Exodus 23:24

24 non adorabis deos eorum nec coles eos non facies opera eorum sed destrues eos et confringes statuas eorum

Exodus 23:24 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:24

Thou shalt not bow down to their gods
In a way of honour to them, doing them reverence, expressing thereby an high esteem of them, trust in them, and expectation of good things from them;

nor serve them:
in any kind of service in which they usually are served by their votaries; as by offering sacrifice, incense, libations or by praying to them or praising of them, or in whatsoever way they are served by idolaters:

nor do after their works;
the works of the worshippers of idols; all those wicked works in general done by them, which should not be imitated; and those particularly relating to the service and worship of their deities:

but thou shalt overthrow them;
the heathen gods; utterly destroy them, and break them to pieces, or demolish their temples, the idolatrous houses built for them, and their altars; for the word has the signification, of demolishing buildings, and razing up the very foundations of them:

and quite break down their images;
or, "in breaking break down" ^F15; utterly and entirely break them down, break them to shivers, all their statues of gold or silver, brass, wood, or stone, or of whatsoever materials they were made; none were to be spared, nor any remains of them to be seen, that they might not prove a snare to any to worship them; and hereby they were to express their detestation of idolatry, and their strict and close adherence to the true God, and the worship of him as follows.

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FOOTNOTES:

F15 (rbvt rbv) "confringendo confringes", Pagninus, Montanus, Drusius, "perfringendo perfringito", Piscator.

Exodus 23:24 In-Context

22 quod si audieris vocem eius et feceris omnia quae loquor inimicus ero inimicis tuis et adfligam adfligentes te

23 praecedetque te angelus meus et introducet te ad Amorreum et Hettheum et Ferezeum Chananeumque et Eveum et Iebuseum quos ego contribo

24 non adorabis deos eorum nec coles eos non facies opera eorum sed destrues eos et confringes statuas eorum

25 servietisque Domino Deo vestro ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui

26 non erit infecunda nec sterilis in terra tua numerum dierum tuorum implebo