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Graven Images
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: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I
thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments. Exodus 20:4-6 (Deuteronomy 5:8-10)
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
your God.Leviticus 26:1
I am
: that is my name: and my glory will I not give to another, neither my praise to graven images. Isaiah 42:8
Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of similitude on the day that
spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire: Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female, The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air, The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth: And lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun, and the moon, and the stars, even all the host of heaven, shouldest be driven to worship them, and serve them, which
thy God hath divided unto all nations under the whole heaven. Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of
your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which
thy God hath forbidden thee. For
thy God is a consuming fire, even a jealous God. Deuteronomy 4:15-19,23,24
Related verses: Deuteronomy 27:15, Micah 5:13, Nahum 1:14, Habakkuk 2:18,19
Gods of Silver, Gold, Wood, and Stone
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. Exodus 20:23
Forasmuch 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. Acts 17:29
Related verses: Deuteronomy 28:36,64, 29:17, 2 Kings 19:18, Isaiah 37:19, 45:20, Daniel 11:8
Images, Not Necessarily Graven
Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which
thy God hateth. Deuteronomy 16:22
But ye shall destroy their altars, break their images, and cut down their groves: Exodus 34:13
Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images. Exodus 23:24
Speak unto the children of Israel, and say unto them, When ye are passed over Jordan into the land of Canaan; Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places: Numbers 33:51,52
Related verses: Genesis 31:19-35, 1 Samuel 19:11-17, Isaiah 17:8, 27:9, 41:29, Ezekiel 8:3-6, 23:14, Daniel 2:31-45, 3:1-18, Hosea 3:4, 10:1,2, Revelation 13:14,15, 19:20
Idols
Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am
your God. Leviticus 19:4
But that we write unto them, that they abstain from pollutions of idols, and from fornication, and from things strangled, and from blood. Acts 15:20 (15:29, 21:25)
Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen. 1 John 5:21
What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils. Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 1 Corinthians 10:19-21
Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them. Psalms 115:4-8 (135:15-18)
As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one. For though there be that are called gods, whether in heaven or in earth, (as there be gods many, and lords many,) But to us there is but one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom are all things, and we by him.
Howbeit there is not in every man that knowledge: for some with conscience of the idol unto this hour eat it as a thing offered unto an idol; and their conscience being weak is defiled. But meat commendeth us not to God: for neither, if we eat, are we the better; neither, if we eat not, are we the worse. But take heed lest by any means this liberty of yours become a stumblingblock to them that are weak. For if any man see thee which hast knowledge sit at meat in the idol's temple, shall not the conscience of him which is weak be emboldened to eat those things which are offered to idols; And through thy knowledge shall the weak brother perish, for whom Christ died? But when ye sin so against the brethren, and wound their weak conscience, ye sin against Christ. Wherefore, if meat make my brother to offend, I will eat no flesh while the world standeth, lest I make my brother to offend. 1 Corinthians 8:4-13
If any of them that believe not bid you to a feast, and ye be disposed to go; whatsoever is set before you, eat, asking no question for conscience sake. But if any man say unto you, This is offered in sacrifice unto idols, eat not for his sake that shewed it, and for conscience sake: for the earth is the Lord's, and the fulness thereof: Conscience, I say, not thine own, but of the other: for why is my liberty judged of another man's conscience? 1 Corinthians 10:27-29
Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry: Colossians 3:5
For the idols have spoken vanity, and the diviners have seen a lie, and have told false dreams; they comfort in vain: therefore they went their way as a flock, they were troubled, because there was no shepherd. Zechariah 10:2
Related verses: 1 Samuel 31:9, 1 Kings 15:12,13, 1 Chronicles 10:9, Psalms 106:36-38, Isaiah 2:8,18,20, 10:10,11, 19:1,3, 31:7, 46:1, 57:5, 66:3, Jeremiah 22:28, 50:2, Ezekiel 14:3-7, 18:6,12,15, 30:13, 33:25, 36:25, Hosea 4:17, 8:4, 13:2, 14:8, Zechariah 13:2, Acts 17:16, Romans 2:22, 1 Corinthians 5:10,11, 10:7,14, 12:2, Galatians 5:20, Colossians 3:5, 1 Peter 4:3
Golden Calves
Exodus 32:4,8,19,20,24,35, Deuteronomy 9:16,21, 1 Kings 12:28,32, 2 Ki 10:29, 17:16, 2 Chronicles 11:15, 13:8, Nehemiah 9:18, Psalms 106:19, Hosea 8:6, 10:5, 13:2,2, Acts 7:41
Groves
And Abraham planted a grove in Beersheba, and called there on the name of
, the everlasting God.Genesis 21:33
Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of
thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Deuteronomy 16:21
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. Deuteronomy 7:5 (Exodus 34:13)
And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Deuteronomy 12:3
Related verses: Judges 3:7, 6:25-31, 1 Kings 14:15,23, 15:13, 16:33, 18:19, 2 Kings 13:6, 17:10,16, 18:4, 21:3, 23:4-15, 2 Chronicles 14:3, 15:16, 17:6, 19:3, 24:18, 31:1, 33:3,19, 34:3-7, Isaiah 17:8, 27:9, Jeremiah 17:2, Micah 5:14
An Ancient Christmas Tree?
Hear ye the word which
speaketh unto you, O house of Israel: Thus saith
, Learn not the way of the heathen, and be not dismayed at the signs of heaven; for the heathen are dismayed at them. For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O
; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. Who would not fear thee, O King of nations? for to thee doth it appertain: forasmuch as among all the wise men of the nations, and in all their kingdoms, there is none like unto thee. But they are altogether brutish and foolish: the stock is a doctrine of vanities. Silver spread into plates is brought from Tarshish, and gold from Uphaz, the work of the workman, and of the hands of the founder: blue and purple is their clothing: they are all the work of cunning men. But
is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king: at his wrath the earth shall tremble, and the nations shall not be able to abide his indignation. Thus shall ye say unto them, The gods that have not made the heavens and the earth, even they shall perish from the earth, and from under these heavens. He hath made the earth by his power, he hath established the world by his wisdom, and hath stretched out the heavens by his discretion. When he uttereth his voice, there is a multitude of waters in the heavens, and he causeth the vapours to ascend from the ends of the earth; he maketh lightnings with rain, and bringeth forth the wind out of his treasures. Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them. Jeremiah 10:1-14
High Places
And I will destroy your high places, and cut down your images, and cast your carcases upon the carcases of your idols, and my soul shall abhor you. Leviticus 26:30
Related verses: Numbers 21:28, 22:41, 23:3 33:52, Deuteronomy 33:29, Judges 5:18, 1 Samuel 9:12,13,14,19,25, 10:5,13, 2 Samuel 1:19,25, 22:34, 1 Kings 3:2,3,4, 11:7, 12:31,32, 13:2,32,33, 15:14, 22:43, 2 Kings 12:3, 14:4, 15:4,35, 16:4, 17:9,11,29,32, 18:22, 23:5,8,9,13,19,20, 1 Chronicles 16:39, 21:29, 2 Chronicles 1:3,13, 11:15, 14:5, 15:17, 20:33, 21:11, 28:4,25, 32:12, 33:17, Job 25:2, Psalms 18:33, 78:58, Proverbs 8:2, 9:14, Isaiah 15:2, 16:12, 36:7, 49:9, 58:14, Jeremiah 3:2,21, 4:11, 7:29,31, 12:12, 17:3, 19:5, 32:35, 48:35, Ezekiel 6:3,6, 16:16,24,25,31,39, 20:29, 36:2, 43:7, Hosea 10:8, Amos 4:13, 7:9, Micah 1:3,5, 3:12, Habakkuk 3:19, Ephesians 6:12
Breaking Down Images
But thus shall ye deal with them; ye shall destroy their altars, and break down their images, and cut down their groves, and burn their graven images with fire. Deuteronomy 7:5 (Exodus 23:24)
The graven images of their gods shall ye burn with fire: thou shalt not desire the silver or gold that is on them, nor take it unto thee, lest thou be snared therein: for it is an abomination to
thy God. Neither shalt thou bring an abomination into thine house, lest thou be a cursed thing like it: but thou shalt utterly detest it, and thou shalt utterly abhor it; for it is a cursed thing. Deuteronomy 7:25,26
Ye shall utterly destroy all the places, wherein the nations which ye shall possess served their gods, upon the high mountains, and upon the hills, and under every green tree: And ye shall overthrow their altars, and break their pillars, and burn their groves with fire; and ye shall hew down the graven images of their gods, and destroy the names of them out of that place. Deuteronomy 12:2,3
And all the graven images thereof shall be beaten to pieces, and all the hires thereof shall be burned with the fire, and all the idols thereof will I lay desolate: for she gathered it of the hire of an harlot, and they shall return to the hire of an harlot. Micah 1:7
Approved Images
And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them, in the two ends of the mercy seat. And make one cherub on the one end, and the other cherub on the other end: even of the mercy seat shall ye make the cherubims on the two ends thereof. And the cherubims shall stretch forth their wings on high, covering the mercy seat with their wings, and their faces shall look one to another; toward the mercy seat shall the faces of the cherubims be. And thou shalt put the mercy seat above upon the ark; and in the ark thou shalt put the testimony that I shall give thee. And there I will meet with thee, and I will commune with thee from above the mercy seat, from between the two cherubims which are upon the ark of the testimony, of all things which I will give thee in commandment unto the children of Israel. Moreover thou shalt make the tabernacle with ten curtains of fine twined linen, and blue, and purple, and scarlet: with cherubims of cunning work shalt thou make them. Exodus 25:18-22, 26:1
And in the most holy house he made two cherubims of image work, and overlaid them with gold. And the wings of the cherubims were twenty cubits long: one wing of the one cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was likewise five cubits, reaching to the wing of the other cherub. And one wing of the other cherub was five cubits, reaching to the wall of the house: and the other wing was five cubits also, joining to the wing of the other cherub. The wings of these cherubims spread themselves forth twenty cubits: and they stood on their feet, and their faces were inward. 2 Chronicles 3:10-13
Keepers of the Second Commandment
Judges 6:25-31, 2 Samuel 5:21, 1 Kings 15:12,13, 2 Kings 3:2, 10:18-28, 11:18, 18:4, 23:4-15,24, 2 Chronicles 14:5, 15:8,16, 23:17, 31:1, 33:15, 34:1-7
Breakers of the Second Commandment
Exodus 32:1-35, Deuteronomy 9:12,16,21, Judges 17:3,4, 18:14-31, 1 Kings 12:28-33, 14:23, 21:26, 2 Kings 10:29, 17:7-12,41, 21:7,11,21, 2 Chronicles 11:16, 24:18, 28:1-5, 33:19,21-23, Psalms 78:58, 106:19,20, Isaiah 10:10, 21:9, 40:19,20, 44:9-17, 45:20, 46:6,7, 48:5, Jeremiah 8:19, Ezekiel 7:20, 8:10, 16:17, 21:21, 44:10,12, Daniel 5:4,23, Ezekiel 20:7-44, 22:3,4, Hosea 11:2, Acts 7:40-43
Blessings of Keeping the Second Commandment
Ye shall defile also the covering of thy graven images of silver, and the ornament of thy molten images of gold: thou shalt cast them away as a menstruous cloth; thou shalt say unto it, Get thee hence. Then shall he give the rain of thy seed, that thou shalt sow the ground withal; and bread of the increase of the earth, and it shall be fat and plenteous: in that day shall thy cattle feed in large pastures. The oxen likewise and the young asses that ear the ground shall eat clean provender, which hath been winnowed with the shovel and with the fan. And there shall be upon every high mountain, and upon every high hill, rivers and streams of waters in the day of the great slaughter, when the towers fall. Moreover the light of the moon shall be as the light of the sun, and the light of the sun shall be sevenfold, as the light of seven days, in the day that
bindeth up the breach of his people, and healeth the stroke of their wound. Isaiah 30:22-26
Related verses: Ezekiel 18:5-9
Curses of Breaking the Second Commandment
When 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
thy God, to provoke him to anger: I call heaven and earth to witness against you this day, that ye shall soon utterly perish from off the land whereunto ye go over Jordan to possess it; ye shall not prolong your days upon it, but shall utterly be destroyed. And
shall scatter you among the nations, and ye shall be left few in number among the heathen, whither
shall lead you. And there ye shall serve gods, the work of men's hands, wood and stone, which neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell. Deuteronomy 4:25-28
Confounded be all they that serve graven images, that boast themselves of idols: worship him, all ye gods. Psalms 97:7
They shall be turned back, they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in graven images, that say to the molten images, Ye are our gods. Isaiah 42:17
They shall be ashamed, and also confounded, all of them: they shall go to confusion together that are makers of idols. Isaiah 45:16
A sword is upon the Chaldeans, saith
, and upon the inhabitants of Babylon, and upon her princes, and upon her wise men. A sword is upon the liars; and they shall dote: a sword is upon her mighty men; and they shall be dismayed. A sword is upon their horses, and upon their chariots, and upon all the mingled people that are in the midst of her; and they shall become as women: a sword is upon her treasures; and they shall be robbed. A drought is upon her waters; and they shall be dried up: for it is the land of graven images, and they are mad upon their idols. Therefore the wild beasts of the desert with the wild beasts of the islands shall dwell there, and the owls shall dwell therein: and it shall be no more inhabited for ever; neither shall it be dwelt in from generation to generation. As God overthrew Sodom and Gomorrah and the neighbour cities thereof, saith
; so shall no man abide there, neither shall any son of man dwell therein. Behold, a people shall come from the north, and a great nation, and many kings shall be raised up from the coasts of the earth. They shall hold the bow and the lance: they are cruel, and will not shew mercy: their voice shall roar like the sea, and they shall ride upon horses, every one put in array, like a man to the battle, against thee, O daughter of Babylon. Jeremiah 50:35-42
Son of man, set thy face toward the mountains of Israel, and prophesy against them, And say, Ye mountains of Israel, hear the word of the Lord GOD; Thus saith the Lord GOD to the mountains, and to the hills, to the rivers, and to the valleys; Behold, I, even I, will bring a sword upon you, and I will destroy your high places. And your altars shall be desolate, and your images shall be broken: and I will cast down your slain men before your idols. And I will lay the dead carcases of the children of Israel before their idols; and I will scatter your bones round about your altars. In all your dwellingplaces the cities shall be laid waste, and the high places shall be desolate; that your altars may be laid waste and made desolate, and your idols may be broken and cease, and your images may be cut down, and your works may be abolished. And the slain shall fall in the midst of you, and ye shall know that I am
.
Yet will I leave a remnant, that ye may have some that shall escape the sword among the nations, when ye shall be scattered through the countries. And they that escape of you shall remember me among the nations whither they shall be carried captives, because I am broken with their whorish heart, which hath departed from me, and with their eyes, which go a whoring after their idols: and they shall lothe themselves for the evils which they have committed in all their abominations. And they shall know that I am
, and that I have not said in vain that I would do this evil unto them.
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Smite with thine hand, and stamp with thy foot, and say, Alas for all the evil abominations of the house of Israel! for they shall fall by the sword, by the famine, and by the pestilence. He that is far off shall die of the pestilence; and he that is near shall fall by the sword; and he that remaineth and is besieged shall die by the famine: thus will I accomplish my fury upon them. Then shall ye know that I am
, when their slain men shall be among their idols round about their altars, upon every high hill, in all the tops of the mountains, and under every green tree, and under every thick oak, the place where they did offer sweet savour to all their idols. So will I stretch out my hand upon them, and make the land desolate, yea, more desolate than the wilderness toward Diblath, in all their habitations: and they shall know that I am
. Ezekiel 6:2-14
Thus saith the Lord GOD; Because thy filthiness was poured out, and thy nakedness discovered through thy whoredoms with thy lovers, and with all the idols of thy abominations, and by the blood of thy children, which thou didst give unto them; Behold, therefore I will gather all thy lovers, with whom thou hast taken pleasure, and all them that thou hast loved, with all them that thou hast hated; I will even gather them round about against thee, and will discover thy nakedness unto them, that they may see all thy nakedness. And I will judge thee, as women that break wedlock and shed blood are judged; and I will give thee blood in fury and jealousy. And I will also give thee into their hand, and they shall throw down thine eminent place, and shall break down thy high places: they shall strip thee also of thy clothes, and shall take thy fair jewels, and leave thee naked and bare. They shall also bring up a company against thee, and they shall stone thee with stones, and thrust thee through with their swords. And they shall burn thine houses with fire, and execute judgments upon thee in the sight of many women: and I will cause thee to cease from playing the harlot, and thou also shalt give no hire any more. So will I make my fury toward thee to rest, and my jealousy shall depart from thee, and I will be quiet, and will be no more angry. Because thou hast not remembered the days of thy youth, but hast fretted me in all these things; behold, therefore I also will recompense thy way upon thine head, saith the Lord GOD: and thou shalt not commit this lewdness above all thine abominations. Ezekiel 16:36-43
And the third angel followed them, saying with a loud voice, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receive his mark in his forehead, or in his hand, The same shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, which is poured out without mixture into the cup of his indignation; and he shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels, and in the presence of the Lamb: And the smoke of their torment ascendeth up for ever and ever: and they have no rest day nor night, who worship the beast and his image, and whosoever receiveth the mark of his name. Revelation 14:9-11
And the first went, and poured out his vial upon the earth; and there fell a noisome and grievous sore upon the men which had the mark of the beast, and upon them which worshipped his image. Revelation 16:2
Related verses: Jeremiah 51:17,18,47-58, Ezekiel 23:1-49, 36:18,19, as well as most of the words of the Old Testament prophets.
's Law