What Does Deuteronomy 7:4 Mean in the King James?
For they will turn away thy son from following me, that they may serve other gods: so will the anger of the LORD be kindled against you, and destroy thee suddenly.
The analysis reads the King James wording.
King James Version The King James Version, first published in 1611. Selah Verse shows the standard text.
THE KEY
The turn does not leave a life neutral: what is pulled from following me is redirected into service.
THE MEANING
What is close to you can be drawn off the path of following me, and that redirected life then serves another god. The verse holds the consequence plainly: the LORD’s anger burns against you, and destruction comes suddenly.
WHAT THIS UNDOES
The lie that closeness guarantees continued alignment dissolves here: someone near and beloved can still be drawn into another allegiance.
THE ROOT
וְעָבְדוּ
ve’avdu
GROWS FROM
עבד
To work, serve.
The verse moves from being turned away from following me to serving other gods. The Hebrew root עבד (avad, to work or serve) holds service and work together, showing allegiance as what a life works for.
ALSO GROWS
eved: Servant
עֶבֶד
The same root names the person who serves, making the relationship between service and the one served explicit.
avodah: Work, labor, service
עֲבֹדָה
This branch shows service as the work a life gives itself to, not only a spoken claim of allegiance.
THE PATTERN
A path redirected from following becomes an allegiance expressed through service.
For it came to pass, when Solomon was old, that his wives turned away his heart after other gods: and his heart was not perfect with the LORD his God, as was the heart of David his father.No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon.And if it seem evil unto you to serve the LORD, choose you this day whom ye will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the flood, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land ye dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.THE THREAD
They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.Exodus uses the same Hebrew root עבד (avad, to work or serve) for serving other gods. It makes the consequence concrete: that service becomes a snare, the entanglement following the turn.
Read the SDV Bible.
Every verse has a Deep Dive in the app.
The iPhone Bible app with the Selah Decoded Version.
Does something in this reading look wrong? Tell us