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.

◄ Exodus 20:4 ►

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 in 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 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:

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 an idol, 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, or 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 any idol, or any likeness (form, manifestation) of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth [as an object to worship].

Christian Standard Bible
Do not make an idol for yourself, whether 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, whether 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 any thing 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, nor 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 an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above, or on earth below, or in the water 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 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 below.

New Heart English Bible
"Do not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt not make to 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:

World English Bible
“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth:

Literal Translations

Literal Standard Version
You do not make a carved image for yourself, or 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 thyself a graven image, or any likeness which is in the heavens above, or which is in the earth beneath, or which is in the waters under the earth.

Smith's Literal Translation
Thou shalt not make to thee a carved image, and every appearance that is in the heavens above, and that is in the earth beneath, and that is in the water under the earth.

Catholic Translations

Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.

Catholic Public Domain Version
You shall not make for yourself a graven image, nor a likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on earth below, nor of those things which are 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 Bible
You shall not make for yourself any graven image, or 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;

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
You shall not make for you any image or any form that is in Heaven from above or what is in the earth from beneath or what is in the water beneath the Earth:

OT Translations

JPS Tanakh 1917
Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image, nor 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 idol, nor likeness of anything, 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
…3You shall have no other gods before Me. 4You 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. 5You 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,…

Berean Standard Bible · Download

Cross References

Deuteronomy 5:8
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. ...

Deuteronomy 4:15-19
So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful / 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, / of any beast that is on the earth or bird that flies in the air, ...

2 Kings 17:12
They served idols, although the LORD had told them, “You shall not do this thing.”

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.”

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 1:22-23
Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools, / and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images of mortal man and birds and animals and reptiles.

1 Corinthians 10:19-20
Am I suggesting, then, that food sacrificed to an idol is anything, or that an idol is anything? / No, but the sacrifices of pagans are offered to demons, not to God. And I do not want you to be participants with demons.

1 John 5:21
Little children, keep yourselves from idols.

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.

Isaiah 42:8
I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.

Ezekiel 20:32
When you say, ‘Let us be like the nations, like the peoples of the lands, serving wood and stone,’ what you have in mind will never come to pass.

Treasury of Scripture

You shall not make to 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 water under the earth.

Exodus 32:1,8,23
And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him…

Exodus 34:17
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.

Leviticus 19:4
Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

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Exodus 20

1. The ten commandments are spoken by Jehovah
18. The people are afraid, but Moses comforts them
21. Idolatry is forbidden
23. Of what sort the altar should be

Berean Study Bible

You shall not make
The phrase "You shall not make" is a direct command from God, emphasizing the prohibition against creating something with one's own hands that would serve as an object of worship. The Hebrew root for "make" is "עָשָׂה" (asah), which means to fashion or create. This command underscores the importance of worshiping the Creator rather than the creation, highlighting the distinction between the divine and human capabilities. It serves as a reminder of God's sovereignty and the futility of human attempts to encapsulate His essence in physical form.

for yourself
The phrase "for yourself" indicates a personal responsibility and accountability in the act of idol-making. It suggests that the creation of idols is a self-serving act, driven by human desires rather than divine instruction. This personal aspect of the commandment calls believers to examine their own hearts and motivations, ensuring that their worship is directed solely towards God and not towards self-made representations or desires.

an idol
The term "idol" comes from the Hebrew word "פֶּסֶל" (pesel), which refers to a carved or graven image. In the ancient Near Eastern context, idols were common in religious practices, often representing deities or spiritual forces. This commandment is a clear denouncement of such practices, emphasizing that God is beyond physical representation. It serves as a call to spiritual purity and fidelity, urging believers to reject any form of idolatry that detracts from the worship of the one true God.

in the form of anything
This phrase broadens the scope of the prohibition, indicating that no physical form, regardless of its nature, is suitable for representing God. The Hebrew word "תְּמוּנָה" (temunah) means likeness or form, suggesting that any attempt to depict God through physical means is inherently flawed. This highlights the transcendence and incomprehensibility of God, who cannot be confined to any earthly representation.

in the heavens above
The reference to "the heavens above" encompasses all celestial bodies and phenomena, such as the sun, moon, stars, and planets. In ancient cultures, these were often deified and worshiped. By prohibiting the creation of idols in their likeness, God asserts His authority over all creation, reminding believers that He alone is the Creator of the heavens and worthy of worship.

or on the earth below
This phrase extends the prohibition to include all earthly creatures and objects. The earth, with its vast array of life and natural wonders, was often a source of inspiration for idol-making. By forbidding the creation of idols in the likeness of anything on earth, God calls His people to recognize His supremacy over all earthly things and to worship Him alone.

or in the waters beneath
The inclusion of "the waters beneath" refers to the seas, rivers, and all aquatic life. In many ancient religions, water was seen as a source of life and mystery, often associated with various deities. By prohibiting idols in the likeness of anything in the waters, God emphasizes His dominion over all aspects of creation, both seen and unseen, and calls His people to exclusive devotion to Him.

Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers

(4) Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image.--The two main clauses of the second commandment are to be read together, so as to form one sentence: "Thou shalt not make to thee any graven image, &c., so as to worship it." (See the explanation of Josephus, Ant. Jud., iii. 5, ? 5: '? ???????? ?¢??? ??????? ??????? ?????? ???? ?????????? ??????????.) It was not until the days of Hebrew decline and degeneracy that a narrow literalism pressed the words into an absolute prohibition of the arts of painting and sculpture (Philo, De Oraculis, ? 29). Moses himself sanctioned the cherubic forms above the mercy-seat, the brazen serpent, and the lilies and pomegranates of the golden candlestick. Solomon had lions on the steps of his throne, oxen under his "molten sea," and palm-trees, flowers, and cherubim on the walls of the Temple, "within and without" (1Kings 6:29). What the second commandment forbade was the worship of God under a material form. It asserted the spirituality of Jehovah. While in the rest of the ancient world there was scarcely a single nation or tribe which did not "make to itself" images of the gods, and regard the images themselves with superstitious veneration, in Judaism alone was this seductive practice disallowed. God would have no likeness made of Him, no representation that might cloud the conception of His entire separation from matter, His purely spiritual essence.

In heaven above . . . in the earth beneath . . . in the water under the earth.--Comp. Genesis 1:1-7. The triple division is regarded as embracing the whole material universe. In the Egyptian idolatry images of all three kinds were included.

Pulpit Commentary

Verse 4. As the first commandment asserts the unity of God, and is a protest against polytheism, so the second asserts his spirituality, and is a protest against idolatry and materialism. Verses 4 and 5 are to be taken together, the prohibition being intended, not to forbid the arts of sculpture and painting, or even to condemn the religious use of them, but to disallow the worship of God under material forms. When the later Jews condemned all representations of natural objects (Philo, De Orac. 29; Joseph. Ant. Jud. 8:7, § 5), they not only enslaved themselves to a literalism, which is alien from the spirit of both covenants, but departed from the practice of more primitive times - representations of such objects having had their place both in the tabernacle (Exodus 25:31-34; Exodus 28:33, 34) and in the first temple (1 Kings 6:18, 29, 32, etc.). Indeed, Moses himself, when he erected the "brazen serpent" (Numbers 21:9) made it clear that representations of natural objects were not disallowed by the law. To moderns in civilized countries it seems almost incredible that there should ever have been anywhere a real worship of images. But acquaintance with ancient history or even with the present condition of man in savage or backward countries, renders it apparent that there is a subtle fascination in such material forms, and that imperfectly developed minds will rest in them not as mere emblems of divinity, but as actually possessed of Divine powers The protest raised by the second commandment is still as necessary as ever, not only in the world, but in the very Christian Church itself, where there exists even at the present day a superstitious regard for images and pictures, which is not only irrational, but which absorbs the religious feelings that should have been directed to higher objects. Any graven image. Perhaps it would be better to translate "any image," for the term used (pesel) is applied, not only to "graven" but also to "molten images" (Isaiah 40:19; Isaiah 44:10; Jeremiah 10:14; etc.), since these last were in almost every instance finished by the graving tool. Or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above - i.e., "any likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air." Compare Deuteronomy 4:17. The water under the earth. See Genesis 1:6, 7. The triple division here and elsewhere made, is intended to embrace the whole material universe. Much of the Egyptian religion consisted in the worship of animals and their images.

Parallel Commentaries ...

Hebrew

{You shall} not
לֹֽ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

make
תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־ (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
Strong's 6459: An idol, image

of any kind,
וְכָל־ (wə·ḵāl)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

or an image
תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה (tə·mū·nāh)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 8544: Something portioned, out, as a, shape, phantom, embodiment, manifestation

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

in the heavens
בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ (baš·šā·ma·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 8064: Heaven, sky

above,
מִמַּ֡֔עַל (mim·ma·‘al)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 4605: The upper part, with prefix upward, above, overhead, from the top

the earth
בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ (bā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

below,
מִתַָּ֑֜חַת‪‬ (mit·ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition-m | Adverb
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

or the waters
בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ (bam·ma·yim)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 4325: Water, juice, urine, semen

under
מִתַּ֥֣חַת (mit·ta·ḥaṯ)
Preposition-m
Strong's 8478: The bottom, below, in lieu of

the earth.
לָאָֽ֗רֶץ‪‬ (lā·’ā·reṣ)
Preposition-l, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

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OT Law: Exodus 20:4 You shall not make for yourselves (Exo. Ex)