Exodus 23:24

24 "1You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; 2but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their 3sacred pillars in pieces.

Exodus 23:24 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:24

Thou shalt not bow down to their gods
In a way of honour to them, doing them reverence, expressing thereby an high esteem of them, trust in them, and expectation of good things from them;

nor serve them:
in any kind of service in which they usually are served by their votaries; as by offering sacrifice, incense, libations or by praying to them or praising of them, or in whatsoever way they are served by idolaters:

nor do after their works;
the works of the worshippers of idols; all those wicked works in general done by them, which should not be imitated; and those particularly relating to the service and worship of their deities:

but thou shalt overthrow them;
the heathen gods; utterly destroy them, and break them to pieces, or demolish their temples, the idolatrous houses built for them, and their altars; for the word has the signification, of demolishing buildings, and razing up the very foundations of them:

and quite break down their images;
or, "in breaking break down" F15; utterly and entirely break them down, break them to shivers, all their statues of gold or silver, brass, wood, or stone, or of whatsoever materials they were made; none were to be spared, nor any remains of them to be seen, that they might not prove a snare to any to worship them; and hereby they were to express their detestation of idolatry, and their strict and close adherence to the true God, and the worship of him as follows.


FOOTNOTES:

F15 (rbvt rbv) "confringendo confringes", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, "perfringendo perfringito", Piscator.

Exodus 23:24 In-Context

22 "But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
23 "For My angel will go before you and bring you in to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites and the Jebusites; and I will completely destroy them.
24 "You shall not worship their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their deeds; but you shall utterly overthrow them and break their sacred pillars in pieces.
25 "But you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water; and I will remove sickness from your midst.
26 "There shall be no one miscarrying or barren in your land; I will fulfill the number of your days.

Cross References 3

  • 1. Exodus 20:5; Exodus 23:13, 33; Deuteronomy 12:30
  • 2. Numbers 33:52; Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3; 2 Kings 18:4
  • 3. Exodus 34:13; Leviticus 26:1; 2 Kings 3:2
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