The Meaning of Deuteronomy 7:5 Explained

Deuteronomy 7:5

KJV: But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.

YLT: 'But thus thou dost to them: their altars ye break down, and their standing pillars ye shiver, and their shrines ye cut down, and their graven images ye burn with fire;

Darby: But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and shatter their statues, and hew down their Asherahs, and burn their graven images with fire.

ASV: But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

But thus shall ye deal  with them; ye shall destroy  their altars,  and break down  their images,  and cut down  their groves,  and burn  their graven images  with fire. 

What does Deuteronomy 7:5 Mean?

Context Summary

Deuteronomy 7:1-11 - No Compromise With Idolatry
The great Lawgiver had His eye constantly on the coming generation. It is good when the children are so arrested by our religious life, that they come to ask us to tell them the reasons that account for it. Seek to live so purely and devoutly, and yet so attractively, that the young people around will be compelled to inquire after your secret, Luke 11:1.
We are not only to teach the children, but to guard them against forming friendships and making marriage alliances with those who might divert them from God. In the New Testament, Christians are forbidden to marry except "in the Lord," and equally stringent are prohibitions against worldly intercourse, 1 Corinthians 7:39; 2 Corinthians 6:14.
God can break the seven-fold power of sin in the heart of those who are absolutely given over to Him and are willing to surrender their evil ways. This is pledged to us by His fidelity and love, Deuteronomy 7:8-9. [source]

Chapter Summary: Deuteronomy 7

1  All communion with the nations is forbidden
5  for fear of idolatry,
6  for the holiness of the people,
9  for the nature of God in his mercy and justice,
17  and for the assuredness of victory which God will give over them

What do the individual words in Deuteronomy 7:5 mean?

For but thus you shall deal with them their altars you shall destroy and their [sacred] pillars break down and their wooden images cut down and their carved images burn with fire
כִּֽי־ אִם־ כֹּ֤ה תַעֲשׂוּ֙ לָהֶ֔ם מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם תִּתֹּ֔צוּ וּמַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם תְּשַׁבֵּ֑רוּ וַאֲשֵֽׁירֵהֶם֙ תְּגַדֵּע֔וּן וּפְסִילֵיהֶ֖ם תִּשְׂרְפ֥וּן בָּאֵֽשׁ

כֹּ֤ה  thus 
Parse: Adverb
Root: כֹּה  
Sense: thus, here, in this manner.
תַעֲשׂוּ֙  you  shall  deal 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
לָהֶ֔ם  with  them 
Parse: Preposition-l, Pronoun, third person masculine plural
Root: הֵם 
Sense: they, these, the same, who.
מִזְבְּחֹתֵיהֶ֣ם  their  altars 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מִזְבֵּחַ  
Sense: altar.
תִּתֹּ֔צוּ  you  shall  destroy 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: נָתַץ  
Sense: to pull down, break down, cast down, throw down, beat down, destroy, overthrow, break out (teeth).
וּמַצֵּבֹתָ֖ם  and  their  [sacred]  pillars 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: מַצֵּבָה  
Sense: pillar, mastaba, stump.
תְּשַׁבֵּ֑רוּ  break  down 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural
Root: שָׁבוּר 
Sense: to break, break in pieces.
וַאֲשֵֽׁירֵהֶם֙  and  their  wooden  images 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, feminine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: אֲשֵׁרָה  
Sense: a Babylonian (Astarte)-Canaanite goddess (of fortune and happiness), the supposed consort of Baal, her images.
תְּגַדֵּע֔וּן  cut  down 
Parse: Verb, Piel, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: גָּדַע  
Sense: to cut, hew, chop, cut down, hew down, hew off, cut off, cut in two, shave off.
וּפְסִילֵיהֶ֖ם  and  their  carved  images 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, masculine plural construct, third person masculine plural
Root: פָּסִיל  
Sense: image, idol, graven image.
תִּשְׂרְפ֥וּן  burn 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, second person masculine plural, Paragogic nun
Root: שָׂרַף  
Sense: to burn.
בָּאֵֽשׁ  with  fire 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, common singular
Root: אֵשׁ  
Sense: fire.