Exodus 34:17

Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Thou shalt make {H6213} thee no molten {H4541} gods {H430}.

"Do not cast metal gods for yourselves.

You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.

Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Commentary

Context of Exodus 34:17

Exodus 34:17 is part of a crucial passage where God renews His covenant with Israel after the devastating incident of the Golden Calf. Moses is once again on Mount Sinai, receiving a second set of tablets bearing the Ten Commandments, replacing those he broke in righteous anger. This verse, therefore, serves as a powerful reiteration and reinforcement of the first two commandments given earlier in Exodus 20, specifically emphasizing the prohibition against idolatry, which Israel had so recently and spectacularly violated. It underscores God's singular demand for exclusive worship from His covenant people.

Key Themes in Exodus 34:17

  • Monotheism and Exclusivity: The command "Thou shalt make thee no molten gods" firmly establishes that the Lord God is the only true God worthy of worship. He tolerates no rivals and demands absolute devotion from His people, setting Israel apart from the polytheistic nations around them.
  • Prohibition of Idolatry: This verse directly forbids the creation of any physical representation of deity for worship. "Molten gods" refers to idols cast from melted metal, highlighting their man-made, inanimate nature in stark contrast to the living, active God of Israel. Such images imply human control or manipulation of the divine, which is an affront to God's sovereignty.
  • Covenant Faithfulness: Adhering to this command is a fundamental aspect of Israel's faithfulness to the covenant. Disregarding it signifies a rejection of God's authority and a breach of the sacred relationship He initiated with them.

Linguistic Insight

The phrase "molten gods" translates from the Hebrew massekah elohim. Massekah specifically refers to something "cast" or "poured," typically from metal. This emphasizes that these are human creations, fashioned by human hands, and therefore possess no inherent power or divinity. They are lifeless objects, utterly incapable of hearing, seeing, or saving, unlike the active and omnipotent God of Israel. This term highlights the absurdity of worshipping something that is itself a product of human labor and imagination.

Practical Application for Today

While few today might literally cast idols from metal, the spirit of this commandment remains profoundly relevant. Modern idolatry often takes more subtle forms. Anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts, demanding our ultimate loyalty, time, and devotion, can become a "molten god." This could include:

  • Material Possessions: An excessive pursuit of wealth, luxury, or consumer goods.
  • Status and Power: Ambition that overrides moral principles or love for others.
  • Relationships: Placing another person or a relationship above God.
  • Self-Worship: An inflated ego or focus on personal gratification that excludes God's will.
  • Technology or Entertainment: Anything that consumes our attention and distracts us from spiritual pursuits.

Exodus 34:17 calls us to examine our lives and identify anything that competes with God for supremacy. It reminds us that true worship involves giving God His rightful place as the sole object of our adoration, trusting in Him alone, and seeking to worship Him in spirit and in truth.

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Cross-References

  • Leviticus 19:4

    Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I [am] the LORD your God.

  • Exodus 32:8

    They have turned aside quickly out of the way which I commanded them: they have made them a molten calf, and have worshipped it, and have sacrificed thereunto, and said, These [be] thy gods, O Israel, which have brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.

  • Isaiah 46:6

    They lavish gold out of the bag, and weigh silver in the balance, [and] hire a goldsmith; and he maketh it a god: they fall down, yea, they worship.

  • Isaiah 46:7

    They bear him upon the shoulder, they carry him, and set him in his place, and he standeth; from his place shall he not remove: yea, [one] shall cry unto him, yet can he not answer, nor save him out of his trouble.

  • Jeremiah 10:14

    Every man is brutish in [his] knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image [is] falsehood, and [there is] no breath in them.

  • Acts 19:26

    Moreover ye see and hear, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath persuaded and turned away much people, saying that they be no gods, which are made with hands:

  • 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.