Deuteronomy 7:4

because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — Moses addresses Israel regarding covenant obligations toward the Canaanite nations, immediately following instructions against intermarriage and preceding commands to dismantle foreign worship sites.

The words — The Hebrew verb יָסִ֤יר (ya.Sir) means "he will turn aside," describing the diversion of sons from following God to serve אֲחֵרִ֑ים ('a.che.Rim), "other" gods.

The thread — This pattern of covenant betrayal triggering divine jealousy and judgment appears in Deuteronomy 6:15 and Deuteronomy 4:26.

Why it lands — The text states that intermarriage will divert Israel's offspring to foreign worship, which will provoke the LORD's anger and result in swift destruction. The passage demands immediate religious separation to preserve covenant fidelity.

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

כִּֽי־ki-for יָסִ֤ירya.Sirhe will turn aside אֶת־'et-<obj.>בִּנְךָ֙bin./Khason/ your מֵֽאַחֲרַ֔יme./'a.cha.Ra/ifrom/ after/ me וְעָבְד֖וּve./'a.ve.Duand/ they will serve אֱלֹהִ֣ים'E.lo.Himgods אֲחֵרִ֑ים'a.che.Rimother וְחָרָ֤הve./cha.Rahand/ it will burn אַף־'af-[the] anger of יְהוָה֙Yah.wehYahwehבָּכֶ֔םba./Khemon <the>/ youוְהִשְׁמִידְךָ֖ve./hish.mi.de./Khaand/ he will destroy/ you מַהֵֽר׃ma.Herquickly

King James Version

For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the Lord be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 6:15 For the LORD your God, who is among you, is a jealous God. Otherwise the anger of the LORD your God will be kindled against you, and He will wipe you off the face of the earth.
Exodus 20:5 You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,
Deuteronomy 4:26 I call heaven and earth as witnesses against you this day that you will quickly perish from the land that you are crossing the Jordan to possess. You will not live long upon it, but will be utterly destroyed.
Deuteronomy 32:16 They provoked His jealousy with foreign gods; they enraged Him with abominations.
Judges 2:11 And the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD and served the Baals.
Judges 2:20 So the anger of the LORD burned against Israel, and He said, “Because this nation has transgressed the covenant I laid down for their fathers and has not heeded My voice,
Judges 3:7 So the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD; they forgot the LORD their God and served the Baals and the Asherahs.
Judges 10:6 And again the Israelites did evil in the sight of the LORD. They served the Baals, the Ashtoreths, the gods of Aram, Sidon, and Moab, and the gods of the Ammonites and Philistines. Thus they forsook the LORD and did not serve Him.