Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “’Do not turn to idols or make metal gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. New Living Translation “Do not put your trust in idols or make metal images of gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. English Standard Version Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves any gods of cast metal: I am the LORD your God. Berean Standard Bible Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God. King James Bible Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. New King James Version ‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the LORD your God. New American Standard Bible Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves cast metal gods; I am the LORD your God. NASB 1995 ‘Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God. NASB 1977 ‘Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God. Legacy Standard Bible Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods; I am Yahweh your God. Amplified Bible Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods (images cast in metal); I am the LORD your God. Christian Standard Bible Do not turn to worthless idols or make cast images of gods for yourselves; I am the LORD your God. Holman Christian Standard Bible Do not turn to idols or make cast images of gods for yourselves; I am Yahweh your God.” American Standard Version Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God. English Revised Version Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Don't turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. Good News Translation "Do not abandon me and worship idols; do not make gods of metal and worship them. I am the LORD your God. International Standard Version "You are not to turn to their idols or cast gods out of melted metal for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. Majority Standard Bible Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God. NET Bible Do not turn to idols, and you must not make for yourselves gods of cast metal. I am the LORD your God. New Heart English Bible "'Do not turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am the LORD your God. Webster's Bible Translation Turn ye not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. World English Bible “‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYou do not turn to the idols, and you do not make a molten god for yourselves; I [am] your God YHWH. Young's Literal Translation Ye do not turn unto the idols, and a molten god ye do not make to yourselves; I am Jehovah your God. Smith's Literal Translation Ye shall not turn to vain things, and molten gods ye shall not make to yourselves: I am Jehovah your God. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleTurn ye not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods. I am the Lord your God. Catholic Public Domain Version Do not be willing to convert to idols, neither should you make molten gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God. New American Bible Do not turn aside to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I, the LORD, am your God. New Revised Standard Version Do not turn to idols or make cast images for yourselves: I am the LORD your God. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYou shall not turn to idols nor make to yourselves molten gods; I am the LORD your God. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Do not be turned after demons; you shall not make to yourselves gods that are molten; I AM LORD JEHOVAH your God. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Turn ye not unto the idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. Brenton Septuagint Translation Ye shall not follow idols, and ye shall not make to yourselves molten gods: I am the Lord your God. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Idolatry Forbidden…3Each of you must respect his mother and father, and you must keep My Sabbaths. I am the LORD your God. 4Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God. 5When you sacrifice a peace offering to the LORD, you shall offer it for your acceptance.… Cross References Exodus 20:3-4 You shall have no other gods before Me. / 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. Deuteronomy 5:7-8 You shall have no other gods before Me. / 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. 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; ... 1 Corinthians 8:4-6 So about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that an idol is nothing at all in the world, and that there is no God but one. / For even if there are so-called gods, whether in heaven or on earth (as there are many so-called gods and lords), / yet for us there is but one God, the Father, from whom all things came and for whom we exist. And there is but one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom all things came and through whom we exist. 1 John 5:21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. 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, ... 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 18:21 Then Elijah approached all the people and said, “How long will you waver between two opinions? If the LORD is God, follow Him. But if Baal is God, follow him.” But the people did not answer a word. 2 Kings 17:35-39 For the LORD had made a covenant with the Israelites and commanded them, “Do not worship other gods or bow down to them; do not serve them or sacrifice to them. / Instead, worship the LORD, who brought you out of the land of Egypt with great power and an outstretched arm. You are to bow down to Him and offer sacrifices to Him. / And you must always be careful to observe the statutes, ordinances, laws, and commandments He wrote for you. Do not worship other gods. ... 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. Isaiah 46:5-7 To whom will you liken Me or count Me equal? To whom will you compare Me, that we should be alike? / They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. / They lift it to their shoulder and carry it along; they set it in its place, and there it stands, not budging from that spot. They cry out to it, but it does not answer; it saves no one from his troubles. Hosea 13:2 Now they sin more and more and make for themselves cast images, idols skillfully made from their silver, all of them the work of craftsmen. People say of them, “They offer human sacrifice and kiss the calves!” 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. Treasury of Scripture Turn you not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God. not unto Leviticus 26:1 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 the LORD your God. Exodus 20:3-5 Thou shalt have no other gods before me… 1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry. molten gods Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold. Exodus 32:4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt. Exodus 34:17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. Jump to Previous Cast False. Gods Idols Images Metal Molten Turn YourselvesJump to Next Cast False. Gods Idols Images Metal Molten Turn YourselvesLeviticus 19 1. A repetition of various lawsDo not turn to idols This command is a direct prohibition against idolatry, which was prevalent among the surrounding nations of Israel. The Hebrew word for "idols" here can also mean "worthless things," emphasizing the futility of worshiping anything other than God. In the ancient Near East, idol worship was common, often involving the veneration of physical objects believed to embody deities. This command underscores the call to exclusive worship of Yahweh, aligning with the first and second commandments given in Exodus 20:3-4. The Israelites were to remain distinct from the Canaanites and other neighboring cultures, who often worshiped multiple gods. or make for yourselves molten gods I am the LORD your God Persons / Places / Events 1. The IsraelitesThe original audience of Leviticus, the Israelites were God's chosen people, delivered from Egypt and given the Law to guide their covenant relationship with Him. 2. Mount Sinai The place where God gave the Law to Moses, including the commandments found in Leviticus, as part of establishing His covenant with Israel. 3. Moses The leader of the Israelites and the mediator of God's Law, including the instructions in Leviticus. 4. Idols Objects of worship made by human hands, often representing false gods, which the Israelites were commanded to avoid. 5. The LORD (Yahweh) The one true God who delivered Israel from Egypt and established a covenant with them, emphasizing His unique identity and authority. Teaching Points Exclusive Worship of GodGod demands exclusive worship because He alone is the Creator and Sustainer. Idolatry is a direct affront to His sovereignty and holiness. The Danger of Idolatry Idolatry is not just the worship of physical idols but can include anything that takes the place of God in our hearts. This can be money, power, relationships, or even self. God's Identity and Authority The phrase "I am the LORD your God" underscores God's authority and the reason for His commands. Recognizing His identity is foundational to obedience. Holiness and Separation As God's people, we are called to be holy and separate from the practices of the world, including idolatry, which corrupts our relationship with God. Modern Idolatry In today's context, idolatry can manifest in subtle ways. We must examine our lives to ensure that nothing takes precedence over our relationship with God.(4) Turn ye not unto idols.--As the Lord is their God, and there is no other God besides Him, the Israelites must never turn their affections nor address prayers or enquiries to idols. This part of the verse therefore corresponds with the first commandment of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3). The expression here rendered "idols," which, apart from the Prophets and Hagiographa, only occurs once more (see Leviticus 26:1), denotes non-entities--nothings, and it is in allusion to this import of the word that the Apostle remarks, "We know that an idol is nothing in the world" (1Corinthians 8:4). According to the administrators of the law during the second Temple, the injunction here "turn not" means "face not," and forbids even the looking at or the examination of an idol. Nor make yourselves molten gods.--This part of the verse corresponds with the second commandment in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:4-6), though the phrase "molten gods" only occurs once more where the same prohibition is enforced (Exodus 34:17). . . . Verse 4. - Turn ye not unto idols. The word used for idols, elilim, meaning nothings, is contrasted with Elohim, God. Psalm 115 exhibits this contrast in several of its particulars. Cf. St. Paul's statement, "We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4). "If the heart of man becomes benumbed to the use of images of false gods of any kind, he sinks down to the idols which are his ideals, and becomes as dumb and unspiritual as they are" (Lunge). The remainder of the verse forbids the transgression of the second commandment, as the earlier part of the verse forbids the transgression of the first commandment: nor make to yourselves molten gods, as was done by Jeroboam when he set up the calves (1 Kings 12:23).Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew Do notאַל־ (’al-) Adverb Strong's 408: Not turn תִּפְנוּ֙ (tip̄·nū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 6437: To turn, to face, appear, look to אֶל־ (’el-) Preposition Strong's 413: Near, with, among, to idols הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים (hā·’ĕ·lî·lîm) Article | Noun - masculine plural Strong's 457: Good for, nothing, by anal, vain, vanity, an idol or make תַעֲשׂ֖וּ (ṯa·‘ă·śū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 6213: To do, make for yourselves לָכֶ֑ם (lā·ḵem) Preposition | second person masculine plural Strong's Hebrew molten מַסֵּכָ֔ה (mas·sê·ḵāh) Noun - feminine singular Strong's 4541: A pouring over, fusion of metal, a libation, league, a coverlet gods. וֵֽאלֹהֵי֙ (wê·lō·hê) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative I אֲנִ֖י (’ă·nî) Pronoun - first person common singular Strong's 589: I am the LORD יְהוָ֥ה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3068: LORD -- the proper name of the God of Israel your God. אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃ (’ĕ·lō·hê·ḵem) Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative Links Leviticus 19:4 NIVLeviticus 19:4 NLT Leviticus 19:4 ESV Leviticus 19:4 NASB Leviticus 19:4 KJV Leviticus 19:4 BibleApps.com Leviticus 19:4 Biblia Paralela Leviticus 19:4 Chinese Bible Leviticus 19:4 French Bible Leviticus 19:4 Catholic Bible OT Law: Leviticus 19:4 Don't turn to idols nor make molten (Le Lv Lev.) |