moreover, you have seen their abominations and their idols made of wood and stone, silver and gold, which they had with them);
Parallel translations
- WEB and you have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them);
- KJV And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which were among them:)
- BSB You saw the abominations and idols among them made of wood and stone, of silver and gold.
- NKJV and you saw their abominations and their idols which were among them—wood and stone and silver and gold);
- NLT You have seen their detestable practices and their idols made of wood, stone, silver, and gold.
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 saw the detestable idols of wood, stone, silver, and gold among the nations. Exposure to idolatry should breed revulsion, not attraction.
Overview
Moses recalls the 'abominations' and lifeless idols Israel observed among foreign peoples. Naming the materials, wood, stone, silver, gold, exposes the emptiness of these so-called gods. The contrast with the living God should fortify Israel against idolatry, a warning the New Testament renews as it calls believers to keep themselves from idols and serve the true and living God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 1
- Deut 28:36Yahweh will bring you, and your king whom you will set over yourselves, to a nation that you have not known, you nor your fathers. There you will serve other gods of wood and stone.
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
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 29:17 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.