The Meaning of Deuteronomy 29:18 Explained

Deuteronomy 29:18

KJV: Lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from the LORD our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

YLT: lest there be among you a man or woman, or family or tribe, whose heart is turning to-day from Jehovah our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations, lest there be in you a root fruitful of gall and wormwood:

Darby: lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from Jehovah our God, to go and serve the gods of these nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood,

ASV: lest there should be among you man, or woman, or family, or tribe, whose heart turneth away this day from Jehovah our God, to go to serve the gods of those nations; lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood;

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Lest there should be  among you man,  or woman,  or family,  or tribe,  whose heart  turneth away  this day  from the LORD  our God,  to go  [and] serve  the gods  of these nations;  lest there should be  among you a root  that beareth  gall  and wormwood; 

What does Deuteronomy 29:18 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 29:14-29 - The Penalty Of Serving False Gods
Deuteronomy 29:15 clearly refers to the future generations, who were included in this solemn act. The word "gall," Deuteronomy 29:18, indicates the poisonous character of idolatry. The application of this passage to any man who falls short of the grace of God shows that the tendency to idolatry has its root in the apostasy of the heart, Hebrews 12:15.
We cannot say that religion is a matter of indifference; or, if we say it, we are destined to a terrible awakening. A man may say, "I shall have peace," etc., Deuteronomy 29:19, but there is no peace short of the peace of God, Isaiah 48:22; Romans 5:1-2.
With respect to Deuteronomy 29:24, the infidel Volney wrote of the present condition of Palestine: "Why is not the ancient population reproduced and perpetuated? God has doubtless pronounced a secret malediction against this land." This is one of His "secret things!" Compare Deuteronomy 29:29 with Romans 11:33. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 29

1  Moses exhorts them to obedience, reminding of the works they had seen
10  All are presented before the Lord to enter into his covenant
18  The great wrath on him who flatters himself in his wickedness
29  Secret things belong unto God

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 29:18 mean?

So that there may not be among you man or woman or family tribe whose heart turns away today from Yahweh our God to go [and] serve - the gods of nations those that among you a root bearing bitterness or wormwood
פֶּן־ יֵ֣שׁ בָּ֠כֶם אִ֣ישׁ אוֹ־ אִשָּׁ֞ה א֧וֹ מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה שֵׁ֗בֶט אֲשֶׁר֩ לְבָב֨וֹ פֹנֶ֤ה הַיּוֹם֙ מֵעִם֙ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ לָלֶ֣כֶת לַעֲבֹ֔ד אֶת־ אֱלֹהֵ֖י הַגּוֹיִ֣ם הָהֵ֑ם פֶּן־ בָּכֶ֗ם שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ פֹּרֶ֥ה רֹ֖אשׁ וְלַעֲנָֽה

פֶּן־  So  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
יֵ֣שׁ  there  may  not  be 
Parse: Adverb
Root: יֵשׁ  
Sense: being, existence, substance, there is or are.
בָּ֠כֶם  among  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
אִ֣ישׁ  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
אִשָּׁ֞ה  woman 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אִשָּׁה  
Sense: woman, wife, female.
מִשְׁפָּחָ֣ה  family 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּחָה  
Sense: clan, family.
שֵׁ֗בֶט  tribe 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֵׁבֶט  
Sense: rod, staff, branch, offshoot, club, sceptre, tribe.
אֲשֶׁר֩  whose 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
לְבָב֨וֹ  heart 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: לֵבָב  
Sense: inner man, mind, will, heart, soul, understanding.
פֹנֶ֤ה  turns  away 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פֹּונֶה 
Sense: to turn.
הַיּוֹם֙  today 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: יׄום 
Sense: day, time, year.
יְהוָ֣ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ  our  God 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, first person common plural
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
לָלֶ֣כֶת  to  go 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: הָלַךְ  
Sense: to go, walk, come.
לַעֲבֹ֔ד  [and]  serve 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: עָבַד  
Sense: to work, serve.
אֶת־  - 
Parse: Direct object marker
Root: אֹות 
Sense: sign of the definite direct object, not translated in English but generally preceding and indicating the accusative.
אֱלֹהֵ֖י  the  gods 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: אֱלֹהִים  
Sense: (plural).
הַגּוֹיִ֣ם  of  nations 
Parse: Article, Noun, masculine plural
Root: גֹּוי 
Sense: nation, people.
הָהֵ֑ם  those 
Parse: Article, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
פֶּן־  that 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
בָּכֶ֗ם  among  you 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine plural
שֹׁ֛רֶשׁ  a  root 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: שֹׁרֶשׁ  
Sense: root.
פֹּרֶ֥ה  bearing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: פָּרָה 
Sense: to bear fruit, be fruitful, branch off.
רֹ֖אשׁ  bitterness 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: רֹאשׁ  
Sense: gall, venom, bitter, poisonous.
וְלַעֲנָֽה  or  wormwood 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine singular
Root: לַעֲנָה  
Sense: wormwood.