Deuteronomy 16:22
New International Version
and do not erect a sacred stone, for these the LORD your God hates.

New Living Translation
And never set up sacred pillars for worship, for the LORD your God hates them.

English Standard Version
And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

Berean Standard Bible
and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

King James Bible
Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

New King James Version
You shall not set up a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

New American Standard Bible
And you shall not set up for yourself a memorial stone, which the LORD your God hates.

NASB 1995
“You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the LORD your God hates.

NASB 1977
“Neither shall you set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the LORD your God hates.

Legacy Standard Bible
And you shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which Yahweh your God hates.

Amplified Bible
You shall not set up for yourself a sacred pillar which the LORD your God hates.

Christian Standard Bible
and do not set up a sacred pillar; the LORD your God hates them.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
and do not set up a sacred pillar; the LORD your God hates them.”

American Standard Version
Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar; which Jehovah thy God hateth.

Contemporary English Version
And don't set up a sacred stone! The LORD hates these things.

English Revised Version
Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar; which the LORD thy God hateth.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Never set up a sacred stone. These are things the LORD your God hates.

Good News Translation
And do not set up any stone pillar for idol worship; the LORD hates them.

International Standard Version
Furthermore, you are not to erect for yourselves a sacred stone pillar, because the LORD your God detests these things.

Majority Standard Bible
and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

NET Bible
You must not erect a sacred pillar, a thing the LORD your God detests.

New Heart English Bible
Neither shall you set yourself up a pillar; which the LORD your God hates.

Webster's Bible Translation
Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth.

World English Bible
Neither shall you set yourself up a sacred stone which Yahweh your God hates.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and you do not raise up any standing image for yourself which your God YHWH is hating.”

Young's Literal Translation
and thou dost not raise up to thee any standing image which Jehovah thy God is hating.

Smith's Literal Translation
And thou shalt not set up to thee a pillar, which Jehovah thy God hates.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
Neither shalt thou make nor set up to thyself a statue: which things the Lord thy God hateth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
you shall neither make nor set up for yourself a statue. These things the Lord your God hates.”

New American Bible
nor shall you erect a sacred pillar, such as the LORD, your God, hates.

New Revised Standard Version
nor shall you set up a stone pillar—things that the LORD your God hates.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
Neither shall you set up for yourselves any statue, which the LORD your God hates.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And you shall not set up as a monument for yourself anything that LORD JEHOVAH your God hates.”
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
Neither shalt thou set thee up a pillar, which the LORD thy God hateth.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
Thou shalt not set up for thyself a pillar, which the Lord thy God hates.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Forbidden Forms of Worship
21Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God, 22and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.

Cross References
Exodus 20:4
You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above, on the earth below, or in the waters beneath.

Leviticus 26:1
“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.

Deuteronomy 7:5
Instead, this is what you are to do to them: tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, cut down their Asherah poles, and burn their idols in the fire.

Deuteronomy 12:3
Tear down their altars, smash their sacred pillars, burn up their Asherah poles, cut down the idols of their gods, and wipe out their names from every place.

1 Kings 14:23
They also built for themselves high places, sacred pillars, and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

2 Kings 17:10
They set up for themselves sacred pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree.

Isaiah 44:9-20
All makers of idols are nothing, and the things they treasure are worthless. Their witnesses fail to see or comprehend, so they are put to shame. / Who fashions a god or casts an idol which profits him nothing? / Behold, all his companions will be put to shame, for the craftsmen themselves are only human. Let them all assemble and take their stand; they will all be brought to terror and shame. ...

Jeremiah 10:3-5
For the customs of the peoples are worthless; they cut down a tree from the forest; it is shaped with a chisel by the hands of a craftsman. / They adorn it with silver and gold and fasten it with hammer and nails, so that it will not totter. / Like scarecrows in a cucumber patch, their idols cannot speak. They must be carried because they cannot walk. Do not fear them, for they can do no harm, and neither can they do any good.”

Hosea 10:1-2
Israel was a luxuriant vine, yielding fruit for himself. The more his fruit increased, the more he increased the altars. The better his land produced, the better he made the sacred pillars. / Their hearts are devious; now they must bear their guilt. The LORD will break down their altars and demolish their sacred pillars.

Micah 5:13
I will also cut off the carved images and sacred pillars from among you, so that you will no longer bow down to the work of your own hands.

Acts 17:29
Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination.

Romans 1:23
and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 10:14
Therefore, my beloved, flee from idolatry.

2 Corinthians 6:16
What agreement can exist between the temple of God and idols? For we are the temple of the living God. As God has said: “I will dwell with them and walk among them, and I will be their God, and they will be My people.”

Galatians 5:19-21
The acts of the flesh are obvious: sexual immorality, impurity, and debauchery; / idolatry and sorcery; hatred, discord, jealousy, and rage; rivalries, divisions, factions, / and envy; drunkenness, orgies, and the like. I warn you, as I did before, that those who practice such things will not inherit the kingdom of God.


Treasury of Scripture

Neither shall you set you up any image; which the LORD your God hates.

image.

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:

Leviticus 26:1
Ye shall make you no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am the LORD your God.

which

Deuteronomy 12:31
Thou shalt not do so unto the LORD thy God: for every abomination to the LORD, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods.

Jeremiah 44:4
Howbeit I sent unto you all my servants the prophets, rising early and sending them, saying, Oh, do not this abominable thing that I hate.

Zechariah 8:17
And let none of you imagine evil in your hearts against his neighbour; and love no false oath: for all these are things that I hate, saith the LORD.

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Deuteronomy 16
1. The feast of the Passover
9. of weeks
13. of tabernacles
16. Every male must offer, as he is able, at these three feasts
18. Of judges and justice
21. Asherah poles and images are forbidden














and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar
In ancient Near Eastern cultures, sacred pillars, or standing stones, were often erected as objects of worship or as memorials to deities. These pillars were typically associated with pagan religious practices, which were prevalent among the Canaanites and other neighboring peoples. The Israelites were commanded to avoid such practices to maintain purity in their worship of Yahweh. The prohibition against sacred pillars underscores the importance of worshiping God in the manner He prescribed, without adopting the idolatrous customs of surrounding nations. This command reflects the broader biblical theme of separating from pagan practices, as seen in Exodus 23:24 and Leviticus 26:1.

which the LORD your God hates
The use of the word "hates" indicates the strong disapproval God has for idolatry and practices associated with it. This reflects God's desire for exclusive worship and His intolerance for any form of idolatry, which is a recurring theme throughout the Old Testament. The phrase emphasizes God's holiness and the need for His people to remain distinct from the nations around them. This sentiment is echoed in other scriptures, such as Deuteronomy 7:25-26, where God commands the destruction of idols and warns against bringing detestable things into one's home. The strong language serves as a reminder of the seriousness of idolatry and the importance of faithfulness to God.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The author of Deuteronomy, delivering God's laws and instructions to the Israelites.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, receiving the law as they prepare to enter the Promised Land.

3. Canaan
The land the Israelites are about to enter, where pagan practices were prevalent.

4. Sacred Pillar
A stone monument often used in pagan worship, which God explicitly forbids.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The one true God who commands exclusive worship and detests idolatry.
Teaching Points
God's Hatred of Idolatry
God explicitly states His hatred for sacred pillars, which were associated with pagan worship. This underscores the seriousness of idolatry and the need for purity in worship.

Exclusive Worship
The commandment highlights the importance of worshiping God alone, without mixing pagan practices. Believers today must guard against modern forms of idolatry.

Cultural Influence
The Israelites were warned against adopting the practices of the surrounding nations. Christians must be vigilant about cultural influences that can lead them away from true worship.

Obedience to God's Commands
Obedience to God's commands is a demonstration of love and reverence for Him. Believers are called to follow God's Word, even when it contradicts societal norms.

Spiritual Discernment
Understanding the spiritual significance of God's commands helps believers discern what is pleasing to Him. This requires studying Scripture and seeking the Holy Spirit's guidance.(22) Image.--Explained by Rashi of a single stone, whether statue or pillar.

Verse 22. - Any image; any pillar, etc. The Hebrew word (מַצֵבָה, mazzebah) denotes generally any pillar or stone that is set up, whether as a memorial (Genesis 28:18), or as a sign (Exodus 24:4; Isaiah 19:19), or for purposes of utility or ornament (Jeremiah 43:13). Here, as in other passages, it is a pillar or statue set up as an object of worship (cf. 2 Kings 3:2; 2 Kings 10:26; Hosea 10:1; Micah 5:12).



Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
and do not
וְלֹֽא־ (wə·lō-)
Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

set up
תָקִ֥ים (ṯā·qîm)
Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6965: To arise, stand up, stand

for yourselves
לְךָ֖ (lə·ḵā)
Preposition | second person masculine singular
Strong's Hebrew

a sacred pillar,
מַצֵּבָ֑ה (maṣ·ṣê·ḇāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 4676: Something stationed, a column, an idol

which
אֲשֶׁ֥ר (’ă·šer)
Pronoun - relative
Strong's 834: Who, which, what, that, when, where, how, because, in order that

the LORD
יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh)
Noun - proper - masculine singular
Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel

your God
אֱלֹהֶֽיךָ׃ (’ĕ·lō·he·ḵā)
Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

hates.
שָׂנֵ֖א (śā·nê)
Verb - Qal - Perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 8130: To hate


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 16:22 Neither shall you set yourself up (Deut. De Du)
Deuteronomy 16:21
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