New International VersionBe careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you are going, or they will be a snare among you.
New Living Translation“Be very careful never to make a treaty with the people who live in the land where you are going. If you do, you will follow their evil ways and be trapped.
English Standard VersionTake care, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you go, lest it become a snare in your midst.
Berean Standard BibleBe careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst.
King James BibleTake heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
New King James VersionTake heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be a snare in your midst.
New American Standard BibleBe careful that you do not make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
NASB 1995“Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a snare in your midst.
NASB 1977“Watch yourself that you make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, lest it become a snare in your midst.
Legacy Standard BibleBeware lest you cut a covenant with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, lest it become a snare in your midst.
Amplified BibleWatch yourself so that you do not make a covenant (solemn agreement, treaty) with the inhabitants of the land into which you are going, or it will become a [dangerous] trap among you.
Christian Standard BibleBe careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise, they will become a snare among you.
Holman Christian Standard BibleBe careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land that you are going to enter; otherwise, they will become a snare among you.
American Standard VersionTake heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
Contemporary English VersionDon't make treaties with any of those people. If you do, it will be like falling into a trap.
English Revised VersionTake heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:
GOD'S WORD® TranslationBe careful not to make a treaty with those who live in the land where you're going. This will prove to be a trap to you.
Good News TranslationDo not make any treaties with the people of the country into which you are going, because this could be a fatal trap for you.
International Standard Version"Be very careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, so they won't be a snare among you.
NET BibleBe careful not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it become a snare among you.
New Heart English BibleBe careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare in the midst of you:
Webster's Bible TranslationTake heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee: Majority Text Translations Majority Standard BibleBe careful not to make a treaty with the inhabitants of the land you are entering, lest they become a snare in your midst.
World English BibleBe careful, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going, lest it be for a snare among you; Literal Translations Literal Standard Versiontake heed to yourself lest you make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land into which you are going, lest it become a snare in your midst;
Young's Literal Translation take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land into which thou art going, lest it become a snare in thy midst;
Smith's Literal TranslationWatch to thyself lest thou shalt make a covenant with those dwelling in the land which thou goest upon it, lest it shall be for a snare in the midst of thee. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleBeware thou never join in friendship with the inhabitants of that land, which may be thy ruin:
Catholic Public Domain VersionBeware that you do not ever join in friendship with the inhabitants of that land, which may be your ruin.
New American BibleTake care not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land that you are to enter; lest they become a snare among you.
New Revised Standard VersionTake care not to make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which you are going, or it will become a snare among you. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleTake heed to yourself lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither you go, lest they become a stumbling block to you.
Peshitta Holy Bible TranslatedKeep the thing that I command you today; behold I destroy from before you the Canaanites and Amorites and Khithites and Perizzites and Khivites and Yebusites. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest they be for a snare in the midst of thee.
Brenton Septuagint Translationtake heed to thyself, lest at any time thou make a covenant with the dwellers on the land, into which thou art entering, lest it be to thee a stumbling-block among you.
Additional Translations ... Audio Bible
Context The LORD Renews the Covenant… 11Observe what I command you this day. I will drive out before you the Amorites, Canaanites, Hittites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites. 12Be carefulnotto makea treatywith the inhabitantsof the landyouare entering,lestthey becomea snarein your midst.13Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.…
Cross References Deuteronomy 7:2-4and 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. / Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons, / because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.
Deuteronomy 12:30be 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.”
Joshua 23:12-13For if you turn away and cling to the rest of these nations that remain among you, and if you intermarry and associate with them, / know for sure that the LORD your God will no longer drive out these nations before you. Instead, they will become for you a snare and a trap, a scourge in your sides and thorns in your eyes, until you perish from this good land that the LORD your God has given you.
Judges 2:2-3and you are not to make a covenant with the people of this land, but you shall tear down their altars.’ Yet you have not obeyed My voice. What is this you have done? / So now I tell you that I will not drive out these people before you; they will be thorns in your sides, and their gods will be a snare to you.”
Psalm 106:34-36They did not destroy the peoples as the LORD had commanded them, / but they mingled with the nations and adopted their customs. / They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.
Deuteronomy 20:16-18However, in the cities of the nations that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you must not leave alive anything that breathes. / For you must devote them to complete destruction—the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites—as the LORD your God has commanded you, / so that they cannot teach you to do all the detestable things they do for their gods, and so cause you to sin against the LORD your God.
Numbers 33:55-56But if you do not drive out the inhabitants of the land before you, those you allow to remain will become barbs in your eyes and thorns in your sides; they will harass you in the land where you settle. / And then I will do to you what I had planned to do to them.”
1 Kings 11:1-2King Solomon, however, loved many foreign women along with the daughter of Pharaoh—women of Moab, Ammon, Edom, and Sidon, as well as Hittite women. / These women were from the nations about which the LORD had told the Israelites, “You must not intermarry with them, for surely they will turn your hearts after their gods.” Yet Solomon clung to these women in love.
Ezra 9:12Now, therefore, do not give your daughters in marriage to their sons or take their daughters for your sons. Never seek their peace or prosperity, so that you may be strong and may eat the good things of the land, leaving it as an inheritance to your sons forever.’
2 Corinthians 6:14-17Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers. For what partnership can righteousness have with wickedness? Or what fellowship does light have with darkness? / What harmony is there between Christ and Belial? Or what does a believer have in common with an unbeliever? / What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” ...
1 Corinthians 15:33Do not be deceived: “Bad company corrupts good character.”
James 4:4You adulteresses! Do you not know that friendship with the world is hostility toward God? Therefore, whoever chooses to be a friend of the world renders himself an enemy of God.
2 John 1:9-11Anyone who runs ahead without remaining in the teaching of Christ does not have God. Whoever remains in His teaching has both the Father and the Son. / If anyone comes to you but does not bring this teaching, do not receive him into your home or even greet him. / Whoever greets such a person shares in his evil deeds.
Romans 12:2Do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind. Then you will be able to test and approve what is the good, pleasing, and perfect will of God.
1 Peter 2:11-12Beloved, I urge you, as foreigners and exiles, to abstain from the desires of the flesh, which war against your soul. / Conduct yourselves with such honor among the Gentiles that, though they slander you as evildoers, they may see your good deeds and glorify God on the day He visits us.
Treasury of Scripture Take heed to yourself, lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you go, lest it be for a snare in the middle of you: take heed Exodus 23:32,33 Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods… Deuteronomy 7:2 And when the LORD thy God shall deliver them before thee; thou shalt smite them,and utterly destroy them; thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor shew mercy unto them: Judges 2:2 And ye shall make no league with the inhabitants of this land; ye shall throw down their altars: but ye have not obeyed my voice: why have ye done this? lest Deuteronomy 7:16 And thou shalt consume all the people which the LORD thy God shall deliver thee; thine eye shall have no pity upon them: neither shalt thou serve their gods; for thatwill be a snare unto thee. Joshua 23:12,13 Else if ye do in any wise go back, and cleave unto the remnant of these nations,even these that remain among you, and shall make marriages with them, and go in unto them, and they to you: … Judges 2:3 Wherefore I also said, I will not drive them out from before you; but they shall beas thorns in your sides, and their gods shall be a snare unto you. Jump to Previous AgreementCareCarefulCauseCovenantGoestHeedInhabitantInhabitantsMidstSinSnareThyselfTreatyWatchWhitherJump to Next AgreementCareCarefulCauseCovenantGoestHeedInhabitantInhabitantsMidstSinSnareThyselfTreatyWatchWhitherExodus 34 1.The tablets are replaced5.The name of the Lord proclaimed8.Moses entreats God to go with them10.God makes a covenant with them, repeating certain duties28.Moses after forty days on the mount, comes down with the tablets29.His face is radiant, and he covers it with a veilBe careful not to make a treatyThis phrase emphasizes the importance of vigilance and obedience to God's commands. In the ancient Near Eastern context, treaties were common diplomatic tools used to establish peace and alliances between different nations or tribes. However, God warns the Israelites against forming such agreements with the inhabitants of Canaan. This caution reflects the need for spiritual purity and separation from pagan influences, which could lead the Israelites away from their covenant relationship with God. The warning is a reminder of the first commandment, to have no other gods before Yahweh ( Exodus 20:3). with the inhabitants of the land you are entering
The "inhabitants of the land" refers to the Canaanite peoples who lived in the Promised Land before the arrival of the Israelites. These groups included the Hittites, Amorites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites, among others. Archaeological evidence shows that these cultures were deeply entrenched in idolatry and practices that were abominable to the Lord, such as child sacrifice and temple prostitution. The Israelites were entering a land that was promised to them by God, a land flowing with milk and honey (Exodus 3:8), but it was also a land filled with spiritual and moral challenges. lest they become a snare in your midst
The term "snare" suggests a trap or a source of entanglement that could lead to the downfall of the Israelites. This warning highlights the danger of syncretism, where the Israelites might adopt the religious practices and customs of the Canaanites, leading to idolatry and a departure from the worship of the one true God. The history of Israel, as recorded in the books of Judges and Kings, shows that this warning was not always heeded, resulting in periods of apostasy and divine judgment. The concept of a "snare" is also echoed in the New Testament, where believers are cautioned against being unequally yoked with unbelievers (2 Corinthians 6:14), emphasizing the need for spiritual discernment and separation. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites, who received the commandments from God on Mount Sinai. 2. The IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who were being led from Egypt to the Promised Land. 3. The Inhabitants of the LandRefers to the Canaanite nations residing in the Promised Land, whose practices and beliefs were contrary to those of the Israelites. 4. Mount SinaiThe mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments and other laws from God. 5. The Promised LandThe land of Canaan, which God promised to the descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob. Teaching Points Avoiding CompromiseThe command to avoid treaties with the inhabitants serves as a warning against compromising one's faith and values. Believers today must be vigilant in maintaining their distinctiveness in a world with conflicting values. The Danger of SnaresThe term "snare" (Hebrew: moqesh) indicates a trap or entanglement. Engaging with ungodly influences can lead to spiritual entrapment, drawing believers away from their commitment to God. Holiness and SeparationGod's call for the Israelites to remain separate from the Canaanites underscores the importance of holiness. Christians are called to be in the world but not of it, maintaining purity in their walk with God. Faithfulness to God's CommandsThe Israelites were to trust in God's wisdom and commands, even when they seemed difficult. Similarly, believers are called to trust and obey God's Word, knowing that His ways are higher than ours. Bible Study Questions and Answers 1.What is the meaning of Exodus 34:12?
2.How can we avoid making covenants with ungodly influences in our lives today?
3.What does Exodus 34:12 teach about the dangers of spiritual compromise?
4.How does this verse connect with 2 Corinthians 6:14 on being unequally yoked?
5.In what ways can we guard against spiritual snares in modern society?
6.How can Exodus 34:12 guide our decisions in forming relationships and partnerships?
7.How does Exodus 34:12 warn against forming alliances with other nations?
8.What historical context influenced the command in Exodus 34:12?
9.How does Exodus 34:12 relate to the theme of idolatry?
10.What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 34?
11.In Deuteronomy 12:2–4, how does the command to destroy all pagan worship sites fit with archaeological findings that some Canaanite altars appear to have remained in use?
12.Ezra 10:44 – How can a just God require separating from wives and children if some may have converted to the faith?
13.Why would God demand the killing of animals in 1 Samuel 15:3, seemingly contradicting His care for His creation?
14.Numbers 33:52-53: How can a mandate to drive out entire populations and destroy their religious symbols be reconciled with other biblical passages promoting justice and compassion?What Does Exodus 34:12 Mean Be careful“Be careful…” (Exodus 34:12) launches the command with a call to vigilance. God never assumes His people will drift toward holiness on autopilot. •Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” • Peter echoes the same alertness: “Be sober-minded and alert. Your adversary the devil prowls around…” (1 Peter 5:8). Carefulness is a posture—eyes open, heart awake, continually weighing choices against God’s truth.
not to make a treatyGod’s prohibition is explicit: no covenantal agreements with the pagan nations. •Deuteronomy 7:2 repeats the charge: “You must make no covenant with them and show them no mercy.” • Joshua’s misstep with the Gibeonites inJoshua 9:14-15 illustrates how a hastily forged alliance can saddle God’s people with long-term compromise. • The principle echoes into the New Testament: “Do not be unequally yoked with unbelievers” (2 Corinthians 6:14). Treaties imply shared goals, reciprocal obligations, and inevitably a blending of values. God refuses to let His people mingle His exclusive worship with diluted loyalties.
with the inhabitants of the land you are enteringThe warning is context-specific: Israel is headed into Canaan, a place saturated with idolatry, child sacrifice, and temple prostitution. •Leviticus 18:3 cautions Israel not to imitate the practices of Egypt or Canaan. • Jesus later affirms that believers live “in the world” but are not “of the world” (John 17:15-18). We too “enter” workplaces, schools, and online spaces filled with conflicting worldviews. The issue is not physical proximity but spiritual assimilation.
lest they become a snare in your midstA snare is a hidden trap that grabs what wanders too close. Alliances with ungodly systems lure God’s people into sin they never intended. •Judges 2:3 records the sad result of Israel’s partial obedience: “They will become traps for you.” •Psalm 106:36 laments, “They worshiped their idols, which became a snare to them.” • Paul’s warning is timeless: “Bad company corrupts good character” (1 Corinthians 15:33). The initial treaty looks harmless—trade, peace, friendship—yet the enemy uses it to plant idols, normalize compromise, and dull discernment from the inside.
summaryExodus 34:12 warns believers to stay spiritually alert, avoid binding alliances that demand shared loyalties, discern the culture we inhabit, and recognize the hidden traps of compromise. Vigilance today protects tomorrow’s devotion, ensuring God remains unrivaled in the midst of His people. (12-16) This passage may be compared with Exodus 23:24-25; Exodus 23:32-33. It repeats, with some enlargements, the enactments there made, and traces in detail the evil consequences which would follow from a neglect of the enactments. (12)A snare.--Comp.Exodus 23:33; and for the nature of the snare, seeExodus 34:15-16 of the present chapter. Verse 12. - Takeheed to thyself lest thou make a covenant. See above, Exodus 23:32A snare. See Exodus 23:33.
Parallel Commentaries ...
Hebrew Be carefulהִשָּׁ֣מֶר(hiš·šā·mer)Verb - Nifal - Imperative - masculine singular
Strong's 8104:To hedge about, guard, to protect, attend tonotפֶּן־(pen-)Conjunction
Strong's 6435:Removal, lestto makeתִּכְרֹ֤ת(tiḵ·rōṯ)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 3772:To cut, to destroy, consume, to covenanta treatyבְּרִית֙(bə·rîṯ)Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 1285:A covenantwith the inhabitantsלְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב(lə·yō·wō·šêḇ)Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3427:To sit down, to dwell, to remain, to settle, to marryof the landהָאָ֔רֶץ(hā·’ā·reṣ)Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776:Earth, landyouאַתָּ֖ה(’at·tāh)Pronoun - second person masculine singular
Strong's 859:Thou and thee, ye and youare entering,בָּ֣א(bā)Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 935:To come in, come, go in, golestפֶּן־(pen-)Conjunction
Strong's 6435:Removal, lestthey becomeיִהְיֶ֥ה(yih·yeh)Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961:To fall out, come to pass, become, bea snareלְמוֹקֵ֖שׁ(lə·mō·w·qêš)Preposition-l | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 4170:A bait or lure, a snarein your midst.בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ׃(bə·qir·be·ḵā)Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 7130:The nearest part, the center
Links Exodus 34:12 NIVExodus 34:12 NLTExodus 34:12 ESVExodus 34:12 NASBExodus 34:12 KJV
Exodus 34:12 BibleApps.comExodus 34:12 Biblia ParalelaExodus 34:12 Chinese BibleExodus 34:12 French BibleExodus 34:12 Catholic Bible
OT Law: Exodus 34:12 Be careful lest you make a covenant (Exo. Ex) |
