Leviticus 20:23

20:23 You must not walk in the statutes of the nation ¹  which I am about to drive out before you, because they have done all these things and I am filled with disgust against them.

Exodus 23:24

23:24 “You must not bow down to their gods; you must not serve them or do according to their practices. Instead you must completely overthrow them and smash their standing stones ²  to pieces. ³ 

Deuteronomy 12:4

12:4 You must not worship the Lord your God the way they worship.

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! ⁴  For everything that is abhorrent ⁵  to him, ⁶  everything he hates, they have done when worshiping their gods. They even burn up their sons and daughters before their gods!

Jeremiah 10:2-3

10:2 The Lord says,

“Do not start following pagan religious practices. ⁷ 

Do not be in awe of signs that occur ⁸  in the sky

even though the nations hold them in awe.

10:3 For the religion ⁹  of these people is worthless.

They cut down a tree in the forest,

and a craftsman makes it into an idol with his tools. ¹⁰ 

Romans 12:2

12:2 Do not be conformed ¹¹  to this present world, ¹²  but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may test and approve ¹³  what is the will of God – what is good and well-pleasing and perfect.

[20:23]  ¹ tc One medieval Hebrew ms, Smr, and all the major ancient versions have the plural “nations.” Some English versions retain the singular (e.g., KJV, ASV, NASB, NRSV); others have the plural “nations” (e.g., NAB, NIV) and still others translate as “people” (e.g., TEV, NLT).

[23:24]  ² tn The Hebrew is מַצֵּבֹתֵיהֶם (matsevotehem, “their standing stones”); these long stones were erected to represent the abode of the numen or deity. They were usually set up near the altar or the high place. To destroy these would be to destroy the centers of Canaanite worship in the land.

[23:24]  ³ tn Both verbs are joined with their infinitive absolutes to provide the strongest sense to these instructions. The images of the false gods in Canaan were to be completely and utterly destroyed. This could not be said any more strongly.

[12:31]  ⁴ tn Heb “you must not do thus to/for the Lord your God.”

[12:31]  ⁵ tn See note on this term at Deut 7:25.

[12:31]  ⁶ tn Heb “every abomination of the Lord.” See note on the word “his” in v. 27.

[10:2]  ⁷ tn Heb “Do not learn the way of the nations.” For this use of the word “ways” (דֶּרֶךְ, derekh) compare for example Jer 12:16 and Isa 2:6.

[10:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “signs.” The words “that occur” are supplied in the translation for clarity.

[10:3]  ⁹ tn Heb “statutes.” According to BDB 350 s.v. חֻקָּה 2.b it refers to the firmly established customs or practices of the pagan nations. Compare the usage in Lev 20:23; 2 Kgs 17:8. Here it is essentially equivalent to דֶּרֶךְ (derekh) in v. 1, which has already been translated “religious practices.”

[10:3]  ¹⁰ sn This passage is dripping with sarcasm. It begins by talking about the “statutes” of the pagan peoples as a “vapor” using a singular copula and singular predicate. Then it suppresses the subject, the idol, as though it were too horrible to mention, using only the predications about it. The last two lines read literally: “[it is] a tree which one cuts down from the forest; the work of the hands of a craftsman with his chisel.”

[12:2]  ¹¹ tn Although συσχηματίζεσθε (suschmatizesqe) could be either a passive or middle, the passive is more likely since it would otherwise have to be a direct middle (“conform yourselves”) and, as such, would be quite rare for NT Greek. It is very telling that being “conformed” to the present world is viewed as a passive notion, for it may suggest that it happens, in part, subconsciously. At the same time, the passive could well be a “permissive passive,” suggesting that there may be some consciousness of the conformity taking place. Most likely, it is a combination of both.

[12:2]  ¹² tn Grk “to this age.”

[12:2]  ¹³ sn The verb translated test and approve (δοκιμάζω, dokimazw) carries the sense of “test with a positive outcome,” “test so as to approve.”