Deuteronomy 12:4
New International Version
You must not worship the LORD your God in their way.

New Living Translation
“Do not worship the LORD your God in the way these pagan peoples worship their gods.

English Standard Version
You shall not worship the LORD your God in that way.

Berean Standard Bible
You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way.

King James Bible
Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

New King James Version
You shall not worship the LORD your God with such things.

New American Standard Bible
You shall not act this way toward the LORD your God.

NASB 1995
“You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God.

NASB 1977
“You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God.

Legacy Standard Bible
You shall not do thus toward Yahweh your God.

Amplified Bible
You shall not act like this toward the LORD your God.

Christian Standard Bible
Don’t worship the LORD your God this way.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
Don’t worship the LORD your God this way.

American Standard Version
Ye shall not do so unto Jehovah your God.

Contemporary English Version
Don't worship the LORD your God in the way those nations worship their gods.

English Revised Version
Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never worship the LORD your God in the way they worship their gods.

Good News Translation
"Do not worship the LORD your God in the way that these people worship their gods.

International Standard Version
"You must not act like this with respect to the LORD your God.

Majority Standard Bible
You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way.

NET Bible
You must not worship the LORD your God the way they worship.

New Heart English Bible
You shall not do so to the LORD your God.

Webster's Bible Translation
Ye shall not do so to the LORD your God.

World English Bible
You shall not do so to Yahweh your God.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
You do not do so to your God YHWH;

Young's Literal Translation
'Ye do not do so to Jehovah your God;

Smith's Literal Translation
Ye shall not do so to Jehovah your God.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
You shall not do so to the Lord your God:

Catholic Public Domain Version
But you shall not do the same to the Lord your God.

New American Bible
That is not how you are to act toward the LORD, your God.

New Revised Standard Version
You shall not worship the LORD your God in such ways.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
You shall not do so to the LORD your God.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall not do so to LORD JEHOVAH your God.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Ye shall not do so unto the LORD your God.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Ye shall not do so to the Lord your God.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
One Place for Worship
3Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place. 4You shall not worship the LORD your God in this way. 5Instead, you must seek the place the LORD your God will choose from among all your tribes to establish as a dwelling for His Name, and there you must go.…

Cross References
Exodus 20:3-5
You shall have no other gods before Me. / You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath. / You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,

Leviticus 18:3-4
You must not follow the practices of the land of Egypt, where you used to live, and you must not follow the practices of the land of Canaan, into which I am bringing you. You must not walk in their customs. / You are to practice My judgments and keep My statutes by walking in them. I am the LORD your God.

2 Kings 17:35-36
For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. / Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him.

2 Chronicles 33:17
Nevertheless, the people still sacrificed at the high places, but only to the LORD their God.

Jeremiah 10:2-3
This is what the LORD says: “Do not learn the ways of the nations or be terrified by the signs in the heavens, though the nations themselves are terrified by them. / For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman.

Isaiah 44:15-17
It serves as fuel for man. He takes some of it to warm himself, and he kindles a fire and bakes his bread. He also fashions it into a god and worships it; he makes an idol and bows down to it. / He burns half of it in the fire, and he roasts meat on that half. He eats the roast and is satisfied. Indeed, he warms himself and says, “Ah! I am warm; I see the fire.” / From the rest he makes a god, his graven image. He bows down to it and worships; he prays to it and says, “Save me, for you are my god.”

Ezekiel 20:18-19
In the wilderness I said to their children: ‘Do not walk in the statutes of your fathers or keep their ordinances or defile yourselves with their idols. / I am the LORD your God; walk in My statutes, keep My ordinances, and practice them.

Psalm 81:9
There must be no strange god among you, nor shall you bow to a foreign god.

1 Kings 18:21
Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word.

Hosea 13:2
Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!”

Acts 17:29-30
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. / Although God overlooked the ignorance of earlier times, He now commands all people everywhere to repent.

Romans 1:21-23
For although they knew God, they neither glorified Him as God nor gave thanks to Him, but they became futile in their thinking and darkened in their foolish hearts. / Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

2 Corinthians 6:16-17
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.” / “Therefore come out from among them and be separate, says the Lord. Touch no unclean thing, and I will receive you.”

Galatians 4:8-9
Formerly, when you did not know God, you were slaves to those who by nature are not gods. / But now that you know God, or rather are known by God, how is it that you are turning back to those weak and worthless principles? Do you wish to be enslaved by them all over again?


Treasury of Scripture

You shall not do so to the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 12:30,31
Take heed to thyself that thou be not snared by following them, after that they be destroyed from before thee; and that thou inquire not after their gods, saying, How did these nations serve their gods? even so will I do likewise…

Deuteronomy 16:21,22
Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the LORD thy God, which thou shalt make thee…

Deuteronomy 20:18
That they teach you not to do after all their abominations, which they have done unto their gods; so should ye sin against the LORD your God.

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Act Way Worship
Deuteronomy 12
1. Monuments of idolatry to be destroyed
4. The place of God's service to be kept
15. Blood is forbidden
17. Holy things must be eaten in the holy place
19. The Levite is not to be forsaken
20. Blood is again forbidden
26. and holy things must be eaten in the holy place
29. Idolatry is not to be enquired after














You must not worship the LORD your God in this way
You must not
This phrase is a direct command, emphasizing the non-negotiable nature of the instruction. In Hebrew, the phrase is "לֹא תַעֲשׂוּן" (lo ta'asun), which carries a strong prohibition. The use of "must not" indicates a clear boundary set by God, reflecting His authority and the seriousness of adhering to His commands. This is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate, underscoring the importance of obedience in the life of a believer. It serves as a reminder that God's ways are higher than human ways, and His instructions are given for our good and His glory.

worship
The Hebrew word for worship here is "עָבַד" (avad), which can also mean to serve. This dual meaning highlights that worship is not just about rituals or ceremonies but involves a lifestyle of service and devotion to God. Worship in the biblical sense is holistic, encompassing every aspect of life. It is a call to align one's heart, mind, and actions with God's will. This understanding challenges believers to evaluate their daily lives and ensure that their actions reflect true worship, not just outward conformity.

the LORD your God
The phrase "the LORD your God" uses the sacred name of God, "Yahweh" (יהוה), which is often rendered as "LORD" in English translations. This name signifies God's eternal, self-existent nature and His covenant relationship with His people. By using "your God," the text emphasizes a personal relationship between God and the Israelites. It is a reminder of the covenantal bond and the unique identity of God's people. For Christians, this points to the personal relationship believers have with God through Jesus Christ, who mediates the new covenant.

in this way
The context of "in this way" refers to the practices of the surrounding nations, which were often idolatrous and contrary to God's commands. The Israelites were instructed not to adopt these pagan practices in their worship of Yahweh. This phrase serves as a warning against syncretism, the blending of true worship with false practices. Historically, the Israelites struggled with this, as seen in various accounts throughout the Old Testament. For contemporary believers, it is a call to purity in worship, ensuring that cultural influences do not corrupt the worship of God. It challenges Christians to discern and reject practices that are inconsistent with biblical truth, maintaining the integrity of their faith.

(4) Ye shall not do so--i.e. shall not serve Him upon the high mountains, and hills, and under every green tree, after the manner of the nations.

Verses 4-6. - The heathen placed their altars and offered their worship wherever they thought fit, according to their notions of the deity and his service; but Israel was not to do so unto Jehovah their God: he himself would choose the places where he was to be worshipped, and there alone might they come with offering and service. As the revealed God - the God whose being and perfections had been made known, not by a vague revelation of him in nature merely, but expressly by his putting or recording his Name historically and locally among men (cf. Exodus 20:24) - so should there be a definite place chosen and appointed by him where he would come to receive the worship of his people, where he would record his Name, and where he would be known for a Refuge and a Helper to all who put their trust in him (Psalm 48:3; Psalm 76:1, etc.; Daniel 9:18). The Name of God is God himself as revealed; and he puts his Name on any place where he specially manifests himself as present (cf. 1 Kings 8:29), and which is consequently to be regarded as his habitation or dwelling-place. Hence the temple at Jerusalem was in later times known as the place of the Name of Jehovah (Isaiah 18:7), the dwelling-place of his glory (Psalm 26:8). But he is the God of the whole earth, and therefore, wherever he is pleased to reveal himself, in whatever place he makes his Name to be known, there he is to be worshipped. There is no reference in this passage to the temple at Jerusalem specially, as some have supposed; what is here enjoined is only a practical application of the Divine promise, that in all places where God would record his Name, there he would come to bless his people (Exodus 20:24). The reference here, therefore, is quite general, and applies to any place where, by the Divine appointment, the tabernacle might be set up and the worship of Jehovah instituted. Unto his habitation shall ye seek. To seek to any place means, primarily, to resort to it, to frequent it (cf. 2 Chronicles 1:5), but with the implied purpose of inquiring there for something, as for responses or oracles, when the place resorted to was that in which God had put his Name.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
You shall not
לֹֽא־ (lō-)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

worship
תַעֲשׂ֣וּן (ṯa·‘ă·śūn)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural | Paragogic nun
Strong's 6213: To do, make

the LORD
לַיהוָ֖ה (Yah·weh)
Preposition-l | Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

in this way.
כֵּ֔ן (kên)
Adverb
Strong's 3651: So -- thus


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 12:4 You shall not do so to Yahweh (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 12:3
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