Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship other gods,
Parallel translations
- WEB You shall not forget the covenant that I have made with you. You shall not fear other gods.
- KJV And the covenant that I have made with you ye shall not forget; neither shall ye fear other gods.
- NKJV And the covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.
- NASB The covenant that I have made with you, you shall not forget, nor shall you fear other gods.
- NLT Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and do not worship other gods.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They are not to forget the covenant or fear other gods. Faithful remembrance guards against idolatry.
Overview
The LORD charges His people never to forget the covenant He made with them, and again forbids fearing other gods. Remembering God's covenant is presented as the safeguard against the idolatry that destroyed Israel. The emphasis on memory teaches that spiritual faithfulness requires actively recalling God's words and works.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 3
- Deut 4:23Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you.
- Deut 6:12be careful not to forget the LORD who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
- Deut 8:14–18then your heart will become proud, and you will forget the LORD your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Amid the long decline toward exile, the promise to David's house refuses to die; the flickering lamp kept burning anticipates the coming King who will not fail or be cut off.
How 2 Kings 17:38 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.