If Exodus 20:4 forbids making graven images, why does Exodus 25:18 command crafting cherubim, appearing to contradict the earlier prohibition?

Background of the Question

Exodus 20:4 states: “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in the heavens above or on the earth below or in the waters beneath.” Later, in Exodus 25:18, the instruction is given: “And make two cherubim of hammered gold at the ends of the mercy seat.” At first glance, this can appear contradictory. One command forbids making “graven images,” while the other seems to require it. This entry explores the biblical, historical, and theological context demonstrating that these passages are harmonious rather than contradictory.

I. Understanding the Second Commandment (Exodus 20:4)

The text in Exodus 20:4 prohibits the creation of idols—images meant to be worshiped or substituted for worship of God. It continues in Exodus 20:5: “You shall not bow down to them or worship them…”

1. Context of the Prohibition

The central prohibition is against idolatry. The Israelites, living in a context where pagan cultures worshiped physical representations of their gods, received a clear command to worship only the true God, without substituting carved figures as objects of devotion. This prohibition guarded them from adopting practices like those found in Egypt or Canaan (cf. Leviticus 18:3).

2. Clarifying “Graven Images”

“Graven images” refers specifically to idols fashioned for adoration, veneration, or offering sacrifices to them as if they were deities. The second commandment does not forbid all forms of art or representation, but rather the making of any image for the purpose of worshiping or placing it in the position rightfully belonging to the Creator alone.

II. Command to Craft Cherubim (Exodus 25:18)

The cherubim in Exodus 25:18 were appointed by divine command, specifically for the Ark of the Covenant. The Ark itself was a sacred chest symbolizing God’s covenant with His people, placed in the Holy of Holies.

1. Cherubim as Heavenly Beings

Scripture often portrays cherubim as attendant, guardian beings around God’s throne (cf. Isaiah 37:16; Ezekiel 10:1–22). By including symbolic cherubim on the Ark, Israel was visually reminded that this “mercy seat” was the meeting place between God and His people. Yet these crafted figures were never to be worshiped or treated as divine.

2. Direct Divine Instruction

Unlike pagan idols, the cherubim imagery was fashioned at God’s explicit command. This crucial distinction underscores that the second commandment’s prohibition does not extend to all artistic representations, but to making images for idolatrous purposes.

3. Function Versus Worship

The cherubim served as part of the tabernacle furnishings and signified the holiness of the place where God’s manifest presence would dwell (Numbers 7:89). The Israelites never offered sacrifices or bowed in worship to the cherubim. They were symbols within God-ordained worship, not objects of worship themselves.

III. Harmonizing the Commands

1. No Contradiction in Purpose

The prohibition of Exodus 20:4 concerns the creation of images to be worshiped as idols. The instruction in Exodus 25:18 is to create a symbolic representation under God’s direction, meant for the Ark’s design. Their purposes are entirely different. Therefore, there is no biblical contradiction.

2. Scriptural Consistency

The Scriptures uphold a consistent message of monotheistic worship. In accounts such as Numbers 21:8–9, Moses made a bronze serpent at God’s command — not to be worshiped, but for a specific purpose (to bring healing, upon looking to this symbol at God’s command). Later, when the bronze serpent became an idol named Nehushtan (2 Kings 18:4), King Hezekiah destroyed it. This episode illustrates the same principle: an object can be permissible if used properly, but becomes idolatrous once worship is misdirected.

3. Affirmation in New Testament Writings

Though not directly referencing the cherubim, the New Testament reaffirms that worship is reserved for God alone (Matthew 4:10; Revelation 19:10). Whenever an angel or a disciple was mistaken for a divine figure, the immediate correction was given: “Worship God!” (Revelation 22:9). This solidifies the understanding that biblical symbols or representations are never to be idolized.

IV. Archaeological and Historical Corroborations

1. Tabernacle Depictions

Archaeological digs in the Sinai region and ancient Near East have discovered representations of cherub-like figures in various temple reliefs. While pagan cultures used them idolatrously, the Hebrews, guided by Scripture, understood them as symbolic guardians or attendants of God’s throne, never an object of worship in themselves.

2. Manuscript Consistency

Ancient Hebrew manuscripts (including fragments discovered among the Dead Sea Scrolls) confirm the consistency of the Exodus text across centuries. The continuity of Exodus 20 and Exodus 25 is preserved in the Samaritan Pentateuch, Septuagint manuscripts, and later Masoretic texts. Scholars like Dr. Dan Wallace and Dr. James White have documented in their research how the biblical prohibition against idolatry and the divine command for cherubim are accurately transmitted, showing there was no scribal attempt to “resolve” a contradiction — because none was recognized by the ancient scribes.

V. Theological Implications

1. God’s Holiness and Proper Worship

These passages reflect God’s desire to be worshiped in spirit and truth (cf. John 4:24), free from distractions of competing idols. The cherubim, precisely crafted under divine guidelines, remind believers that God regulates the means by which He is to be approached. He alone defines the modes of worship legitimate before Him.

2. Visual Aids Versus Idolatry

The cherubim functioned as a visual aid pointing to the reality of God’s throne in heaven. Such representations, when ordained by God, served a liturgical purpose. Yet Scripture always draws a clear line against venerating the object itself. This underscores the consistent biblical theme that God alone is to be hallowed.

VI. Conclusion

Exodus 20:4 forbids creating idols for worship. Exodus 25:18 directs the making of cherubim not as idols, but as part of the Ark’s sacred design under divine command. Far from contradicting the second commandment, the instruction to craft cherubim serves to emphasize worship of the unseen yet living God and to demonstrate that all true worship must be directed solely toward Him. Such art in worship—when divinely sanctioned—points to God’s majesty, rather than reducing Him to the object itself.

By preserving the biblical distinction between ordinary images made for idolatry and symbolic designs commissioned by God, these passages together reinforce the tenet that meaningful worship is based on who God is and the manner in which He has revealed Himself.