Exodus 34:12

Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst.

Berean Standard Bible

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Study note

Setting — God speaks to Israel through Moses at the threshold of the Promised Land, immediately following the command to drive out the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites.

The words — הִשָּׁ֣מֶר (hi.Sha.mer) means "take heed" or "be careful," and תִּכְרֹ֤ת בְּרִית֙ (tikh.Rot be.Rit) translates to "you should make a covenant" or "treaty."

The thread — This warning against local alliances runs through Exodus 23:32, Joshua 23:12, and Deuteronomy 7:2.

Why it lands — The text states that foreign covenants will become a snare in the midst of the people, requiring readers to actively refuse political or religious entanglements with the land's inhabitants.

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

הִשָּׁ֣מֶרhi.Sha.mertake heedלְךָ֗le./Khato <the>/ yourselfפֶּן־pen-lest תִּכְרֹ֤תtikh.Rotyou should make בְּרִית֙be.Rita covenant לְיוֹשֵׁ֣בle./yo.Shevto/ [the] inhabitant[s] of הָאָ֔רֶץha./'A.retzthe/ land אֲשֶׁ֥ר'a.Sherwhich אַתָּ֖ה'a.Tahyou בָּ֣אba'[are] about to go עָלֶ֑יהָ'a.Lei./hato/ it פֶּן־pen-lest יִהְיֶ֥הyih.Yehhe should become לְמוֹקֵ֖שׁle./mo.Kesh<into>/ a snare בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃be./kir.Be./chain/ midst/ your

King James Version

Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:

Cross-references

Exodus 23:32 You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
Joshua 23:12 For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them,
Deuteronomy 7:2 and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy.
Deuteronomy 7:16 You must destroy all the peoples the LORD your God will deliver to you. Do not look on them with pity. Do not worship their gods, for that will be a snare to you.
Judges 2:2 and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done?
Psalms 106:36 They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
Judges 8:27 From all this Gideon made an ephod, which he placed in Ophrah, his hometown. But soon all Israel prostituted themselves by worshiping it there, and it became a snare to Gideon and his household.