📜WEB · Deuteronomy 6:14
What does Deuteronomy 6:14 mean?
"You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;"
— Deuteronomy 6:14 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
and houses full of all good things, which you didn’t fill, and cisterns dug out, which you didn’t dig, vineyards and olive trees, which you didn’t plant, and you shall eat and be full;
then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
You shall fear Yahweh your God; and you shall serve him, and shall swear by his name.
You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;
for Yahweh your God among you is a jealous God; lest the anger of Yahweh your God be kindled against you, and he destroy you from off the face of the earth.
You shall not tempt Yahweh your God, as you tempted him in Massah.
You shall diligently keep the commandments of Yahweh your God, and his testimonies, and his statutes, which he has commanded you.
Explanation
Deuteronomy 6:14 is a direct command: the Israelites are forbidden from following or worshiping the gods of the surrounding nations. In plain language, God is telling his people not to adopt, serve, or give allegiance to the deities of the cultures they will encounter as they enter and live in the land of Canaan. This is not a vague suggestion but an explicit prohibition tied to their identity and relationship with the one true God.
The context is essential to understanding this verse. Deuteronomy records Moses' final addresses to the Israelites just before they enter the Promised Land, after forty years of wilderness wandering. Moses is reviewing the law and covenant that God gave at Sinai, preparing a new generation to live faithfully in a land filled with peoples who worshiped many different gods—Baal, Asherah, and various local deities tied to fertility, weather, and agriculture. This verse comes right after the Shema (Deuteronomy 6:4-5), the great declaration that the Lord is one and that Israel must love him with all their heart, soul, and strength. Verse 14 flows naturally from that command: because the Lord alone is God, Israel must not divide their loyalty by worshiping the gods of neighboring peoples like the Canaanites, Amorites, or others they would live among.
Theologically, this verse underscores the exclusivity of Israel's covenant relationship with God. The Ten Commandments had already established "you shall have no other gods before me" (Exodus 20:3), and Deuteronomy 6:14 reinforces this by
Compare translations
Go deeper with ScriptureCompanion AI
Ask questions about any verse, follow reading plans, write personal prayers, and track your daily habit — all grounded in verified scripture text.