Do not forget the covenant I made with you, and 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.
- BSB Do not forget the covenant I have made with you. Do not worship 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.
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, lest you forget the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves an engraved image in the form of anything which Yahweh your God has forbidden you.
- Deut 6:12then beware lest you forget Yahweh, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- Deut 8:14–18then your heart might be lifted up, and you forget Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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
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