Deuteronomy 18 · Verse 9

Deuteronomy 18:9

When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
Deuteronomy 18:9, King James Version

Deuteronomy 18:9 in other translations

BSBWhen you enter the land that the LORD your God is giving you, do not imitate the detestable ways of the nations there.
WEBWhen you have come into the land which the LORD your God gives you, you shall not learn to imitate the abominations of those nations.
ASVWhen thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.
YLT‘When thou art coming in unto the land which Jehovah thy God is giving to thee, thou dost not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations:
DARBYWhen thou art come into the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do according to the abominations of those nations.
BBEWhen you have come into the land which the Lord your God is giving you, do not take as your example the disgusting ways of those nations.
WebsterWhen thou art come into the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

What does Deuteronomy 18:9 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown on Deuteronomy 18:9-14

De 18:9-14. The Abominations of the Nations Are to Be Avoided.

9-14. thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations--(See on Le 18:21; Le 19:26; Le 19:31; Le 20:4). In spite of this express command, the people of Canaan, especially the Philistines, were a constant snare and stumbling block to the Israelites, on account of their divinations and superstitious practices.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Deuteronomy 18:9-14
Was it possible that a people so blessed with Divine institutions, should ever be in any danger of making those their teachers whom God had made their captives? They were in danger; therefore, after many like cautions, they are charged not to do after the abominations of the nations of Canaan. All reckoning of lucky or unlucky days, all charms for diseases, all amulets or spells to prevent evil, fortune-telling, &c. are here forbidden. These are so wicked as to be a chief cause of the rooting out of the Canaanites. It is amazing to think that there should be any pretenders of this kind in such a land, and day of light, as we live in. They are mere impostors who blind and cheat their followers.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Deuteronomy 18:9 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

כִּ֤יkiifH3588
אַתָּה֙'a.TahyouH859
בָּ֣אba'[have] goneH935
אֶל\־'el-intoH413
הָאָ֔רֶץha.'A.retzthe landH776
אֲשֶׁר\־'a.Sher-whichH834
יְהוָ֥הYah.wehYahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ'e.lo.Hei.khaGod yourH430
נֹתֵ֣ןno.Ten[is] about to giveH5414
לָ֑ךְLakhto <the> you
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
תִלְמַ֣דtil.Madyou will learnH3925
לַעֲשׂ֔וֹתla.'a.Sotto doH6213
כְּתוֹעֲבֹ֖תke.to.'a.Votaccording to [the] abominations ofH8441
הַגּוֹיִ֥םha.go.Yimthe nationsH1471
הָהֵֽם\׃ha.Hem<the> thoseH1992

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Deuteronomy 18:9

  • Deuteronomy 12:29-31

    When the Lord thy God shall cut off the nations from before thee, whither thou goest to possess them, and thou succeedest them, and dwellest in their land; Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou enquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise. Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

  • Leviticus 18:26-27

    Ye shall therefore keep my statutes and my judgments, and shall not commit any of these abominations; neither any of your own nation, nor any stranger that sojourneth among you: (For all these abominations have the men of the land done, which were before you, and the land is defiled;)

  • Leviticus 18:30

    Therefore shall ye keep mine ordinance, that ye commit not any one of these abominable customs, which were committed before you, and that ye defile not yourselves therein: I am the Lord your God.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
12:29-31; Le 18:26,27,30

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Deuteronomy 18:8

    They shall have like portions to eat, beside that which cometh of the sale of his patrimony.

  • Deuteronomy 18:9

    When thou art come into the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee, thou shalt not learn to do after the abominations of those nations.

  • Deuteronomy 18:10

    There shall not be found among you any one that maketh his son or his daughter to pass through the fire, or that useth divination, or an observer of times, or an enchanter, or a witch,

Read all of Deuteronomy 18

Deuteronomy 18:9 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Cuando hubieres entrado en la tierra que Jehová tu Dios te da, no aprenderás á hacer según las abominaciones de aquellas gentes.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Quand tu seras entré dans le pays que l’ Éternel, ton Dieu, te donne, tu n’apprendras pas à faire selon les abominations de ces nations:
German
Elberfelder 1871		Wenn du in das Land kommst, das Jehova, dein Gott, dir gibt, so sollst du nicht lernen, nach den Greueln dieser Nationen zu tun.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Quando ingressus fueris terram, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi, cave ne imitari velis abominationes illarum gentium.