Exodus 23:24
Exodus 23:24 in Multiple Translations
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.
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works; but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and break in pieces their pillars.
Do not go down on your faces and give worship to their gods, or do as they do; but overcome them completely, and let their pillars be broken down.
You must not bow down to their gods or worship them or follow their pagan practices. No, you must demolish their idols and smash their sacred pillars into pieces.
Thou shalt not bow downe to their gods, neither serue them, nor doe after the workes of them: but vtterly ouerthrowe them, and breake in pieces their images.
'Thou dost not bow thyself to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their doings, but dost utterly devote them, and thoroughly break their standing pillars.
You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor follow their practices, but you shall utterly overthrow them and demolish their pillars.
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
Thou shalt not adore their gods, nor serve them. Thou shalt not do their works, but shalt destroy them, and break their statues.
Do not bow down before their gods/idols or worship them. And do not do the things that they think that their gods want them to do. Completely destroy their gods/idols, and smash to pieces their sacred stones.
Berean Amplified Bible — Exodus 23:24
BAB
Word Study
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Amplified text is generated using scripting to tie together English translations for comparison. Always refer to the core BSB translation and original Hebrew/Greek text for accuracy. Anomalies may occur.
Exodus 23:24 Interlinear (Deep Study)
BIB
HEB
לֹֽא
תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֤ה
לֵ/אלֹֽהֵי/הֶם֙
וְ/לֹ֣א
תָֽעָבְדֵ֔/ם
וְ/לֹ֥א
תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה
כְּ/מַֽעֲשֵׂי/הֶ֑ם
כִּ֤י
הָרֵס֙
תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔/ם
וְ/שַׁבֵּ֥ר
תְּשַׁבֵּ֖ר
מַצֵּבֹתֵי/הֶֽם
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
not
Part
תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֤ה
shâchâh
H7812
to bow
V-v-Imperf-2ms
לֵ/אלֹֽהֵי/הֶם֙
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
God
Prep | N-mp | Suff
וְ/לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Conj | Part
תָֽעָבְדֵ֔/ם
ʻâbad
H5647
to serve
V-Hophal-Imperf-2ms | Suff
וְ/לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
not
Conj | Part
תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה
ʻâsâh
H6213
to make
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
כְּ/מַֽעֲשֵׂי/הֶ֑ם
maʻăseh
H4639
deed
Prep | N-mp | Suff
כִּ֤י
kîy
H3588
for
Conj
הָרֵס֙
hâraç
H2040
to overthrow
V-Piel-Ptc
תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔/ם
hâraç
H2040
to overthrow
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms | Suff
וְ/שַׁבֵּ֥ר
shâbar
H7665
to break
Conj | V-Piel-Ptc
תְּשַׁבֵּ֖ר
shâbar
H7665
to break
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms
מַצֵּבֹתֵי/הֶֽם
matstsêbâh
H4676
pillar
N-fp | Suff
Hebrew Word Study
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Hebrew Word Reference — Exodus 23:24
לֹֽא
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֤ה
shâchâh
H7812
"to bow"
V-v-Imperf-2ms
This Hebrew word means to bow down, often as a sign of respect or worship. It is used in Genesis 24:52 to describe Abraham's servant bowing down to God. The word is about showing humility and respect to someone or something.
Definition: 1) to bow down 1a) (Qal) to bow down 1b)(Hiphil) to depress (fig) 1c) (Hithpael) 1c1) to bow down, prostrate oneself 1c1a) before superior in homage 1c1b) before God in worship 1c1c) before false gods 1c1d) before angel
Usage: Occurs in 166 OT verses. KJV: bow (self) down, crouch, fall down (flat), humbly beseech, do (make) obeisance, do reverence, make to stoop, worship. See also: Genesis 18:2; 1 Kings 9:9; Psalms 5:8.
לֵ/אלֹֽהֵי/הֶם֙
ʼĕlôhîym
H430
"God"
Prep | N-mp | Suff
The Hebrew word for God, elohim, refers to the one supreme God, and is sometimes used to show respect to judges or magistrates. It is also used to describe angels or mighty beings. This word is closely related to the name of the Lord, Yahweh, and is often translated as God or gods in the Bible.
Definition: This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God" Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
Usage: Occurs in 2246 OT verses. KJV: angels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty. See also: Genesis 1:1; Genesis 22:12; Exodus 3:11.
וְ/לֹ֣א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Conj | Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
תָֽעָבְדֵ֔/ם
ʻâbad
H5647
"to serve"
V-Hophal-Imperf-2ms | Suff
To serve or work is the meaning of this verb, which can also imply slavery or bondage, as seen in the story of the Israelites in Egypt. It is used to describe various types of work or service, including serving God or other people. The word has different forms and meanings in different contexts.
Definition: : serve[someone] 1) to work, serve 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to labour, work, do work 1a2) to work for another, serve another by labour 1a3) to serve as subjects 1a4) to serve (God) 1a5) to serve (with Levitical service) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be worked, be tilled (of land) 1b2) to make oneself a servant 1c) (Pual) to be worked 1d) (Hiphil) 1d1) to compel to labour or work, cause to labour, cause to serve 1d2) to cause to serve as subjects 1e) (Hophal) to be led or enticed to serve
Usage: Occurs in 262 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] be, keep in bondage, be bondmen, bond-service, compel, do, dress, ear, execute, [phrase] husbandman, keep, labour(-ing man, bring to pass, (cause to, make to) serve(-ing, self), (be, become) servant(-s), do (use) service, till(-er), transgress (from margin), (set a) work, be wrought, worshipper, See also: Genesis 2:5; Deuteronomy 28:14; Psalms 2:11.
וְ/לֹ֥א
lôʼ
H3808
"not"
Conj | Part
The Hebrew word for not or no is used to indicate absence or negation, as when God says no to the Israelites' requests, or when they disobey His commands.
Definition: 1) not, no 1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition) 1b) not (with modifier-negation) 1c) nothing (subst) 1d) without (with particle) 1e) before (of time) Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Usage: Occurs in 3967 OT verses. KJV: [idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as truly as, [phrase] of a truth, [phrase] verily, for want, [phrase] whether, without. See also: Genesis 2:5; Genesis 31:15; Exodus 4:9.
תַעֲשֶׂ֖ה
ʻâsâh
H6213
"to make"
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms
This verb means to make or do something, and is used over 2,600 times in the Bible. It is first used in Genesis 1:7 to describe God's creation of the world and is also used in Exodus 31:5 to describe the work of skilled craftsmen.
Definition: : make(OBJECT) 1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to do, work, make, produce 1a1a) to do 1a1b) to work 1a1c) to deal (with) 1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect 1a2) to make 1a2a) to make 1a2b) to produce 1a2c) to prepare 1a2d) to make (an offering) 1a2e) to attend to, put in order 1a2f) to observe, celebrate 1a2g) to acquire (property) 1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute 1a2i) to bring about 1a2j) to use 1a2k) to spend, pass 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be done 1b2) to be made 1b3) to be produced 1b4) to be offered 1b5) to be observed 1b6) to be used 1c) (Pual) to be made
Usage: Occurs in 2286 OT verses. KJV: accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. See also: Genesis 1:7; Genesis 34:19; Exodus 18:24.
כְּ/מַֽעֲשֵׂי/הֶ֑ם
maʻăseh
H4639
"deed"
Prep | N-mp | Suff
This Hebrew word refers to an action or deed, which can be good or bad. It is used to describe various activities, such as work, business, or achievements. The KJV translates it as act, deed, or labor.
Definition: : judgement/punishment 1) deed, work 1a) deed, thing done, act 1b) work, labour 1c) business, pursuit 1d) undertaking, enterprise 1e) achievement 1f) deeds, works (of deliverance and judgment) 1g) work, thing made 1h) work (of God) 1i) product
Usage: Occurs in 221 OT verses. KJV: act, art, [phrase] bakemeat, business, deed, do(-ing), labor, thing made, ware of making, occupation, thing offered, operation, possession, [idiom] well, (handy-, needle-, net-) work(ing, -manship), wrought. See also: Genesis 5:29; Job 1:10; Psalms 8:4.
כִּ֤י
kîy
H3588
"for"
Conj
A conjunction used to show cause or connection, as in Genesis 2:23 where Adam says the woman is bone of his bone because she was taken out of him. It is often translated as 'for', 'because', or 'since'.
Definition: 1) that, for, because, when, as though, as, because that, but, then, certainly, except, surely, since 1a) that 1a1) yea, indeed 1b) when (of time) 1b1) when, if, though (with a concessive force) 1c) because, since (causal connection) 1d) but (after negative) 1e) that if, for if, indeed if, for though, but if 1f) but rather, but 1g) except that 1h) only, nevertheless 1i) surely 1j) that is 1k) but if 1l) for though 1m) forasmuch as, for therefore
Usage: Occurs in 3910 OT verses. KJV: and, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + till, truly, + until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet. See also: Genesis 1:4; Genesis 26:16; Genesis 42:15.
הָרֵס֙
hâraç
H2040
"to overthrow"
V-Piel-Ptc
This Hebrew word means to overthrow or destroy something, like breaking down a wall or throwing something to the ground. It is used to describe God's power and judgment.
Definition: 1) to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to throw down, tear down 1a2) to break through 1a3) to break down, break away 1b) (Niphal) to be torn down, be thrown down 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to overthrow, tear down 1c2) destroyer (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: beat down, break (down, through), destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, [idiom] utterly. See also: Exodus 15:7; Isaiah 49:17; Psalms 11:3.
תְּהָ֣רְסֵ֔/ם
hâraç
H2040
"to overthrow"
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms | Suff
This Hebrew word means to overthrow or destroy something, like breaking down a wall or throwing something to the ground. It is used to describe God's power and judgment.
Definition: 1) to tear down, break down, overthrow, beat down, break, break through, destroy, pluck down, pull down, throw down, ruined, destroyer, utterly 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to throw down, tear down 1a2) to break through 1a3) to break down, break away 1b) (Niphal) to be torn down, be thrown down 1c) (Piel) 1c1) to overthrow, tear down 1c2) destroyer (participle)
Usage: Occurs in 42 OT verses. KJV: beat down, break (down, through), destroy, overthrow, pluck down, pull down, ruin, throw down, [idiom] utterly. See also: Exodus 15:7; Isaiah 49:17; Psalms 11:3.
וְ/שַׁבֵּ֥ר
shâbar
H7665
"to break"
Conj | V-Piel-Ptc
This word means to break or shatter something, either physically or emotionally. It can also mean to burst or rupture, and is often used to describe intense violence or destruction. In the Bible, it's translated as break or crush.
Definition: 1) to break, break in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench 1a2) to break, rupture (fig) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked 1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig) 1c) (Piel) to shatter, break 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth 1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
Usage: Occurs in 143 OT verses. KJV: break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt, quench, [idiom] quite, tear, view (by mistake for H7663 (שָׂבַר)). See also: Genesis 19:9; Isaiah 27:11; Psalms 3:8.
תְּשַׁבֵּ֖ר
shâbar
H7665
"to break"
V-Piel-Imperf-2ms
This word means to break or shatter something, either physically or emotionally. It can also mean to burst or rupture, and is often used to describe intense violence or destruction. In the Bible, it's translated as break or crush.
Definition: 1) to break, break in pieces 1a) (Qal) 1a1) break, break in or down, rend violently, wreck, crush, quench 1a2) to break, rupture (fig) 1b) (Niphal) 1b1) to be broken, be maimed, be crippled, be wrecked 1b2) to be broken, be crushed (fig) 1c) (Piel) to shatter, break 1d) (Hiphil) to cause to break out, bring to the birth 1e) (Hophal) to be broken, be shattered Aramaic equivalent: te.var (תְּבַר "to break" H8406)
Usage: Occurs in 143 OT verses. KJV: break (down, off, in pieces, up), broken (-hearted), bring to the birth, crush, destroy, hurt, quench, [idiom] quite, tear, view (by mistake for H7663 (שָׂבַר)). See also: Genesis 19:9; Isaiah 27:11; Psalms 3:8.
מַצֵּבֹתֵי/הֶֽם
matstsêbâh
H4676
"pillar"
N-fp | Suff
A pillar or monument, sometimes used as a memorial or with an altar, like those found in Genesis and Exodus.
Definition: 1) pillar, mastaba, stump 1a) pillar 1a1) as monument, personal memorial 1a2) with an altar 1b)(Hoph) stock, stump (of tree)
Usage: Occurs in 31 OT verses. KJV: garrison, (standing) image, pillar. See also: Genesis 28:18; 1 Kings 14:23; Isaiah 19:19.
Study Notes — Exodus 23:24
Show Verse Quote Highlights
- Context
- Cross References
- Exodus 23:24 Summary
- Frequently Asked Questions
- Reflection Questions
- Gill's Exposition on Exodus 23:24
- Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 23:24
- Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
- Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
- Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
- Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
- Cambridge Bible on Exodus 23:24
- Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
- Sermons on Exodus 23:24
Context — God’s Angel to Lead
22But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
23For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.
24You 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.
25So you shall serve the LORD your God, and He will bless your bread and your water. And I will take away sickness from among you. 26No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days.Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 20:5 | You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 12:30–31 | be careful not to be ensnared by their ways after they have been destroyed before you. Do not inquire about their gods, asking, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do likewise.” You must not worship the LORD your God in this way, because they practice for their gods every abomination which the LORD hates. They even burn their sons and daughters in the fire as sacrifices to their gods. |
| 3 | Numbers 33:52 | you must drive out before you all the inhabitants of the land, destroy all their carved images and cast idols, and demolish all their high places. |
| 4 | Deuteronomy 7:5 | 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. |
| 5 | Deuteronomy 12:3 | 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. |
| 6 | Leviticus 18:3 | You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs. |
| 7 | 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. |
| 8 | 2 Chronicles 33:9 | So Manasseh led the people of Judah and Jerusalem astray, so that they did greater evil than the nations that the LORD had destroyed before the Israelites. |
| 9 | Psalms 106:35–38 | but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them. They sacrificed their sons and their daughters to demons. They shed innocent blood— the blood of their sons and daughters, whom they sacrificed to the idols of Canaan, and the land was polluted with blood. |
| 10 | Deuteronomy 7:25–26 | 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. And you must not bring any detestable thing into your house, or you, like it, will be set apart for destruction. You are to utterly detest and abhor it, because it is set apart for destruction. |
Exodus 23:24 Summary
This verse means that we should not worship or follow the practices of false gods, but instead completely destroy and reject them, as God commands in Exodus 23:24. This is because He wants us to have a pure and devoted heart, focused only on Him, as seen in Matthew 22:37 and Deuteronomy 6:5. By following God's commands and rejecting the things that are not pleasing to Him, we can experience His blessing and joy in our lives, as promised in Exodus 23:25-26 and Psalm 16:11. We must be careful not to compromise our faith by adopting practices or values that are not pleasing to God, and instead seek to honor and obey Him in all aspects of our lives.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does God command the Israelites to demolish the sacred stones of the other nations?
God commands this to prevent the Israelites from being tempted to worship other gods, as seen in Exodus 23:24, and to ensure their complete devotion to Him, as stated in Exodus 20:3-5 and Deuteronomy 6:13-15.
What does it mean to 'bow down' to other gods?
To 'bow down' means to show reverence, worship, or submission to something other than the one true God, as warned against in Exodus 23:24 and 1 Corinthians 10:21, and is considered idolatry, as seen in Romans 1:25.
How does this verse relate to our lives today?
This verse reminds us to be careful not to compromise our faith by adopting practices or values that are not pleasing to God, as warned in 2 Corinthians 6:14-18 and 1 John 2:15-17, and to instead seek to honor and obey Him in all aspects of our lives, as encouraged in Colossians 3:17 and 1 Thessalonians 5:23-24.
What is the significance of smashing the sacred stones to pieces?
Smashing the sacred stones to pieces symbolizes the complete destruction of the false gods and their influence, allowing the Israelites to start anew and worship the one true God, as seen in Exodus 23:24 and 2 Kings 13:6, and serves as a reminder to us today to rid ourselves of anything that might lead us away from God, as encouraged in Hebrews 12:1-2 and 1 Peter 2:11.
Reflection Questions
- What are some ways I might be 'bowing down' to false gods or idols in my own life, and how can I repent and turn back to God?
- How can I ensure that my heart and actions are completely devoted to God, and that I am not compromising my faith in any way?
- What are some practices or values in our culture that might be leading people away from God, and how can I be a positive influence for Him in these areas?
- What does it mean to 'demolish' or get rid of the things in my life that are not pleasing to God, and how can I take practical steps to do this?
Gill's Exposition on 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
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Exodus 23:24
Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared. Behold, I send an Angel before thee. The word "Behold" introduces a new paragraph or division.
Matthew Poole's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
Thou shalt not bow down nor serve them, i.e. give them neither outward worship with thy body, nor inward with thy mind, nor follow their example in the worship of idols. Them shalt overthrow them, i.e. the people, lest thou be insnared by their counsel or example, and quite break down their images, or statues, or pillars, or any thing else erected in honour to their false gods. See 35:20.
Trapp's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
Exodus 23:24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.Ver. 24. Thou shalt utterly overthrow them.] As Henry VIII began here to do in demolishing the monasteries, and saying, Corvorum nidos esse penitus disturbandos ne iterum ad habitandum convolent. This Saunders relates and discusses. Schism. Angl., lib. i.
Ellicott's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
(24) Nor do after their works.—The Canaanitish nations were not merely idolaters, they were corrupt, profligate, and depraved. All the abominations mentioned in Leviticus 18:6-23 were practised widely among them before they were dispossessed of their territory (Leviticus 18:24-30). No doubt the idolatry and the profligacy were closely connected, as among idolatrous nations generally; but it was for their profligacy rather than their idolatry that they were driven out. Thus it was necessary to warn Israel against both. Thou shalt . . . quite break down their images.—Conquerors generally preserved the idols of the conquered nations as trophies of victory; to do so was forbidden to the Israelites. Idolatry had such a powerful and subtle attraction for them, that there was danger of their being seduced into it unless the entire apparatus of the idol-worship were destroyed and made away with. Hence the present injunctions, and others similar to them. (Comp. Exodus 34:13; Deuteronomy 7:5; &c.)
Adam Clarke's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
Verse 24. Break down their images.] מצבתיהם matstsebotheyhem, from נצב natsab, to stand up; pillars, anointed stones, &c., such as the baitulia. See Clarke on Genesis 28:18.
Cambridge Bible on Exodus 23:24
24. Thou shalt not bow down to …, nor serve them] as Exodus 20:5. nor do after their works] Cf. Leviticus 18:3. overthrow] properly, tear down (viz. their images). pillars] so RV. always, AV. sometimes wrongly images; RVm. obelisks; best, perhaps, standing-stones: Heb. maẓ ?ẓ ?ηbτth. The maẓ ?ẓ ?ηbβh (lit. something set up) was a large oblong block of stone—originally, no doubt (cf. on Exodus 20:24, and the writer’s note on Genesis 28:18, p. 267), conceived as the abode of a numen or deity—set up in or near a temple or high place, or beside an altar. Several such maẓ ?ẓ ?ηbβhs, or ‘standing stones,’ have been excavated recently at Gezer, Taanach, and Megiddo: at Gezer, for instance, there is a striking row of ten, and at Taanach a double row, each consisting of five (see the writer’s Modern Research as illustrating the Bible, 1908, pp. 62–5, 84). maẓ ?ẓ ?ηbβhs were the regular accompaniment of a Canaanite temple or other sacred place (cf. 2 Kings 10:26 f., in the temple of Baal in Samaria); and during the earlier period of Israel’s history they seem to have been used freely in the worship of Jehovah as well: Moses erects twelve (ch. Exodus 24:4); Hosea 3:4; Hosea 10:1 f. alludes to them as religious symbols of which Israel will be deprived on account of its sins; in Isaiah 19:19 a maẓ ?ẓ ?ηbβh is a symbol of Egypt’s conversion to Jehovah. Later, however, they were proscribed on account of their heathen associations: Moses is represented as having commanded the demolition of the Canaanite ‘standing-stones’ (here, Exodus 34:13, Deuteronomy 7:5; Deuteronomy 12:3 : cf. Micah 5:13); and their erection beside Jehovah’s altar is prohibited (Deuteronomy 16:22; Leviticus 26:1 H): the same view of them is also reflected in the notices by the Deuteronomic compiler in 1 Kings 14:23, 2 Kings 17:10. See further DB. iii. s.v. Pillar, and EB. iii. s.v.
Massebah.
Whedon's Commentary on Exodus 23:24
24. Utterly overthrow them — Not only are the first and second commandments of the decalogue here virtually repeated, but the further command is given to destroy idolatry by iconoclastic violence.
Sermons on Exodus 23:24
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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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Your Reasonable Service by Leonard Ravenhill | In this sermon, the speaker discusses the life and achievements of Blaise Pascal, whom he considers the greatest intellectual in world history. He highlights Pascal's early mathema |
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A Biblical Family - a Tool in God's Hands (Part 2) by Erlo Stegen | In this final service of a weekend conference on the biblical family, the preacher emphasizes the importance of parents repenting of their sins and seeking forgiveness from God. He |
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Visiting the Iniquity of the Fathers by Keith Daniel | In this sermon, the speaker shares a personal story about a young boy who expressed his desire to attend Bible school and become a preacher. Years later, the speaker encounters a m |
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A Call to Us by Basilea Schlink | In this sermon, the speaker emphasizes the importance of giving God the first right to our time, money, possessions, and everything that makes life worth living. The speaker highli |
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A Message of Reconciliation by Paul Washer | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the offensive nature of the gospel and the justice of God in condemning sinners. He highlights the unity of the Scriptures by drawing parall |
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The Insanity of Sin - Part 1 by Joy Dawson | In this sermon, the preacher emphasizes the importance of having a clear conscience before God and men. He shares a story about a man who sent telegrams to influential people, caus |