Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Parallel translations
- WEB lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
- BSB 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,
- NKJV lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,
- NASB so that you do not act corruptly and make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female,
- NLT So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
They must not make a carved image in any human form, male or female. It begins the list of forbidden idol forms.
Overview
Moses forbids fashioning images of God in the likeness of man or woman, a common temptation among the nations. To picture God in any created form distorts His glory and invites false worship. The prohibition upholds the second commandment and the proper reverence due to the Creator.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 13
- Acts 17:29Forasmuch 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.
- Exod 20:4–5Thou 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:
- Rom 1:22–24Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,
- Deut 5:8Thou 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:
- Deut 4:23Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.
- Exod 32:7And the LORD said unto Moses, Go, get thee down; for thy people, which thou broughtest out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves:
- Acts 20:4–5And there accompanied him into Asia Sopater of Berea; and of the Thessalonians, Aristarchus and Secundus; and Gaius of Derbe, and Timotheus; and of Asia, Tychicus and Trophimus.
- Ps 106:19–20They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.
- John 4:24God is a Spirit: and they that worship him must worship him in spirit and in truth.
- Deut 4:8–9And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day?
- Deut 4:25When thou shalt beget children, and children’s children, and ye shall have remained long in the land, and shall corrupt yourselves, and make a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, and shall do evil in the sight of the LORD thy God, to provoke him to anger:
- Isa 40:18To whom then will ye liken God? or what likeness will ye compare unto him?
- 1 Tim 1:17Now unto the King eternal, immortal, invisible, the only wise God, be honour and glory for ever and ever. Amen.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Moses promised a Prophet like himself to whom Israel must listen (18:15); Jesus is that Prophet, the one who keeps the covenant we broke and becomes the curse for us by hanging on a tree (Gal 3:13).
How Deuteronomy 4:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.