69 Bible Verses about False Gods

Most Relevant Verses

Jeremiah 46:25

Jehovah of Hosts, the God of Israel, says: 'I am going to punish Amon, who is the god of Thebes. I will also punish Pharaoh, Egypt, its gods, its kings, and whoever trusts Pharaoh.'

Exodus 34:13-14

Instead tear down their altars and smash their sacred pillars and cut down their Asherim. Do not worship any other god but Jehovah for his reputation is filled with zeal, and he is a God who demands exclusive devotion.

Deuteronomy 7:5

Deal with them in this way: Destroy their altars and break down their sacred pillars. Cut down their idols and burn them with fire.

Judges 6:25-30

That night Jehovah told Gideon: Take your father's bull and another seven year old bull, tear down your father's altar to Baal, and cut down the symbol of the goddess Asherah, that is beside it. Build a well-constructed altar to Jehovah your God on top of this mound. Take the second bull and burn it as a whole offering. Cut down the symbol of Asherah and use it for firewood. So Gideon took ten of his servants and did what Jehovah instructed him to do. He was afraid of his family and the people in town, so he did it at night.read more.
The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah!

1 Kings 14:15

Jehovah will punish Israel, and she will shake like a reed shaking in a stream. He will uproot the people of Israel from this good land that he gave to their ancestors. He will scatter them beyond the Euphrates River, because they have aroused his anger by making idols of the goddess Asherah.

1 Kings 15:13

He would not let Maacah his mother be queen, because she had made a disgusting image for Asherah. Asa had the obscene image cut down and burned by the Kidron Stream.

1 Kings 16:33

Ahab made an image of Asherah. He did more than all the kings of Israel before him to make Jehovah, the God of Israel, angry.

1 Kings 18:19

Now gather all Israel together before me at Mount Carmel. Also gather the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal who get their food at Jezebel's table.

2 Kings 23:4-7

Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests who served under Hilkiah, and the doorkeepers to remove from Jehovah's Temple all utensils that had been made for Baal, Asherah, and the entire army of heaven. Josiah burned the utensils outside Jerusalem. It was in an open field near the Kidron Brook. Then he carried their ashes to Bethel. He got rid of the pagan priests. The kings of Judah appointed them to sacrifice at the illegal places of worship in the cities of Judah and all around Jerusalem. They had been sacrificing to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations of the zodiac (Mazzalohth Constellation-Job 38:32), and the entire army of heaven. He removed the pole dedicated to the goddess Asherah from the temple. He took it to the Kidron Valley outside Jerusalem. There he burned it in the Kidron Valley, ground it to dust, and threw its ashes on the tombs of the common people.read more.
He tore down the houses of the male temple (cult) prostitutes who were in Jehovah's Temple. This is where women did weaving for Asherah.

Jeremiah 17:2

Even their children remember their altars and their poles (images) dedicated to the goddess Asherah beside large trees on high hills

Micah 5:14

I will remove your (godess) Astarte from your midst. I will destroy your cities.

Judges 2:12-13

They forsook Jehovah God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them. They bowed to them and provoked Jehovah to anger. They forsook Jehovah and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

Judges 10:6

Once again the Israelites did evil against Jehovah by worshiping the Baals and the Astartes. They also worshiped the gods of Syria, of Sidon, of Moab, of Ammon, and of the Philistines. They abandoned Jehovah and stopped worshiping him.

1 Samuel 7:3-4

Samuel told the entire nation of Israel: If you return to Jehovah with all your hearts you must get rid of the foreign gods you have, including the statues of the goddess Astarte. You must dedicate your lives to Jehovah and serve him only. Then he will rescue you from the Philistines. So the Israelites got rid of their idols of Baal and Astarte. They worshiped only Jehovah.

1 Samuel 12:10

Again they cried to Jehovah for help! They said: 'We have sinned, because we turned away from you, Jehovah. We worshiped the idols of the Baals and the Ashtoreth (Greek: Astarte). Rescue us from our enemies. We will worship you!'

1 Samuel 31:10

They put his armor in the temple of their goddesses the Asherahs and fastened his corpse to the wall of Beth Shan.

1 Kings 11:5

Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Milcom, the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

Judges 2:10-13

After those generations were gathered to their fathers (died) another generation followed them. This new generation did not know Jehovah or the works he had done for Israel. The children of Israel did evil in the sight of Jehovah, and served Baalim: They forsook Jehovah God of their fathers, which brought them out of the land of Egypt. They followed other gods, of the gods of the people that were round about them. They bowed to them and provoked Jehovah to anger.read more.
They forsook Jehovah and served Baal and Ashtaroth.

2 Kings 1:1-6

The country of Moab rebelled against Israel after the death of King Ahab of Israel. King Ahaziah of Israel fell off the balcony on the roof of his palace in Samaria and was seriously injured. He sent some messengers and said to them: Go to consult Baalzebub, the god of the Philistine city of Ekron, to find out whether or not I will recover from this. Jehovah's angel commanded Elijah, the prophet from Tishbe, Go and meet the messengers of King Ahaziah. Ask them: 'Why are you going to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Do you think there is no god in Israel?'read more.
Tell the king Jehovah says: 'You will not recover from your injuries. You will in fact die!' Elijah did as Jehovah commanded. The messengers returned to the king. Why have you come back? He asked. They answered: A man told us to come back and tell you that Jehovah says: 'Why are you sending messengers to consult Baalzebub, the god of Ekron? Is it because you think there is no god in Israel? You will not recover from your injuries. You will die!'

Isaiah 46:1

Bel bows down and Nebo stoops low. Their idols are borne by beasts of burden. The images that are carried about are burdensome. They are a burden for the weary.

Jeremiah 50:2

Declare and proclaim among the nations. Proclaim it and lift up a standard. Do not conceal it but say: 'Babylon has been captured. Bel has been put to shame. Marduk has been shattered! Her images have been put to shame and her idols have been shattered.'

Jeremiah 51:44

I will punish Bel in Babylon. I will make Bel spit out everything that it has swallowed. Nations will no longer stream to Babylon. Its walls will fall.

1 Kings 11:7

Then Solomon put up a high place for Chemosh, the disgusting god of Moab, in the mountain near Jerusalem. And for Molech, the disgusting god worshipped by the children of Ammon.

Numbers 21:29

You Moabites are done for! Your god Chemosh deserted your people. They were captured, taken away by King Sihon the Amorite.

1 Kings 11:33

I am going to do this because Solomon has rejected me and has worshiped foreign gods. Astarte, the goddess of Sidon; Chemosh, the god of Moab; and Molech, the god of Ammon. Solomon disobeyed me. He has done wrong! He has not obeyed my laws and commands as his father David did.

2 Kings 23:13

The king made the illegal places of worship east of Jerusalem unclean. They were on the southern part of the Hill of Destruction. King Solomon of Israel built them for Astarte the disgusting goddess of the Sidonians. Also made unclean were references to Chemosh the disgusting god of Moab, and Milcom the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

Jeremiah 48:7

Moab, you trusted in your strength and your wealth, but now even you will be conquered. Your god Chemosh will go into exile, along with his princes and priests.

Judges 16:23

The Philistine kings met together to offer a great sacrifice to their god Dagon. They rejoiced and said: Our god gave us victory over our enemy Samson!

1 Samuel 5:2-7

They brought it into the temple of Dagon and placed it beside Dagon. Early the next day the people of Ashdod saw that Dagon had fallen forward on the ground in front of Jehovah's Ark. So they took Dagon and put him back in his place. But the next morning they saw that Dagon had again fallen forward on the ground in front of Jehovah's Ark. Dagon's head and his two hands were cut off and were lying on the temple's threshold. The rest of Dagon's body was intact.read more.
That is why the priests of Dagon and everyone else who enters Dagon's temple in Ashdod do not step on the temple's threshold, even to this day. Jehovah dealt harshly with the people of Ashdod. He destroyed them by striking the people in the vicinity of Ashdod with tumors. When the people of Ashdod realized what was happening, they said: The Ark of the God of Israel must not stay with us. Their God is dealing harshly with our god Dagon and with us.

1 Chronicles 10:10

They put his armor in the temple of their gods and hung up his head in the temple of Dagon.

1 Kings 11:4-5

When Solomon was old he allowed his heart to be turned away to other gods by his wives. His heart was no longer true to Jehovah his God as the heart of his father David had been. Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the goddess of the Zidonians, and Milcom, the disgusting god of the Ammonites.

Leviticus 20:2-5

Tell the Israelites: 'If Israelites or foreigners living among you give one of their children as a sacrifice to the god Molech, they must be put to death. The common people must stone them to death. I will condemn them and exclude them from the people. They gave one of their children to Molech. They made my holy tent unclean, and dishonored my holy name. If the people of the land ignore those who give their children to Molech and do not put them to death,read more.
I will condemn them and their families. I will exclude them from the people. I will exclude from the people everyone who chases after Molech as if he were a prostitute.

2 Kings 23:10

Josiah also made Topheth in the valley of Ben Hinnom unclean so that people would never again sacrifice their sons or daughters by burning them to the god Molech.

Isaiah 57:9

You went to the king with ointment and much perfume. You sent your messengers far off, and descended even to the grave.

Jeremiah 32:35

In the valley of Ben Hinnom they built worship sites for Baal to sacrifice their sons and daughters to Molech. I did not ask them to do this. It never entered my heart (mind). I did not make Judah sin.'

Jeremiah 49:1

This is what Jehovah says about the people of [AMMON]: Does Israel not have any children? Does it not have any heirs? Why has the god Milcom taken over the inheritance of Gad's descendants? Why do Milcom's people live in Gad's cities?

Zephaniah 1:5

I will remove those who bow down to worship the host of heaven on the housetops and those who bow down and swear to Jehovah and yet swear by Malcolm.

Acts 7:43

Yes, you took up the tabernacle of Moloch, and the star of your god Remphan. You made figures to worship them. I will carry you away beyond Babylon.

Ezekiel 8:14

Then he brought me to the entrance of the gate of Jehovah's house toward the north; and I saw women sitting there weeping for Tammuz (the god).

1 Kings 14:23-24

They built places of worship for false gods. They put up stone pillars and symbols of Asherah to worship on the hills and under shady trees. There were also male (cult) prostitutes in the temples of idols throughout the land. The people of Judah practiced all the disgusting practices done by the nations that Jehovah forced out of the Israelites' way.

1 Kings 19:18

I will leave seven thousand people alive in Israel; all those who are loyal to me and have not bowed to Baal or kissed his idol.

Jeremiah 7:31

They have built the high places of Topheth, which is in the valley of the son of Hinnom, to burn their sons and their daughters in the fire. I did not command this. I would never think of such a thing. (It would not come from my heart.)

Hosea 13:2

They sin more and more. They make idols from silver for themselves. These idols are skillfully made. All of them are the work of craftsmen. People say this about the Israelites: They offer sacrifices and kiss calf-shaped idols.

Judges 6:28-32

The people in town got up early the next morning. They found that the altar to Baal and the symbol of Asherah had been cut down. The second bull had been burned on the altar that was built there. They asked each other: Who did this? They investigated and found out that Gideon, son of Joash, did it. They said to Joash: Bring your son here. We will kill him! He tore down the altar to Baal and cut down the symbol of Asherah!read more.
Joash replied: Are you arguing for Baal? Are you defending him? Anyone who argues for him will be killed before morning. If Baal really is a god he can defend himself. It is his altar that was torn down. From then on Gideon was known as Jerubbaal, because Joash said: Let Baal defend himself for his altar was torn down.

1 Kings 18:17-40

Ahab saw Elijah. He said: Is it you, Israel's troublemaker? Then he said in answer: I have not made trouble for Israel. You and your family have. You have disobeyed Jehovah's commands and have gone after the Baals. Now gather all Israel together before me at Mount Carmel. Also gather the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal who get their food at Jezebel's table.read more.
So Ahab sent for all the children of Israel, and assembled the prophets together at Mount Carmel. Elijah came near to all the people and said: How long will you balance (bounce back and forth) between two opinions? If Jehovah is God, then give worship to him. If Baal is, give worship to him. The people did not answer him. Then Elijah said to the people: I, even I, am the only living prophet of Jehovah but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them give us two bulls. Let them take one for themselves and have it cut up, and put it on the wood, but put no fire under it. I will get the other bull ready, and put it on the wood, and put no fire under it. You pray to your god and I will pray to Jehovah. The God who answers with fire is God! All the people answered: It is well said. Then Elijah said to the prophets of Baal: Take one bull for yourselves and get it ready first, for there are so many of you; and make your prayers to your god, but do not light the fire. So they took the bull that was given them, and made it ready. They cried out to Baal from morning till the middle of the day. They said: O Baal, give ear to us. But there was no voice and no answer. They jumped up and down before the altar they had made. In the middle of the day, Elijah made sport of them, saying: Give louder cries, for he is a god; he may be deep in thought. He may have gone away for some purpose. Perhaps he is on a journey. By chance he is sleeping and must be woke up. So they gave loud cries and they cut themselves with knives and swords till the blood came streaming out all over them. They went on with their prayers from midday till the time of the offering; but there was no voice, or any answer, or any who gave attention to them. Then Elijah said to all the people: Come near to me. Then all the people came near. He repaired the altar of Jehovah that was broken down. Elijah took twelve stones, the number of the tribes of the sons of Jacob, to whom Jehovah said: Israel will be your name. He used the stones to make an altar to the name of Jehovah. He dug a trench around the altar, large enough to hold two seahs of seed. He put the wood in order and cut the bull in pieces and laid it on there. Then he said: Get four vessels full of water and put it on the burned offering and on the wood. Do it a second time, and they did it a second time. Then he said: Get four vessels full of water and put it on the burned offering and on the wood. Do it a second time They did it a second time. Then he said: Do it a third time and they did it a third time. The water went all round the altar until the drain was full. Then at the time of the offering, Elijah the prophet came near and said, Jehovah, the God of Abraham, of Isaac, and of Israel, let it be seen this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things by your order. Give me an answer, O Jehovah. Give me an answer so that this people may see that you are God. That you have made their hearts come back again. Then the fire of Jehovah came down. It burned up the offering and the wood and the stones and the dust, and drinking up the water in the drain. When the people saw it, they all went down on their faces. They said: Jehovah is God! Jehovah is God! Elijah said to them: Take the prophets of Baal. Do not let one of them get away. So they took them, and Elijah made them go down to the stream Kishon, and executed them there.

2 Kings 10:18-28

Jehu assembled all the people and said to them: Ahab was Baal's servant in a small way, but Jehu will be his servant on a great scale. Now send for all the prophets of Baal, all his servants and priests, to come to me. Let no one stay away for I have a great offering to make to Baal. Anyone who is not present will be put to death. Jehu did this with deceit. It was his purpose to destroy the servants of Baal. Jehu said: Let there be a special holy meeting for the worship of Baal. So a public statement was made.read more.
Jehu sent through all Israel; and all the servants of Baal came, not one kept away. They entered the house of Baal. It was full from one end to the other end. Jehu said to the keeper of the robes: Get out robes for all the servants of Baal. So he got out robes for them. Jehu, with Jehonadab, the son of Rechab, went into the house of Baal. He said to the servants of Baal: Make a search with care, to see that no servant of Jehovah is with you, but only servants of Baal. They went in to make offerings and burned offerings. Jehu put eighty men outside. He told them: If any man whom I give into your hands escapes, he who lets him go will forfeit his own life for that life. As soon as he finished offering the burned offering Jehu said to the armed men and the captains: Go in and put them to death! Do not let one come out! So they put them to the sword. Pulling the images to the ground, they went into the holy place of the house of Baal. They removed the image of Asherah from the house of Baal and burned it. The altar of Baal was pulled down and the house of Baal was broken up and made an unclean place, as it is to this day. Jehu put an end to the worship of Baal in Israel.

2 Kings 11:18

The people went to the temple of Baal and tore it down. They smashed the altars and the idols, and killed Mattan, the priest of Baal, in front of the altars. Jehoiada put guards on duty at the Temple,

2 Kings 23:4-5

Then the king ordered the high priest Hilkiah, the priests who served under Hilkiah, and the doorkeepers to remove from Jehovah's Temple all utensils that had been made for Baal, Asherah, and the entire army of heaven. Josiah burned the utensils outside Jerusalem. It was in an open field near the Kidron Brook. Then he carried their ashes to Bethel. He got rid of the pagan priests. The kings of Judah appointed them to sacrifice at the illegal places of worship in the cities of Judah and all around Jerusalem. They had been sacrificing to Baal, the sun god, the moon god, the constellations of the zodiac (Mazzalohth Constellation-Job 38:32), and the entire army of heaven.

2 Kings 21:3

He built the high places that Hezekiah his father destroyed. He made altars for Baal. Then he made an Asherah as Ahab, king of Israel, had done. Manasseh was a worshipper and servant of all the stars of heaven.

2 Chronicles 28:1-4

Ahaz was twenty years old when he began to rule. He ruled for sixteen years in Jerusalem. He did not do what Jehovah considered right, as his ancestor David had done. He followed the example of the kings of Israel. He even made metal idols for worshiping other gods such as the Baals. He burned sacrifices in the valley of Ben Hinnom. He sacrificed his son by burning him alive. This was one of the disgusting things done by the nations that Jehovah had driven out from the land Israel possessed.read more.
He offered sacrifices and burned incense as an offering at the illegal worship sites on hills and under every large tree.

Hosea 13:1-2

When the tribe of Ephraim spoke, people trembled. The people of Ephraim were important in Israel. Then they became guilty of worshiping Baal, so they must die. They sin more and more. They make idols from silver for themselves. These idols are skillfully made. All of them are the work of craftsmen. People say this about the Israelites: They offer sacrifices and kiss calf-shaped idols.

Daniel 3:29

Therefore I decree that the people of any nation or language who say anything against the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego, shall be cut into pieces. Their houses shall be made a dunghill. There is no other god that is able to deliver like this.

Psalm 4:2

O sons of men, how long will my glorious honor be turned into shame? How long will you love empty, worthless things and search for the lie?

Jeremiah 13:25

This is your fate, the destiny I have planned for you, proclaims Jehovah. You have forgotten me and trusted in false gods.

Jeremiah 16:19

Jehovah is my strength and my fortress, my refuge in times of trouble. Nations come to you from the most distant parts of the world and say: Our ancestors have inherited lies, worthless and unprofitable gods.

Amos 2:4

Jehovah continued: I will not withdraw punishment for the many transgressions of Judah. For they have rejected the Law of Jehovah! They have not kept his statutes. Their lies have led them astray, those after which their fathers walked.

Zephaniah 1:4

I will use my power against Judah and against the inhabitants of Jerusalem. I will destroy followers of Baal in this place. I will remove the names of the pagan (idolatrous) priests along with my priests.

Acts 14:12

They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker.

Acts 19:24-28

A man named Demetrius, a silversmith made silver shrines of Diana. He brought a lot of business to the craftsmen. They gathered together along with similar related workmen, and said: Sirs, You know we receive a good income from this business. You see and hear that Paul, in Ephesus and throughout all Asia, has persuaded and turned away many people. He says that man-made gods are no gods at all.read more.
There is danger that our trade will lose its good name. The temple of the great goddess Artemis (Diana) would then become useless. The goddess who is worshiped in all Asia would be robbed of her divine majesty. When they heard this they were filled with anger. They shouted: Great is Artemis of the Ephesians.

Acts 28:11

After three months we sailed on an Alexandrian ship that wintered at the island. The ship had the gods Castor and Pollux carved on its front.

Acts 12:21-22

Dressed in royal apparel, Herod delivered a public address to the people on a special day. The people shouted: It is the voice of a god, and not of a man.

Acts 14:12-15

They called Barnabas, Jupiter; and Paul, Mercurius, because he was the chief speaker. Then the priest of Jupiter whose temple was there in the city, brought cattle and garlands to the gates, and would have done sacrifice with the people. When the apostles, Barnabas and Paul, heard of it, they ripped their clothes, and ran in among the people.read more.
They said: Sirs, why do you do these things? We are only men like you. We bring you good news. You should turn from these worthless things to the living God. He is the God who made heaven and earth, the sea and all things.

Acts 28:6

The people were waiting for him to swell up or suddenly drop dead. They waited a long time and saw nothing unusual happen to him. They changed their minds and said he was a god.

From Thematic Bible


Judgments » Inflicted upon » False gods

Exodus 12:12

Jehovah said: That night I will go through the land of Egypt. I will strike down all the firstborn in the land of Egypt, both man and beast. I will execute judgments against all the gods of Egypt! I am Jehovah!

Numbers 33:4

The Egyptians buried all their firstborn sons, whom Jehovah had killed in a mighty act of judgment on their gods.

Punishment » Death penalty » Mosaic law » Sacrificing » False gods

worldly Snares » False gods

Exodus 23:33

Do not allow them to live in your land for they will make you sin against me. If you serve their gods it will be a snare to you.

Temptation » Special sources of worldly snares » False gods

Exodus 23:33

Do not allow them to live in your land for they will make you sin against me. If you serve their gods it will be a snare to you.

Topics on False Gods

Bowing To False Gods

2 Kings 17:35

Jehovah made an agreement with them and gave them orders, saying: You are to have no other gods. You are not to worship them or be their servants or make them offerings.

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