King James Version:
(The Lord speaking is red text)
Lest ye corrupt [yourselves], and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Complete Jewish Bible:
do not become corrupt and make yourselves a carved image having the shape of any figure - not a representation of a human being, male or female,
Berean Standard Bible:
that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,
American Standard Version:
lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
KJV with Strong’s Numbers:
Lest ye corrupt{H7843} yourselves, and make{H6213} you a graven image{H6459}, the similitude{H8544} of any figure{H5566}, the likeness{H8403} of male{H2145} or female{H5347},
Cross-References (KJV):
Acts 17:29
- Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.
Romans 1:22
- Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
Romans 1:24
- Wherefore God also gave them up to uncleanness through the lusts of their own hearts, to dishonour their own bodies between themselves:
Deuteronomy 4:23
- Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, [or] the likeness of any [thing], which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
Exodus 20:4
- Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the water under the earth:
Exodus 20:5
- Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God [am] a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth [generation] of them that hate me;
Deuteronomy 5:8
- Thou shalt not make thee [any] graven image, [or] any likeness [of any thing] that [is] in heaven above, or that [is] in the earth beneath, or that [is] in the waters beneath the earth:
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Commentary for Deuteronomy 4:16
Deuteronomy 4:16 is part of the speech Moses gives to the Israelites as they are encamped on the plains of Moab, preparing to enter the Promised Land. This verse is situated within the larger context of the giving of the Law, where Moses is reiterating the Ten Commandments and expanding upon the Law that God has given to the Israelites at Mount Sinai.
**Themes:**
1. **Idolatry Avoidance:** The primary theme of this verse is a warning against idolatry. Moses emphasizes the importance of not worshipping false gods or creating idols, which is a recurring commandment throughout the Pentateuch.
2. **Purity of Worship:** The verse underscores the need for the Israelites to maintain the purity of their worship of Yahweh, the one true God, and to avoid syncretism with the religious practices of the surrounding nations.
3. **Invisible and Holy God:** The prohibition against graven images reflects the aniconic tradition of Israelite religion, which insists on the invisibility and holiness of God, who cannot be represented by any physical form.
4. **Moral Corruption:** The verse suggests that the act of creating and worshipping idols leads to moral corruption, implying that false worship has a detrimental effect on the moral and spiritual integrity of the people.
**Historical Context:**
The historical context of Deuteronomy 4:16 is the period of the Exodus, around the 13th century BCE. The Israelites have been wandering in the wilderness for 40 years after their exodus from Egypt and are about to enter the land of Canaan. This new generation is being instructed in the Law so that they will live according to God's covenant once they are in the land.
The command not to make graven images would have been particularly pertinent as the Israelites were about to encounter the religious practices of the Canaanites, which included the worship of various deities represented by statues and other symbols. The warning in Deuteronomy 4:16 serves to reinforce the uniqueness of Israel's God and the distinctive nature of Israel's worship practices in contrast to those of their neighbors.
In summary, Deuteronomy 4:16 is a directive to the Israelites to refrain from making idols, which is both a theological statement about the nature of God and a practical guideline to prevent the Israelites from adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding cultures as they prepare to inhabit the Promised Land.
*This commentary is produced by Microsoft/WizardLM-2-8x22B AI model
Strong's Numbers and Definitions:
Note: H = Hebrew (OT), G = Greek (NT)
- Strong's Number: H7843
There are 136 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: שָׁחַת
Transliteration: shâchath
Pronunciation: shaw-khath'
Description: a primitive root; to decay, i.e. (causatively) ruin (literally or figuratively); batter, cast off, corrupt(-er, thing), destroy(-er, -uction), lose, mar, perish, spill, spoiler, [idiom] utterly, waste(-r). - Strong's Number: H6213
There are 2286 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: עָשָׂה
Transliteration: ʻâsâh
Pronunciation: aw-saw'
Description: a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest application; accomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, [phrase] feast, (fight-) ing man, [phrase] finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go about, govern, grant, great, [phrase] hinder, hold (a feast), [idiom] indeed, [phrase] be industrious, [phrase] journey, keep, labour, maintain, make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, [phrase] officer, pare, bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure, provide, put, requite, [idiom] sacrifice, serve, set, shew, [idiom] sin, spend, [idiom] surely, take, [idiom] thoroughly, trim, [idiom] very, [phrase] vex, be (warr-) ior, work(-man), yield, use. - Strong's Number: H6459
There are 31 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: פֶּסֶל
Transliteration: peçel
Pronunciation: peh'-sel
Description: lemma פֶסֶל missing dagesh, corrected to פֶּסֶל; from פָּסַל; an idol; carved (graven) image. - Strong's Number: H8544
There are 10 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תְּמוּנָה
Transliteration: tᵉmûwnâh
Pronunciation: tem-oo-naw'
Description: or תְּמֻנָה; from מִין; something portioned (i.e. fashioned) out, as ashape, i.e. (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively) manifestation (of favor); image, likeness, similitude. - Strong's Number: H5566
There are 5 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: סֶמֶל
Transliteration: çemel
Pronunciation: seh'-mel
Description: or סֵמֶל; from an unused root meaning to resemble; a likeness; figure, idol, image. - Strong's Number: H8403
There are 17 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: תַּבְנִית
Transliteration: tabnîyth
Pronunciation: tab-neeth'
Description: from בָּנָה; structure; by implication, a model, resemblance; figure, form, likeness, pattern, similitude. - Strong's Number: H2145
There are 80 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: זָכָר
Transliteration: zâkâr
Pronunciation: zaw-kawr'
Description: from זָכַר; properly, remembered, i.e. a male (of man or animals, as being the most noteworthy sex); [idiom] him, male, man(child, -kind). - Strong's Number: H5347
There are 22 instances of this translation in the Bible
Lemma: נְקֵבָה
Transliteration: nᵉqêbâh
Pronunciation: nek-ay-baw'
Description: from נָקַב; female (from the sexual form); female.