Exodus 20:4
BSB · Public Domain (CC0)“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.”
A short, plain-language explanation of Exodus 20:4 goes here — the kind of answer a reader (or an AI assistant) can quote in one breath. Original meaning coming soon.
“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.”
Berean Standard Bible · Public Domain (CC0)“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:”
King James Version · Public Domain“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:”
American Standard Version · Public Domain“`Thou dost not make to thyself a graven image, or any likeness which <FI>is<Fi> in the heavens above, or which <FI>is<Fi> in the earth beneath, or which <FI>is<Fi> in the waters under the earth.”
Young's Literal Translation · Public DomainOther passages that echo Exodus 20:4 — 24 related verses from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge.
- Exodus 20:23You are not to make any gods alongside Me; you are not to make for yourselves gods of silver or gold.
- Exodus 32:1Now when the people saw that Moses was delayed in coming down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said, “Come, make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!”
- Exodus 32:4He took the gold from their hands, and with an engraving tool he fashioned it into a molten calf. And they said, “These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!”
- Exodus 32:8How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’”
- Exodus 32:23They told me, ‘Make us gods who will go before us. As for this Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has happened to him!’
- Exodus 34:17You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.
- Leviticus 19:4Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God.
- 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 4:15So since you saw no form of any kind on the day the LORD spoke to you out of the fire at Horeb, be careful
- Deuteronomy 4:16that 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,
- Deuteronomy 4:23Be careful that you do not forget the covenant of the LORD your God that He made with you; do not make an idol for yourselves in the form of anything He has forbidden you.
- Deuteronomy 4:25After you have children and grandchildren and you have been in the land a long time, if you then act corruptly and make an idol of any form—doing evil in the sight of the LORD your God and provoking Him to anger—
- Deuteronomy 5:8You 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.
- Deuteronomy 16:22and do not set up for yourselves a sacred pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
- Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Judges 17:3And when he had returned the eleven hundred shekels of silver to his mother, she said, “I wholly dedicate the silver to the LORD for my son’s benefit, to make a graven image and a molten idol. Therefore I will now return it to you.”
- 1 Kings 12:28After seeking advice, the king made two golden calves and said to the people, “Going up to Jerusalem is too much for you. Here, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.”
- 2 Chronicles 33:7Manasseh 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.
- Psalms 97:7All worshipers of images are put to shame— those who boast in idols. Worship Him, all you gods!
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Psalms 135:15The idols of the nations are silver and gold, made by the hands of men.
- Isaiah 40:18To whom will you liken God? To what image will you compare Him?
- Isaiah 42:8I am the LORD; that is My name! I will not yield My glory to another or My praise to idols.
- Isaiah 42:17But those who trust in idols and say to molten images, ‘You are our gods!’ will be turned back in utter shame.
Cross-reference data: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (public domain) via OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0).