Deuteronomy 7:5

3 Do not intermarry with them. Do not give your daughters to their sons or take their daughters for your sons,

4 because they will turn your sons away from following Me to serve other gods. Then the anger of the LORD will burn against you, and He will swiftly destroy you.

Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.

6 For you are a people holy to the LORD your God. The LORD your God has chosen you to be a people for His prized possession out of all peoples on the face of the earth.

7 The LORD did not set His affection on you and choose you because you were more numerous than the other peoples, for you were the fewest of all peoples.

This was said to Israel at a particular time, so it is wise to read it together with the surrounding text. Do read the surrounding verses too, because the context often says more than a single verse.

Compare

BSB
Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.
KJV
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire.
WEB
But you shall deal with them like this: you shall break down their altars, dash their pillars in pieces, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their engraved images with fire.
ASV
But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and dash in pieces their pillars, and hew down their Asherim, and burn their graven images with fire.
DARBY
But thus shall ye deal with them: ye shall break down their altars, and shatter their statues, and hew down their Asherahs, and burn their graven images with fire.
BLB
But rather thus you⁺ shall deal with them: Their altars you⁺ shall break down, and their pillars you⁺ shall smash, and their Asherah poles you⁺ shall cut down, and their carved images you⁺ shall burn with the fire.
ÅB
Men slik skal dere gjøre med dem: Deres altere skal dere bryte ned, og deres billedstøtter skal dere slå sønder, og deres Astartebilder skal dere hugge i stykker, og deres utskårne bilder skal dere brenne opp med ild.
OTB
Dette er hva du skal gjøre med dem: Riv ned deres altere, knus deres hellige steiner, hogg ned deres Asjera-pæler, og brenn deres utskårne bilder i ilden.
B1930
Men således skal I gjøre med dem: Deres altere skal I bryte ned, og deres billedstøtter skal I slå sønder, og deres Astarte-billeder skal I hugge i stykker, og deres utskårne billeder skal I brenne op med ild.

Study notes (Tyndale)

Original text and word study

Cross references

  • Exodus 23:24

    You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.

    Read in context
  • Exodus 34:13

    Rather, you must tear down their altars, smash their sacred stones, and chop down their Asherah poles.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 12:2–3

    Destroy completely all the places where the nations you are dispossessing have served their gods—atop the high mountains, on the hills, and under every green tree.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 9:21

    And I took that sinful thing, the calf you had made, and burned it in the fire. Then I crushed it and ground it to powder as fine as dust, and I cast it into the stream that came down from the mountain.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 16:22

    and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

    Read in context
  • Deuteronomy 7:25

    You must burn up the images of their gods; do not covet the silver and gold that is on them or take it for yourselves, or you will be ensnared by it; for it is detestable to the LORD your God.

    Read in context
  • Judges 6:25–26

    On that very night the LORD said to Gideon, “Take your father’s young bull and a second bull seven years old, tear down your father’s altar to Baal, and cut down the Asherah pole beside it.

    Read in context
  • Leviticus 26:1

    “You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.

    Read in context