Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;
Make sure there isn't anyone among you—whether a single person, a woman, a family, or an entire tribe—whose heart turns away today from the LORD our God to go and worship the gods of these other nations. Make sure there isn't anyone among you who becomes like a root that produces bitter and poisonous fruit.
Moses is warning the Israelites to guard against anyone in their community who might turn away from God to worship false gods, because such spiritual unfaithfulness spreads like a poisonous root.
📚 Historical Context
Moses is giving his final instructions to the Israelites before they enter the Promised Land, where they would encounter Canaanite nations with different gods and religious practices. He's warning them about the danger of spiritual compromise and idolatry that could corrupt their entire community. The imagery of 'gall and wormwood' refers to extremely bitter and toxic plants, emphasizing how destructive false worship would be to their relationship with God.
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