Exodus 23:32

32 "1You shall make no covenant with them 2or with their gods.

Exodus 23:32 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:32

Thou shalt make no covenant with them
A covenant of peace, a league, a confederacy, so as to take them to be their allies and friends; but they were always to consider them as their enemies, until they had made an utter end of them; though the Gibeonites by craft and guile obtained a league of them; but the methods they took to get it show they had some knowledge of this law, that the Israelites might not, or at least would not, make any league or covenant with the inhabitants of the land of Canaan. This may be also extended to marriage covenants, which they were forbid to make with them; which yet they did, and proved a snare to them, for this brought them to makes a covenant with their gods, and serve them, which is here also forbidden:

nor with their gods;
making vows unto them, promising to serve them, if they would do such and such things for them.

Exodus 23:32 In-Context

30 "I will drive them out before you little by little, until you become fruitful and take possession of the land.
31 "I will fix your boundary from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
32 "You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
33 "They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, it will surely be a snare to you."

Cross References 2

  • 1. Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 7:2
  • 2. Exodus 23:13, 24

Footnotes 1

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