/ youאִ֣ישׁ'isha man אוֹ־'ov-or אִשָּׁ֞ה'i.Shaha woman א֧וֹ'oor מִשְׁפָּחָ֣הmish.pa.Chaha clan אוֹ־'ov-or שֵׁ֗בֶטShe.veta tribe אֲשֶׁר֩'a.Sherwho לְבָב֨וֹle.va.V/oheart/ his פֹנֶ֤הfo.Neh[is] turning away הַיּוֹם֙hai./yOmthis/ day מֵעִם֙me./'Imfrom/ with יְהוָ֣הYah.wehYahweh אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ'e.lo.Hei./nuGod/ our לָלֶ֣כֶתla./Le.khetto/ go לַעֲבֹ֔דla./'a.Vodto/ serve אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֱלֹהֵ֖י'e.lo.Hei[the] gods of הַגּוֹיִ֣םha./go.Yimthe/ nations הָהֵ֑םha./Hem<the>/ those פֶּן־pen-lest יֵ֣שׁyeshthereבָּכֶ֗םba./Khem[be] among <the>/ youשֹׁ֛רֶשׁSho.resha root פֹּרֶ֥הpo.Rehbearing fruit רֹ֖אשׁroshpoison וְלַעֲנָֽה׃ve./la.'a.Nahand/ wormwood

King James Version

Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

Cross-references

Hebrews 12:15 See to it that no one falls short of the grace of God, and that no root of bitterness springs up to cause trouble and defile many.
Deuteronomy 11:16 But be careful that you are not enticed to turn aside to worship and bow down to other gods,
Deuteronomy 13:1 If a prophet or dreamer of dreams arises among you and proclaims a sign or wonder to you,
Jeremiah 9:15 Therefore this is what the LORD of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: “Behold, I will feed this people wormwood and give them poisoned water to drink.
Acts 8:23 For I see that you are poisoned by bitterness and captive to iniquity.”
Hosea 10:4 They speak mere words; with false oaths they make covenants. So judgment springs up like poisonous weeds in the furrows of a field.
Amos 6:12 “Do horses gallop on the cliffs? Does one plow the sea with oxen? But you have turned justice into poison and the fruit of righteousness into wormwood—
Hebrews 3:12 See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God.
Deuteronomy 17:2 If a man or woman among you in one of the towns that the LORD your God gives you is found doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God by transgressing His covenant