The Meaning of Exodus 34:12 Explained

Exodus 34:12

KJV: Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:

YLT: take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitant of the land into which thou art going, lest it become a snare in thy midst;

Darby: Take heed to thyself, that thou make no covenant with the inhabitants of the land to which thou shalt come, lest it be a snare in the midst of thee;

ASV: Take heed to thyself, lest thou make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land whither thou goest, lest it be for a snare in the midst of thee:

KJV Reverse Interlinear

Take heed  to thyself, lest thou make  a covenant  with the inhabitants  of the land  whither thou goest,  lest it be for a snare  in the midst  of thee: 

What does Exodus 34:12 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 34:12 mean?

Take heed to yourself lest you make a covenant with the inhabitants of the land where you are going - it be a snare in your midst
הִשָּׁ֣מֶר לְךָ֗ פֶּן־ תִּכְרֹ֤ת בְּרִית֙ לְיוֹשֵׁ֣ב הָאָ֔רֶץ אֲשֶׁ֥ר אַתָּ֖ה בָּ֣א עָלֶ֑יהָ יִהְיֶ֥ה לְמוֹקֵ֖שׁ בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ

הִשָּׁ֣מֶר  Take  heed 
Parse: Verb, Nifal, Imperative, masculine singular
Root: שָׁמַר  
Sense: to keep, guard, observe, give heed.
לְךָ֗  to  yourself 
Parse: Preposition, second person masculine singular
פֶּן־  lest 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: פֶּן  
Sense: lest, not, beware lest adv.
תִּכְרֹ֤ת  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.
בְּרִית֙  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.
הָאָ֔רֶץ  of  the  land 
Parse: Article, Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֶרֶץ  
Sense: land, earth.
אֲשֶׁ֥ר  where 
Parse: Pronoun, relative
Root: אֲשֶׁר 
Sense: (relative part.).
בָּ֣א  are  going 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, masculine singular
Root: בֹּוא 
Sense: to go in, enter, come, go, come in.
עָלֶ֑יהָ    - 
Parse: Preposition, third person feminine singular
Root: עַל 
Sense: upon, on the ground of, according to, on account of, on behalf of, concerning, beside, in addition to, together with, beyond, above, over, by, on to, towards, to, against.
יִהְיֶ֥ה  it  be 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Imperfect, third person masculine singular
Root: אֶהְיֶה 
Sense: to be, become, come to pass, exist, happen, fall out.
לְמוֹקֵ֖שׁ  a  snare 
Parse: Preposition-l, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מֹוקֵשׁ  
Sense: bait, lure, snare.
בְּקִרְבֶּֽךָ  in  your  midst 
Parse: Preposition-b, Noun, masculine singular construct, second person masculine singular
Root: קֶרֶב  
Sense: midst, among, inner part, middle.