Deuteronomio 29:18

18 Guardatevi, che non sia fra voi uomo, o donna, o famiglia, o tribù, il cui cuore si rivolga oggi indietro dal Signore Iddio nostro, per andare a servire agl’iddii di quelle nazioni; che non vi sia fra voi radice alcuna che produca tosco ed assenzio;

Deuteronomio 29:18 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 29:18

Lest there should be among you man or woman, or family, or
tribe
These words stand in connection with ( Deuteronomy 29:15 ) , with ( Deuteronomy 29:16 Deuteronomy 29:17 ) being in a parenthesis, as may be observed, and show the design of this solemn appearance of the people, and their entering afresh into covenant; which was to prevent their falling into idolatry, and preserve them from it, whether a single person of either sex, or a whole family, or even a tribe, which might be in danger of being infected with it, and so all the people:

whose heart turneth away this day from the Lord our God, to go [and]
serve the gods of those nations;
whose heart is enticed and drawn aside at the remembrance of the idols he has seen worshipped by others; and is looking off from the Lord God, his faith in him being weakened, his fear of him removed, and his affections for him lessened; and is looking towards the idols of the nations, with a hankering mind to serve and worship them:

lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood:
the word "rosh", which we render "gall", signifies, according to Jarchi, a bitter herb, which better suits with a root than gall, and is elsewhere by us rendered "hemlock", ( Hosea 10:4 ) ; and is by him very rightly interpreted of a wicked man among them; for not a principle of immorality, or heresy, rooted in the mind, productive of bitter fruits, or evil actions, is meant; but a bad man, particularly an idolater, who is rooted in idolatry, and is guilty of and commits abominable actions; the issue of which will be bitterness and death, if not recovered; which agrees with what the apostle says, ( Hebrews 12:15 ) ; who manifestly alludes to this passage; see the Apocrypha:

``In those days went there out of Israel wicked men, who persuaded many, saying, Let us go and make a covenant with the heathen that are round about us: for since we departed from them we have had much sorrow.'' (1 Maccabees 1:11)

and is confirmed by what follows.

Deuteronomio 29:18 In-Context

16 perciocchè voi sapete come siamo dimorati nel paese di Egitto, e come siamo passati per mezzo le nazioni, per le quali siete passati.

17 E avete vedute le loro abbominazioni, e i loro idoli di legno, di pietra, d’argento, e d’oro, che sono appresso di loro.

18 Guardatevi, che non sia fra voi uomo, o donna, o famiglia, o tribù, il cui cuore si rivolga oggi indietro dal Signore Iddio nostro, per andare a servire agl’iddii di quelle nazioni; che non vi sia fra voi radice alcuna che produca tosco ed assenzio;

19 e che non avvenga che, avendo alcuno udite le parole di questo giuramento, si benedica nel cuor suo, dicendo: Io avrò pace, benchè io cammini secondo la pravità del mio cuore; per aggiungere ebbrezza alla sete.

20 Il Signore non vorrà perdonargli; anzi allora, l’ira del Signore e la sua gelosia fumeranno contro a quell’uomo; e tutte l’esecrazioni scritte in questo Libro si poseranno sopra lui; e il Signore cancellerà il suo nome disotto al cielo.