The Meaning of Deuteronomy 6:14 Explained

Deuteronomy 6:14

KJV: Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which are round about you;

YLT: ye do not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are round about you;

Darby: Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;

ASV: Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples that are round about you;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Ye shall not go  after  other  gods,  of the gods  of the people  which [are] round about  you; 

What does Deuteronomy 6:14 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 6:1-19 - How To Treat God's Words
Obedience is still the one condition of true prosperity and success. Lands still flow with milk and honey; and they live long who live well. Lives are measured by heart-throbs, and not by figures on the dial.
Deuteronomy 6:4 is reckoned by pious Jews as one of the choicest portions of Scripture. They write it on their phylacteries and repeat it, with other verses, at least twice a day. Note the various methods for maintaining the religious atmosphere: (1) by meditation; (2) by the religious training of children; (3) by pious discourse and conversation; (4) by the persistent study of Scripture. When books are scarce, use wall-texts; but never substitute stray snippets, however sweet, for the whole meal of Scripture.
Let us not forget how many of our present privileges and spiritual advantages must be credited to the prayers and the tears, the labors and the sufferings, of those who have left these precious inheritances to us, their children and heirs! We drink of cisterns we never hewed! [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 6

1  The end of the law is obedience
3  An exhortation thereto
20  What they are to teach their children

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 6:14 mean?

Not You shall go after gods other the gods of the peoples who [are] all around you
לֹ֣א תֵֽלְכ֔וּן אַחֲרֵ֖י אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֑ים מֵאֱלֹהֵי֙ הָֽעַמִּ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶֽם

תֵֽלְכ֔וּן  You  shall  go 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
אַחֲרֵ֖י  after 
Parse: Preposition
Root: אַחַר 
Sense: after the following part, behind (of place), hinder, afterwards (of time).
אֱלֹהִ֣ים  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
אֲחֵרִ֑ים  other 
Parse: Adjective, masculine plural
Root: אַחֵר  
Sense: another, other, following.
מֵאֱלֹהֵי֙  the  gods 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הָֽעַמִּ֔ים  of  the  peoples 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: עַם 
Sense: nation, people.
אֲשֶׁ֖ר  who  [are] 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
סְבִיבוֹתֵיכֶֽם  all  around  you 
Parse: Adverb, second person masculine plural
Root: מוּסָב 
Sense: places round about, circuit, round about adv.