Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 29:17
And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which [were] among them: )
17. abominations ] Rather detestable things, not to ‘ebth, as in Deu 7:25, but shium, frequent in Jer. and Ezek. of idols, nowhere else in Deut., but the vb. from which it comes is found in Deu 7:26.
idols ] Heb. gillulm, a scornful term meaning either things gross or coarse, such as some forms of the root in Ar. mean (applied to dung, etc.), or things round or podgy, as from Heb. galal, to roll (cp. the nicknames ‘round-head’ and ‘rolling-pin’). In the Hex. only here and Lev 26:30 (H); Jer 50:2; Jer 50:39 times in Ezek. The gods of the heathen were mere blocks or boulders!
wood and stone ] Deu 4:28, Deu 28:36; Deu 28:64.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Idols – See the margin, dungy gods; i. e. clods or stocks which can be rolled about (compare Lev 26:30).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
What sorry tools they are, what senseless and ridiculous deities; so that you have great reason to value your God, and to cleave to him in covenant, and to take heed of such abominable idolatries.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
And ye have seen their abominations and their idols,…. Or, “their abominations, even their idols”; for the same are meant by both: it is common in Scripture to call the idols of the Gentiles abominations, without any other explanation of them; see 1Ki 11:5; because they are abominable to God, and ought to be so to men: the word for idols has the signification of dung, and may be rendered dunghill gods, either referring to such that were bred and lived in dung, as the beetle, worshipped by the Egyptians, as Bishop Patrick observes; or which were as much to be loathed and abhorred as the dung of any creature:
wood and stone, silver and gold; these are the materials of which the idols they had seen in the several countries they had been in, or passed through, were made of; some of wood, others of stone cut out of these, and carved; others more rich and costly were made of massive gold and silver, and were molten ones; or the images of wood were glided with gold and silver;
which [were] among them; now these being seen by them in as they passed along, they might run in their minds, or be called to remembrance by them, and so they be in danger of being drawn aside to make the like, and worship them.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(17) Their abominations.This word occurs here for the first time, but the verb appears in Deu. 7:26 (utterly detest ), and in Lev. 11:11; Lev. 11:13; Lev. 11:43; Lev. 20:25. In the later scriptures of the Old Testament this word abomination is frequently used to denote an idol.
Their idols.Either great blocks, or as in the margin, a term of extreme contempt. (See Lev. 26:30, where the word first occurs. ) It is a favourite term with the prophet Ezekiel, who uses it four times as often as other writers in the Old Testament.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
Ver. 17. Ye have seen their abominations, and their idols These words shew, that the practice of idolatry was old and inveterate, both among the Egyptians, and the other nations through which the Israelites passed. This and the preceding verse contain further motives to incline them to enter into covenant with God: first, because God had brought them out of Egypt, and through other nations; and, secondly, because they had an opportunity to discern the folly of these people in worshipping such idols as could not help them. The following verse, to connect with these, should be rendered, take heed therefore that there be not among you man or woman, &c.; but, if it is to be connected with the 15th verse, we must understand it as expressing the end for which God engaged them to renew their covenant with him, that none of them might revolt from the Lord to serve other gods. Lest there should be among you a root that beareth gall and wormwood, is metaphorical, and signifies, “Lest there should be any false opinion lurking among you, concerning the gods of your neighbours, from which impious consequences might be deduced, and bitter effects ensue.” This is that root, which Moses was striving to pluck out of their minds. The word which we translate gall, Dr. Waterland renders poison; and it is thought to signify some poisonous or noxious herb which grows amongst the corn, but what herb is not determined. It is the same word which we render hemlock, Hos 10:4 and is commonly joined with wormwood, as here, and Jer 9:15. Lam 3:19. Amo 6:12. To this passage the apostle alludes, Heb 12:15. Lest any root of bitterness springing up trouble you; compare also ch. Deu 3:12 and see Psa 69:22.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Deu 29:17 And ye have seen their abominations, and their idols, wood and stone, silver and gold, which [were] among them:)
Ver. 17. A root that beareth gall ] An evil heart of unbelief, Heb 3:12 a deceitful and deceived heart, Jer 17:9 Isa 44:20 that is ever either weaving spiders’ webs – i.e., loving vanity, seeking after leasing Psa 4:2 – or hatching cockatrice’ eggs, that is, acting mischief. Isa 59:5 As in that first chaos were the seeds of all creatures; so in man’s heart, here therefore fitly called, a root of rottenness, of all sins. a Holy Bradford would never look upon any one’s lewd life with one eye, but presently reflect upon himself with the other, and say, In this my vile heart remains that sin, which without God’s special grace I should have committed as well as he.
a .
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
idols = either as manufactured, or derived from galal = dung = rotten, or detestable.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
idols: Heb. dungy gods, Deu 29:17
Reciprocal: Deu 27:15 – an abomination Eze 16:26 – with the Eze 20:32 – to serve Rev 17:4 – abominations