2 Kings 17:8

17:8 they observed the practices ¹  of the nations whom the Lord had driven out from before Israel, and followed the example of the kings of Israel. ² 

2 Kings 17:11-12

17:11 They burned incense on all the high places just like the nations whom the Lord had driven away from before them. Their evil practices made the Lord angry. ³  17:12 They worshiped ⁴  the disgusting idols ⁵  in blatant disregard of the Lord’s command. ⁶ 

Deuteronomy 12:30-31

12:30 After they have been destroyed from your presence, be careful not to be ensnared like they are; do not pursue their gods and say, “How do these nations serve their gods? I will do the same.” 12:31 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they do! ⁷  For everything that is abhorrent ⁸  to him, ⁹  everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!

Deuteronomy 12:2

12:2 You must by all means destroy ¹⁰  all the places where the nations you are about to dispossess worship their gods – on the high mountains and hills and under every leafy tree. ¹¹ 

Deuteronomy 33:2

33:2 He said:

A Historical Review

The Lord came from Sinai

and revealed himself ¹²  to Israel ¹³  from Seir.

He appeared in splendor ¹⁴  from Mount Paran,

and came forth with ten thousand holy ones. ¹⁵ 

With his right hand he gave a fiery law ¹⁶  to them.

Deuteronomy 33:9

33:9 He said to his father and mother, “I have not seen him,” ¹⁷ 

and he did not acknowledge his own brothers

or know his own children,

for they kept your word,

and guarded your covenant.

¹ tn Heb “walked in the customs.”

² tn Heb “and [the practices of] the kings of Israel which they did.”

³ tn Heb “and they did evil things, angering the Lord.”

⁴ tn Or “served.”

⁵ sn See the note at 1 Kgs 15:12.

⁶ tn Heb “about which the Lord had said to them, ‘You must not do this thing.’”

⁷ tn Heb “you must not do thus to/for the Lord your God.”

⁸ tn See note on this term at Deut 7:25.

⁹ tn Heb “every abomination of the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 27.

¹⁰ tn Heb “destroying you must destroy”; KJV “Ye shall utterly (surely ASV) destroy”; NRSV “must demolish completely.” The Hebrew infinitive absolute precedes the verb for emphasis, which is reflected in the translation by the words “by all means.”

¹¹ sn Every leafy tree. This expression refers to evergreens which, because they keep their foliage throughout the year, provided apt symbolism for nature cults such as those practiced in Canaan. The deity particularly in view is Asherah, wife of the great god El, who was considered the goddess of fertility and whose worship frequently took place at shrines near or among clusters (groves) of such trees (see also Deut 7:5). See J. Hadley, NIDOTTE 1:569-70; J. DeMoor, TDOT 1:438-44.

¹² tn Or “rose like the sun” (NCV, TEV).

¹³ tc Heb “to him.” The LXX reads “to us” (לָנוּ [lanu] for לָמוֹ [lamo]), the reading of the MT is acceptable since it no doubt has in mind Israel as a collective singular.

¹⁴ tn Or “he shone forth” (NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT).

¹⁵ tc With slight alteration (מִמְרִבַת קָדֵשׁ [mimrivat qadesh] for the MT’s מֵרִבְבֹת קֹדֶשׁ [merivvot qodesh]) the translation would be “from Meribah Kadesh” (cf. NAB, NLT; see Deut 32:51). However, the language of holy war in the immediate context favors the reading of the MT, which views the Lord as accompanied by angelic hosts.

¹⁶ tc The mispointed Hebrew term אֵשְׁדָּת (’eshdat) should perhaps be construed as אֵשְׁהַת (’eshhat) with Smr.

¹⁷ sn This statement no doubt alludes to the Levites’ destruction of their own fellow tribesmen following the golden calf incident (Exod 32:25-29).