Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “You shall not make for yourself an image in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. New Living Translation “You must not make for yourself an idol of any kind, or an image of anything in the heavens or on the earth or in the sea. English Standard Version “‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Berean Standard Bible 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. King James Bible 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: New King James Version ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; New American Standard Bible ‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. NASB 1995 You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. NASB 1977 ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. Legacy Standard Bible ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol—any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. Amplified Bible ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol [as an object to worship], or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. Christian Standard Bible Do not make an idol for yourself in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. Holman Christian Standard Bible Do not make an idol for yourself in the shape of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters under the earth. American Standard Version Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Contemporary English Version Do not make idols that look like anything in the sky or on earth or in the ocean under the earth. English Revised Version Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, the likeness of any form that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: GOD'S WORD® Translation Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water. Good News Translation "'Do not make for yourselves images of anything in heaven or on earth or in the water under the earth. International Standard Version "You are not to make for yourselves a carved image resembling any form in the heavens above, on earth below, or in the waters under the earth. Majority Standard Bible 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. NET Bible You must not make for yourself an image of anything in heaven above, on earth below, or in the waters beneath. New Heart English Bible "Do not make an engraved image for yourself, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on the earth below, or that is in the waters below the earth. Webster's Bible Translation Thou shalt not make for thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth: World English Bible “You shall not make a carved image for yourself—any likeness of what is in heaven above, or what is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYou do not make a carved image for yourself, any likeness which [is] in the heavens above, or which [is] in the earth beneath, or which [is] in the waters under the earth. Young's Literal Translation Thou dost not make to thee a graven image, any similitude which is in the heavens above, and which is in the earth beneath, and which is in the waters under the earth; Smith's Literal Translation Thou shalt not make to thee a carved thing, any appearance that is in the heavens from above, and which is in the earth underneath, and that is in the waters under the earth: Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any things, that are in heaven above, or that are in the earth beneath, or that abide in the waters under the earth. Catholic Public Domain Version You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor the likeness of anything, which is in heaven above, or on earth below, or which abides in the waters under the earth. New American Bible You shall not make for yourself an idol or a likeness of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath the earth; New Revised Standard Version You shall not make for yourself an idol, whether in the form of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYou shall not make for yourself any graven image or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is on the earth beneath, or that is in the waters under the earth; Peshitta Holy Bible Translated You shall not make for yourselves any image or any form that is in the sky from above or that is in the earth from beneath or that is in the water beneath the land. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, even any manner of 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. Brenton Septuagint Translation Thou shalt not make to thyself an image, nor likeness of any thing, whatever things are in the heaven above, and whatever are in the earth beneath, and whatever are in the waters under the earth. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context The Ten Commandments…7You shall have no other gods before Me. 8You 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. 9You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me,… 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. 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. ... Psalm 115:4-8 Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; they have noses, but cannot smell; ... Psalm 135:15-18 The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men. / They have mouths, but cannot speak; they have eyes, but cannot see; / they have ears, but cannot hear; nor is there breath in their mouths. ... 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.” 1 Kings 14:9 You have done more evil than all who came before you. You have proceeded to make for yourself other gods and molten images to provoke Me, and you have flung Me behind your back. 2 Kings 17:16 They abandoned all the commandments of the LORD their God and made for themselves two cast idols of calves and an Asherah pole. They bowed down to all the host of heaven and served Baal. 2 Chronicles 33:7 Manasseh even took the carved image he had made and set it up in the house of God, of which God had said to David and his son Solomon, “In this temple and in Jerusalem, which I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I will establish My Name forever. Isaiah 40:18-20 To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him? / To an idol that a craftsman casts and a metalworker overlays with gold and fits with silver chains? / One lacking such an offering chooses wood that will not rot. He seeks a skilled craftsman to set up an idol that will not topple. 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. 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Revelation 9:20 Now the rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the works of their hands. They did not stop worshiping demons and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone, and wood, which cannot see or hear or walk. Treasury of Scripture You shall not make you 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: graven image Deuteronomy 4:15-19 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that the LORD spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: … 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: Jump to Previous Below Beneath Earth Engraved Heaven Heavens Idol Image Likeness Manner Similitude Thyself Water Waters YourselvesJump to Next Below Beneath Earth Engraved Heaven Heavens Idol Image Likeness Manner Similitude Thyself Water Waters YourselvesDeuteronomy 5 1. The covenant in Horeb6. The ten commandments 23. At the people's request Moses receives the law from God You shall not make for yourself an idol This commandment is part of the Decalogue, given to Moses on Mount Sinai. It emphasizes the prohibition against idolatry, a prevalent practice among the surrounding nations of Israel, such as Egypt and Canaan. Idolatry involves creating physical representations of deities, which was common in ancient Near Eastern religions. This commandment underscores the monotheistic nature of the Israelite faith, distinguishing it from polytheistic cultures. The prohibition reflects God's desire for His people to worship Him in spirit and truth, without reliance on physical images. This command is reiterated in the New Testament, where believers are warned against idolatry in any form (1 John 5:21). in the form of anything in the heavens above on the earth below or in the waters beneath Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and delivered them to the people. 2. Israelites The chosen people of God, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and were given the Law to guide their covenant relationship with God. 3. Mount Sinai The mountain where Moses received the Ten Commandments from God, a significant event in the history of Israel. 4. The Ten Commandments A set of laws given by God to the Israelites, forming the foundation of their covenant relationship with Him. 5. Canaan The Promised Land that the Israelites were journeying towards, where they would need to remain faithful to God amidst surrounding pagan cultures. Teaching Points Understanding IdolatryIdolatry is not just the worship of physical images but can also include anything that takes the place of God in our hearts and lives. God's Uniqueness This commandment underscores the uniqueness and holiness of God, who alone is worthy of worship. Cultural Influence The Israelites were surrounded by cultures that practiced idolatry, and this command served as a safeguard against adopting those practices. Modern Idolatry In today's context, idolatry can manifest in the form of materialism, career, relationships, or anything that becomes more important than God. Faithfulness to God Remaining faithful to God requires vigilance and a commitment to prioritize Him above all else in our lives.Verses 8-10. - Here the spirituality of God is asserted, and, in the prohibition of the use of images in the worship of the Deity, all idolatry is denounced, and all deification of the powers of nature in any sense is prohibited. By the Jews, this commandment was not always regarded, for they were not infrequently seduced into following the idolatrous usages of the nations around them. It does not appear, however, that, though they set up images of the idol-gods whom they were thus led to worship, they ever attempted to represent by image or picture the great God whom their fathers worshipped - Jehovah - by whom this command was given; and at a later period, when they had long renounced all idolatry, they became noted as the one nation that adored the Deity as a spirit, without any sensible representation of him: "Judaei mente sola unumque Numen intelligunt... igitur nulla simulacra urbibus suis, nedum temples sinunt" (Tacit., 'Hist.,' 5:5). It appears that, by many of them at least, the commandment was regarded as prohibiting absolutely the graphic and plastic arts (Philo, 'Quis Rer. Div. Haer. sit.,' p. 496, edit. Mangey; ' De Ebriet.,' p. 374; ' De Gigant.,' p. 270). This may account for the low state of these arts among the Jews, and for the fact that they alone of the civilized nations of antiquity have left no monuments of art for the instruction or admiration of posterity. Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them; LXX., προσκυνήσιες αὐτοῖς οὐδὲ μή λατρεύσης αὐτοῖς. Every kind of worship of images is forbidden, alike that of proskunesis and that of latria. And showing mercy unto thousands; i.e. to the thousandth generation (cf. Deuteronomy 7:9) Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You shall notלֹֽ֣א־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no make תַעֲשֶׂ֥ה־ (ṯa·‘ă·śeh-) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 6213: To do, make for yourself לְךָ֥֣ (lə·ḵā) Preposition | second person masculine singular Strong's Hebrew an idol פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ (p̄e·sel) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 6459: An idol, image in the form תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה (tə·mū·nāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 8544: Something portioned, out, as a, shape, phantom, embodiment, manifestation of anything כָּל־ (kāl-) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every in the heavens בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ (baš·šā·ma·yim) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky above מִמַּ֔֡עַל (mim·ma·‘al) Preposition-m | Adverb Strong's 4605: The upper part, with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top or on the earth בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ (bā·’ā·reṣ) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular Strong's 776: Earth, land beneath מִתָּ֑֜חַת (mit·tā·ḥaṯ) Preposition-m | Adverb Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of or in the waters בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ (bam·ma·yim) Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen below. מִתַּ֥֣חַת (mit·ta·ḥaṯ) Preposition-m Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of Links Deuteronomy 5:8 NIVDeuteronomy 5:8 NLT Deuteronomy 5:8 ESV Deuteronomy 5:8 NASB Deuteronomy 5:8 KJV Deuteronomy 5:8 BibleApps.com Deuteronomy 5:8 Biblia Paralela Deuteronomy 5:8 Chinese Bible Deuteronomy 5:8 French Bible Deuteronomy 5:8 Catholic Bible OT Law: Deuteronomy 5:8 You shall not make an engraved image (Deut. 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