Deuteronomy 7:16

The Message

You’ll make mincemeat of all the peoples that God, your God, hands over to you. Don’t feel sorry for them. And don’t worship their gods—they’ll trap you for sure.

Cross References

Psalm 106:34

They didn’t wipe out those godless cultures as ordered by God; Instead they intermarried with the heathen, and in time became just like them. They worshiped their idols, were caught in the trap of idols. They sacrificed their sons and daughters at the altars of demon gods. They slit the throats of their babies, murdered their infant girls and boys. They offered their babies to Canaan’s gods; the blood of their babies stained the land. Their way of life reeked; they lived like prostitutes.

Numbers 33:55

“But if you don’t drive out the native population, everyone you let stay there will become a cinder in your eye and a splinter in your foot. They’ll give you endless trouble right in your own backyards. And I’ll start treating you the way I planned to treat them.”

Deuteronomy 7:25

Make sure you set fire to their carved gods. Don’t get greedy for the veneer of silver and gold on them and take it for yourselves—you’ll get trapped by it for sure. God hates it; it’s an abomination to God, your God. And don’t dare bring one of these abominations home or you’ll end up just like it, burned up as a holy destruction. No: It is forbidden! Hate it. Abominate it. Destroy it and preserve God’s holiness. * * *

Judges 2:3

“So now I’m telling you that I won’t drive them out before you. They’ll trip you up and their gods will become a trap.”

Judges 8:27

Gideon made the gold into a sacred ephod and put it on display in his hometown, Ophrah. All Israel prostituted itself there. Gideon and his family, too, were seduced by it.