Exodus 34:15

15 lest at any time thou make a covenant with the dwellers on the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and they call thee, and thou shouldest eat of their feasts,

Exodus 34:15 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 34:15

Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the
land
A marriage covenant, taking their daughters in marriage to their sons, and "vice versa", as the following words show; here the caution is to be understood and the words supplied from ( Exodus 34:12 ) and inserted and connected thus, "take heed to thyself, lest thou make"

and they go a whoring after their gods;
that is, the inhabitants of the land, and particularly those with whom the Israelites made a covenant, and entered into a marriage relation with, and perhaps on this condition, that they would abstain from idolatry; and yet, contrary to the obligation they laid themselves under, lust after their idols, and commit spiritual fornication or adultery with them, which is explained by the next clause:

and do sacrifice unto their gods;
such as the first institutors of their idolatry enjoined, and their ancestors had observed, and were according to the rites and customs of the country:

and [one] call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;
invite to eat of what remained, that was offered to the idol: hence it appears, that having feasts at sacrifices, and eating things offered to idols in a festival way, are very ancient practices; see ( 1 Corinthians 10:27 1 Corinthians 10:28 ) .

Exodus 34:15 In-Context

13 Ye shall destroy their altars, and break in pieces their pillars, and ye shall cut down their groves, and the graven images of their gods ye shall burn with fire.

14 For ye shall not worship strange gods, for the Lord God, a jealous name, is a jealous God;

15 lest at any time thou make a covenant with the dwellers on the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and sacrifice to their gods, and they call thee, and thou shouldest eat of their feasts,

16 and thou shouldest take of their daughters to thy sons, and thou shouldest give of thy daughters to their sons; and thy daughters should go a whoring after their gods, and thy sons should go a whoring after their gods.

17 And thou shalt not make to thyself molten gods.