The Meaning of Exodus 34:15 Explained

Exodus 34:15

KJV: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they go a whoring after their gods, and do sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee, and thou eat of his sacrifice;

YLT: Lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land, and they have gone a-whoring after their gods, and have sacrificed to their gods, and one hath called to thee, and thou hast eaten of his sacrifice,

Darby: lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and then, when they go a whoring after their gods, and sacrifice unto their gods, thou be invited, and eat of their sacrifice,

ASV: lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land, and they play the harlot after their gods, and sacrifice unto their gods, and one call thee and thou eat of his sacrifice;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Lest thou make  a covenant  with the inhabitants  of the land,  and they go a whoring  after  their gods,  and do sacrifice  unto their gods,  and [one] call  thee, and thou eat  of his sacrifice; 

What does Exodus 34:15 Mean?

Context Summary

Exodus 34:1-17 - The Covenant Of The Law Renewed
Before we can behold the vision of Eternal Love we must be willing to fulfill three conditions: (1) Earliness: "My soul, be ready in the morning." (2) Solitude: "No man shall come up with thee." (3) The open heart: "That God may write there what He will." God is always passing by and covering us with the shadow of His hand, and proclaiming His loving kindness and tender mercy. He keeps mercy for thousands, and limits the entail of sin to the third and fourth generation.
Whenever we get near to God we should begin to think of and pray for others. As the last notes of the divine procession were dying away Moses bowed his head and worshiped, saying, "Let the Lord go in the middle of us and forgive." It was as though he said, "If thou art a God like that, thou art the God that stiff-necked people need. Go with us, therefore, for thou canst bear with us." He went on to ask that they might be pardoned, and that God would account them His heritage. His request was more than granted! God entered into covenant with them and promised to drive out their enemies on conditions which He proceeded to enumerate.
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Chapter Summary: Exodus 34

1  The tablets are replaced
5  The name of the Lord proclaimed
8  Moses entreats God to go with them
10  God makes a covenant with them, repeating certain duties
28  Moses after forty days on the mount, comes down with the tablets
29  His face is radiant, and he covers it with a veil

What do the individual words in Exodus 34:15 mean?

Lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land and they play the harlot with their gods and make sacrifice to their gods and [one of them] invites you and you eat of his sacrifice
פֶּן־ תִּכְרֹ֥ת בְּרִ֖ית לְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֑רֶץ וְזָנ֣וּ ׀ אַחֲרֵ֣י אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֗ם וְזָבְחוּ֙ לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם וְקָרָ֣א לְךָ֔ וְאָכַלְתָּ֖ מִזִּבְחֽוֹ

פֶּן־  Lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תִּכְרֹ֥ת  you  make 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine singular
Root: כָּרַת  
Sense: to cut, cut off, cut down, cut off a body part, cut out, eliminate, kill, cut a covenant.
בְּרִ֖ית  a  covenant 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: בְּרִית  
Sense: covenant, alliance, pledge.
לְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב  with  the  inhabitants 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular construct
Root: יָשַׁב 
Sense: to dwell, remain, sit, abide.
הָאָ֑רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
וְזָנ֣וּ ׀  and  they  play  the  harlot 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: זָנָה 
Sense: to commit fornication, be a harlot, play the harlot.
אֱלֹֽהֵיהֶ֗ם  their  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְזָבְחוּ֙  and  make  sacrifice 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person common plural
Root: זָבַח  
Sense: to slaughter, kill, sacrifice, slaughter for sacrifice.
לֵאלֹ֣הֵיהֶ֔ם  to  their  gods 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
וְקָרָ֣א  and  [one  of  them]  invites 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: קָרָא  
Sense: to call, call out, recite, read, cry out, proclaim.
וְאָכַלְתָּ֖  and  you  eat 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Verb, Qal, Conjunctive perfect, second person masculine singular
Root: אָכַל  
Sense: to eat, devour, burn up, feed.
מִזִּבְחֽוֹ  of  his  sacrifice 
Parse: Preposition-m, Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: זֶבַח  
Sense: sacrifice.