Deuteronomy 7:5
Deuteronomy 7:5 in Multiple Translations
Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire.
But this is what you are to do to them: their altars are to be pulled down and their pillars broken, and their holy trees cut down and their images burned with fire.
On the contrary, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, knock down their idolatrous pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn down their idols.
But thus ye shall deale with them, Ye shall ouerthrowe their altars, and breake downe their pillars, and ye shall cut downe their groues, and burne their grauen images with fire.
'But thus thou dost to them: their altars ye break down, and their standing pillars ye shiver, and their shrines ye cut down, and their graven images ye burn with fire;
But you shall deal with them like this: you shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire.
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
But thus rather shall you deal with them: Destroy their altars, and break their statues, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven things.
This is what you must do to those people: Tear down their ◄altars/places for sacrificing animals►, break apart the stone pillars that are dedicated to their male god Baal, cut down the poles that they use when they worship the goddess Asherah, and burn their wooden idols.
Berean Amplified Bible — Deuteronomy 7:5
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Deuteronomy 7:5 Interlinear (Deep Study)
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Hebrew Word Reference — Deuteronomy 7:5
Study Notes — Deuteronomy 7:5
- Context
- Cross References
- Deuteronomy 7:5 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
- Sermons on Deuteronomy 7:5
Context — Drive Out the Nations
5Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
6For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth. 7The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 23:24 | You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 12:2–3 | Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree. Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place. |
| 3 | Exodus 34:13 | Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles. |
| 4 | Judges 6:25–26 | On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it. Then build a proper altar to the LORD your God on the top of this stronghold. And with the wood of the Asherah pole you cut down, take the second bull and offer it as a burnt offering.” |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 7:25 | You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God. |
| 6 | Deuteronomy 9:21 | And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain. |
| 7 | Deuteronomy 16:22 | and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates. |
| 8 | Leviticus 26:1 | “You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God. |
| 9 | 2 Kings 23:6–14 | He brought the Asherah pole from the house of the LORD to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem, and there he burned it, ground it to powder, and threw its dust on the graves of the common people. He also tore down the quarters of the male shrine prostitutes that were in the house of the LORD, where the women had woven tapestries for Asherah. Then Josiah brought all the priests from the cities of Judah and desecrated the high places, from Geba to Beersheba, where the priests had burned incense. He tore down the high places of the gates at the entrance of the gate of Joshua the governor of the city, which was to the left of the city gate. Although the priests of the high places did not come up to the altar of the LORD in Jerusalem, they ate unleavened bread with their fellow priests. He also desecrated Topheth in the Valley of Ben-hinnom so that no one could sacrifice his son or daughter in the fire to Molech. And he removed from the entrance to the house of the LORD the horses that the kings of Judah had dedicated to the sun. They were in the court near the chamber of an official named Nathan-melech. And Josiah burned up the chariots of the sun. He pulled down the altars that the kings of Judah had set up on the roof near the upper chamber of Ahaz, and the altars that Manasseh had set up in the two courtyards of the house of the LORD. The king pulverized them there and threw their dust into the Kidron Valley. The king also desecrated the high places east of Jerusalem, to the south of the Mount of Corruption, which King Solomon of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the abomination of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the abomination of the Moabites, and for Milcom the abomination of the Ammonites. He smashed the sacred pillars to pieces, cut down the Asherah poles, and covered the sites with human bones. |
| 10 | Exodus 32:20 | Then he took the calf they had made, burned it in the fire, ground it to powder, and scattered the powder over the face of the water. Then he forced the Israelites to drink it. |
Deuteronomy 7:5 Summary
This verse, Deuteronomy 7:5, means that God wants His people to completely get rid of anything that is used for worshiping false gods, like tearing down altars and burning idols. He wants us to be separate from the world and its influences, just like it says in 2 Corinthians 6:17-18, and to only worship Him. This is because worshiping anything other than the one true God is considered idolatry, as warned against in Exodus 20:3-5. By doing so, we show our love and commitment to God, and we can maintain a pure and devoted relationship with Him, as encouraged in Matthew 22:37-38.
Frequently Asked Questions
What does God mean by 'tear down their altars' in Deuteronomy 7:5?
God is instructing the Israelites to completely destroy the places of worship of the pagan nations they are about to encounter, as seen in Deuteronomy 12:3, to prevent them from being influenced by idolatry and to maintain their covenant with Him, as stated in Exodus 23:32-33.
Why are the Israelites commanded to 'burn their idols in the fire'?
This act of burning idols signifies a complete rejection of the false gods and a demonstration of the Israelites' commitment to worshiping the one true God, as emphasized in Deuteronomy 6:13-15 and reinforced in Leviticus 26:30.
How does this verse relate to the concept of separation from the world?
Deuteronomy 7:5 teaches the importance of separating oneself from worldly influences that could lead to idolatry, a principle also found in 2 Corinthians 6:14-17, where believers are warned not to be yoked with unbelievers.
Is this command to destroy idols still applicable today?
While the literal command to destroy physical idols may not apply directly to modern believers, the principle of rejecting and avoiding idolatry remains crucial, as seen in 1 John 5:21, where believers are warned to keep themselves from idols.
Reflection Questions
- In what ways can I applying the principle of separating myself from worldly influences that could lead to spiritual compromise in my own life?
- How can I ensure that my heart is not divided between serving God and being influenced by the idols of this world, as warned against in Ezekiel 14:3-5?
- What are some 'idols' in my life that I need to 'burn in the fire' in order to maintain a pure and devoted relationship with God, as encouraged in Matthew 5:29-30?
- In what ways can I demonstrate my commitment to worshiping the one true God, as commanded in Deuteronomy 7:5 and reinforced in Revelation 2:4-5?
Gill's Exposition on Deuteronomy 7:5
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 7:5
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
Trapp's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
Ellicott's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
Cambridge Bible on Deuteronomy 7:5
Whedon's Commentary on Deuteronomy 7:5
Sermons on Deuteronomy 7:5
| Sermon | Description | |
|---|---|---|
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Barriers to Blessing by Alan Bartley | This sermon addresses the barriers to blessing in the Christian life, focusing on the dangers of occult involvement, the impact of unbelief, the consequences of unconfessed sin, an |
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(Exodus) Exodus 34:10-26 by J. Vernon McGee | In this sermon, the speaker discusses God's covenant with Moses for the children of Israel. God promises to do marvelous works that have never been seen before, to protect the Isra |
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Tearing Down the Altar of Baal by David Wilkerson | This sermon focuses on the story of Gideon in Judges 6, highlighting the cycle of disobedience, oppression, and crying out to God that the Israelites faced due to idolatry and unbe |
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Prepared for the Snare by Teresa Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal experience of feeling the presence of God during a meeting. They express a sense of liberation and disregard for time constraints, as |
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(Men God Made) Gideon by Willie Mullan | In this sermon, the preacher announces that the next week's topic will be the life of David. He mentions that there are about 42 chapters dedicated to David in the Bible, and he pr |
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Beauty for Ashes - Day 1 by Carter Conlon | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes that God often chooses to work through one person to bring about deliverance and freedom. He encourages listeners to respond to God's call wi |
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Acts 17_pt2 by Bill Gallatin | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the unity and harmony that will be experienced in the kingdom age. He highlights that God has a special plan and purpose for each individual |







