Exodus 23:32 — Word Study
WLCלֹֽא־ תִכְרֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם בְּרִֽית׃
BSAYou shall makekârath▸ [not enter into, have no agreement] nolôʼ covenantbᵉrîyth [promise, treaty, or alliance] ◂or with their godsʼĕlôhîym [idols, false deities, or Elohim]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| לֹֽא־ | not | Particle |
| תִכְרֹ֥ת | you must make | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| לָהֶ֛ם | to them | Preposition, suffix |
| וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם | and to gods their | Conjunction, preposition, noun common masculine plural construct |
| בְּרִֽית׃ | a covenant | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods. |
| KJV | Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. |
| ASV | Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. |
| YLT | thou dost not make a covenant with them, and with their gods; |
| WEB | You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods. |
| BBE | Make no agreement with them or with their gods. |
Where they part company is לֹא — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb, two prepositional phrases following it. The structure clearly delineates the subjects of the prohibition.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Poole, Trapp, Ellicott & more — read them ›
clause
verbכָּרַת
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 23:32
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — Instructions for Entering the Promised Landgenerated
Exodus 23:32 is part of God's instructions to the Israelites as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. These laws emphasize the importance of remaining faithful to God and avoiding the influences of surrounding nations. The surrounding verses discuss God's promise to drive out the inhabitants of the land and establish Israel's borders, underscoring the need for obedience to His commands.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 34:12–15 | Be careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst. |
| 2 | Deuteronomy 7:2 | and when the LORD your God has delivered them over to you to defeat them, then you must devote them to complete destruction. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. |
| 3 | Joshua 9:14–23 | Then the men of Israel sampled their provisions, but did not seek the counsel of the LORD. |
| 4 | 2 Samuel 21:1–2 | During the reign of David there was a famine for three successive years, and David sought the face of the LORD. And the LORD said, “It is because of the blood shed by Saul and his family, because he killed the Gibeonites.” |
| 5 | Psalm 106:35 | but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 8 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — בְּרִית, be.Ritgenerated
The noun בְּרִית (berith) means 'covenant' and signifies a formal agreement or promise, often involving commitments between God and His people. This word is derived from a root meaning 'to cut,' which reflects the serious nature of such agreements, as seen in the covenant God made with Abraham in Genesis 15.
In this verse, the command to make no covenant underscores the need for Israel to maintain their unique relationship with God and avoid alliances that could lead them away from His ways. The prohibition against covenants with foreign gods emphasizes the importance of fidelity to Yahweh.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
This study reads the verse in the Berean Standard Bible, so the BSB is the wording every comparison below is made against.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb תִכְרֹ֥ת (tikh.Rot), meaning 'you must make,' governs the sentence, with a direct object בְּרִֽית (berith) following it. The structure emphasizes the prohibition against making covenants, with additional phrases providing context.
The adverbial negation לֹֽא־ (lo') precedes the verb, reinforcing the command's strength. The prepositional phrases that follow clarify the subjects of the prohibition: לָהֶ֛ם (la.Hem) and וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם (ve.le.lo.hei.Hem).
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates תִכְרֹ֥ת as συγκαταθήσῃ, which conveys the idea of entering into an agreement. This choice reflects a similar understanding of covenant-making as a formal act.
The Greek word οὐ corresponds to לֹֽא־, maintaining the negation present in the Hebrew text.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 23:32 instructs the Israelites not to make any covenants with the surrounding nations or their gods. This command emphasizes the importance of remaining faithful to God and avoiding influences that could lead them away from His ways.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
A covenant is a formal agreement or promise, often involving commitments between God and His people, as seen in various biblical contexts.
God prohibits these covenants to protect Israel from being led astray by foreign influences and to maintain their unique relationship with Him.
The term 'gods' refers to idols or false deities worshipped by the surrounding nations, which are to be avoided by the Israelites.
This verse underscores the theme of faithfulness to God, as making covenants with other nations could compromise Israel's commitment to Him.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- In what ways can I ensure that my commitments reflect my faithfulness to God?
- How can I recognize and avoid influences that lead me away from my relationship with God?
- What are some modern-day examples of 'covenants' that might distract me from my faith?
- How does understanding the seriousness of covenants help me in my spiritual walk?
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 23:32 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou shalt make no covenant with them,.... A covenant of peace, a league, a confederacy, so as to take them to be their allies and friends; but they were always to consider them as their enemies,
Read John Gill on Exodus 23 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleTo worship them, as they made a covenant with Jehovah to worship him. The sense is, Thou shalt not engage thyself, either to the people or to their gods, but shalt root out both.
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 23 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 23:32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.Ver. 32. No covenant with them.] Because devoted to destruction; and they will be drawing thee to idolatry, as it also happened in Judges 1:1-36 Judges 2:1-23.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 23 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(32) Thou shalt make no covenant with them—i.e., no treaty of peace; no arrangement by which one part of the land shall be thine and another theirs. (Comp. Exodus 34:12.)Nor with their gods.—It was customary at the time for treaties between nations to contain an acknowledgment by each of the other’s gods. (See the treaty between Rameses II. And the Hittites in the Records of the Past, vol. iv., pp. 27-32.) Thus a treaty with a nation was a sort of treaty with its gods.
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 23 →AdamClarkeAdam Clarke's Commentary on the BibleVerse 32. Thou shalt make no covenant with them] They were incurable idolaters, and the cup of their iniquity was full. And had the Israelites contracted any alliance with them, either sacred or civil, they would have enticed them into their idolatries, to which the Jews were at all times most unhappily prone; and as God intended that they should be the preservers of the true religion till the coming of the Messiah, hence he strictly forbade them to tolerate idolatry.
Read AdamClarke on Exodus 23 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges20–33. Hortatory epilogue. The laws which Israel is to observe have been defined: and now Jehovah declares what He will do for His people if it is obedient to His voice (v. 22): He will give it prosperity, freedom from sickness and long life, success in its contests with the nations of Canaan, and extension of territory afterwards. Comp. the similar, but longer and more elaborated, hortatory discourses (including curses on disobedience), concluding the codes of H (Leviticus 26:3-45) and Dt. (Deuteronomy 28). It is remarkable that the commands which Israel is to obey are not those embodied in ch. Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:19, but (v. 22) those to be given it in the future by the angel on the…
Read Cambridge on Exodus 23 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible32. No covenant with them — To enter into any treaty with a hopelessly depraved and heaven-doomed people, or with their gods, was to trample under foot their own covenant with Jehovah, and treat with contempt these Sinaitic laws.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 23 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
You shall make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
You shall make no covenant with them or with their gods.
“You must make no covenant with them or with their gods.
Tyndale line
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
Thou shalt make no couenant with them, nor with their gods:
Strictly literal
Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
thou dost not make a covenant with them, and with their gods;
You do not make a covenant with them and with their gods;
Thou shalt not make a covenant with them, nor with their gods.
You must not make a covenant with them or with their gods.
From the Latin
Thou shalt not enter into league with them, nor with their gods.
Simplified
You must not make any agreement with them or with their gods.
Make no agreement with them or with their gods.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by both the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, which agree word for word with the Hebrew. This consistency across witnesses reinforces the reliability of the command against making covenants.
לֹֽא־ תִכְרֹ֥ת לָהֶ֛ם וְלֵאלֹֽהֵיהֶ֖ם בְּרִֽית׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
לא תכרת להם ולאלהיהם ברית
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 23:32
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
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)
Part — ParticleHTn
כָּרַת (karath) is a Hebrew verb meaning to cut off, cut down, or make a covenant. It encompasses a range of actions from physically cutting to forming alliances, often implying destruction or elimination. The verb appears in various forms, indicating different nuances such as being cut off or destroyed. Notably, it can also refer to the act of making a covenant, which traditionally involved cutting flesh.
כָּרַת 291 vb. cut off, cut down
Qal
cut off
cut down
hew, timber
cut, or make a covenant
Niph.
be cut off
be cut down
be chewed between the teeth
be cut off, in a more general sense fail
Pual
be cut off
be cut down
Hiph.
cut off, flattering lips
cut off, destroy the life of
cut down, destroy, cities
take away
permit to perish
base
H3772 כָּרַת cut off, cut down .. cut off
. cut down
. hew, timber
. cut, or make a covenant
. . be cut off
. be cut down
. be chewed between the teeth
. be cut off, in a more general sense fail
.. be cut off
. be cut down
. . cut off, flattering lips
. cut off, destroy the life of
. cut down, destroy, cities
. take away
. permit to perish
3772 karath kaw-rath'
a primitive root; to cut (off, down or asunder); by
implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant
(i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh
and passing between the pieces):--be chewed, be
con-(feder-)ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail,
feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league ((covenant)), X
lose, perish, X utterly, X want.
כָּרַת (ka.rat) — to cut: cut.
: cut/fell
1) to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cut off
1a1a) to cut off a body part, behead
1a2) to cut down
1a3) to hew
1a4) to cut or make a covenant
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be cut off
1b2) to be cut down
1b3) to be chewed
1b4) to be cut off, fail
1c) (Pual)
1c1) to be cut off
1c2) to be cut down
1d) (Hiphil)
1d1) to cut off
1d2) to cut off, destroy
1d3) to cut down, destroy
1d4) to take away
1d5) to permit to perish
1e) (Hophal) cut off
כָּרַת (ka.rat) — to cut: make(covenant).
: make(covenant)
1) to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to cut off
1a1a) to cut off a body part, behead
1a2) to cut down
1a3) to hew
1a4) to cut or make a covenant
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be cut off
1b2) to be cut down
1b3) to be chewed
1b4) to be cut off, fail
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
הֶם (hem) — them.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 3rd person masculine plural
HR/Sp3mp — Preposition · suffixHR/Sp3mp
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
Conj | Prep | N-mp | Suff — Conjunction · preposition · noun common masculine plural construct · suffixHC/R/Ncmpc/Sp3mp
בְּרִית (berith) means 'covenant' and encompasses agreements between individuals, such as treaties and alliances, as well as divine covenants between God and humanity. It is derived from a root meaning 'to cut,' suggesting the seriousness of such agreements. The term appears in various contexts, including friendships, marriages, and formal ordinances.
בְּרִית 285 n.f. covenant
between men.
treaty, alliance, league
constitution, ordinance, between monarch and subjects
agreement, pledge
alliance of friendship between David and Jonathan
alliance of marriage
between God and man.
alliance of friendship
covenant, as a divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges
Phrases.
covenant making
covenant keeping
covenant violation
base
H1285 בְּרִית covenant . between men. . treaty, alliance, league
. constitution, ordinance, between monarch and subjects
. agreement, pledge
. alliance of friendship between David and Jonathan
. alliance of marriage
. between God and man. . alliance of friendship
. covenant, as a divine constitution or ordinance with signs or pledges
. Phrases. . covenant making
. covenant keeping
. covenant violation
1285 briyth ber-eeth'
from 1262 (in the sense of cutting (like 1254)); a compact
(because made by passing between pieces of
flesh):--confederacy, (con-)feder(-ate), covenant, league.
see HEBREW for 01262
see HEBREW for 01254
בְּרִית (be.rit) — covenant.
1) covenant, alliance, pledge
1a) between men
1a1) treaty, alliance, league (man to man)
1a2) constitution, ordinance (monarch to subjects)
1a3) agreement, pledge (man to man)
1a4) alliance (of friendship)
1a5) alliance (of marriage)
1b) between God and man
1b1) alliance (of friendship)
1b2) covenant (divine ordinance with signs or pledges)
2) (phrases)
2a) covenant making
2b) covenant keeping
2c) covenant violation
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
Covenant
A contract or agreement between two parties. In the Old Testament the Hebrew word berith is always thus translated. Berith is derived from a root which means “to cut,” and hence a covenant is a “cutting,” with reference to the cutting or dividing of animals into two parts, and the contracting parties passing between them, in making a covenant (Gen. 15; Jer. 34:18, 19).
The corresponding word in the New Testament Greek is diatheke, which is, however, rendered “testament” generally in the Authorized Version. It ought to be rendered, just as the word berith of the Old Testament, “covenant.”
This word is used (1) of a covenant or compact between man and man (Gen. 21:32), or between tribes or nations (1 Sam.…
The Heb. berith means primarily "a cutting," with reference to the custom of cutting or dividing animals in two and passing between the parts in ratifying a covenant. (Genesis 15; Jeremiah 34:18,19) In the New Testament the corresponding word is diathece (diatheke), which is frequently translated testament in the Authorized Version. In its biblical meaning two parties the word is used-- Of a covenant between God and man; e.g. God covenanted with Noah, after the flood, that a like judgment should not be repeated. It is not precisely like a covenant between men, but was a promise or agreement by God. The principal covenants are the covenant of works --God promising to save and bless men on condition of perfect obedience --and the covenant of grace , or God’s promise to save men on condition of their believing in Christ and receiving…
The word testamentum is often used in Latin to express the Hebrew word which signifies covenant; whence the titles, Old and New Testaments, are used to denote the old and new covenants. See TESTAMENT.
A covenant is properly an agreement between two parties. Where one of the parties is infinitely superior to the other, as in a covenant between God and man, there God’s covenant assumes the nature of a promise, Isa 59:21 Jer 31:33,34 Ga 3:15-18. The first covenant with the Hebrews was made when the Lord chose Abraham and his posterity for his people; a second covenant, or a solemn renewal of the former, was made at Sinai, comprehending all who observe the law of Moses. The "new covenant" of which Christ is the Mediator and…
→ Sacred Jos 9:18-21; Ga 3:15
→ Binding Jos 9:18-20; Jer 34:8-21; Eze 17:14-18; Ga 3:15
→ Binding, not only on those who make them, but on those who are represented De 29:14,15