Berean Standard Bible
Leviticus 26:1
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.
Leviticus 26:1 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)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.
- New International Version (NIV)“ ‘Do not make idols or set up an image or a sacred stone for yourselves, and do not place a carved stone in your land to bow down before it. I am the Lord your God.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the Lord your God.
- New King James Version (NKJV)‘You shall not make idols for yourselves; neither a carved image nor a sacred pillar shall you rear up for yourselves; nor shall you set up an engraved stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the Lord your God.
Context of 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. 2You must keep My Sabbaths and have reverence for My sanctuary. I am the LORD. 3If you follow My statutes and carefully keep My commandments,
Read all of Leviticus 26Leviticus 26:1 word by word
לֹֽא־תַעֲשׂ֨וּ לָכֶ֜ם אֱלִילִ֗ם וּפֶ֤סֶל וּמַצֵּבָה֙ לֹֽא־תָקִ֣ימוּ לָכֶ֔ם וְאֶ֣בֶן מַשְׂכִּ֗ית לֹ֤א תִתְּנוּ֙ בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔ם לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֖ת עָלֶ֑יהָ כִּ֛י אֲנִ֥י יְהוָ֖ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם׃Read the interlinear
- You must notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- idolsאֱלִיל'ĕlîyl · idolH457
- or set upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- a carved imageפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- or sacred pillarמַצֵּבָהmatstsêbâh · pillarH4676
- placeנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- a sculptedמַשְׂכִּיתmaώkîyth · figureH4906
- stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- in your landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- to bow downשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
- to itעַל‛al · uponH5921
- Forכִּיkîy · forH3588
- Iאֲנִי'ănîy · IH589
- am the LORDיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Leviticus 26:1
- Leviticus 19:4Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God.
- Exodus 20:4You 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.
- Exodus 23:24You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
- Exodus 34:17You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.
- 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 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 16:21Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole next to the altar you will build for the LORD your God,
- 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!’
- 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.
- Isaiah 2:20In that day men will cast away to the moles and bats their idols of silver and gold— the idols they made to worship.
- Isaiah 44:9All 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.
- Isaiah 48:5Therefore I declared it to you long ago; I announced it before it came to pass, so that you could not claim, ‘My idol has done this; my carved image and molten god has ordained it.’
- Jeremiah 10:3For 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.
- Acts 17:29Therefore, 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 2:22You who forbid adultery, do you commit adultery? You who abhor idols, do you rob temples?
Commentaries on Leviticus 26:1
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 1Ye shall make you no idols - See note on Exodus 20:4, and see the note on Genesis 28:18-19; (note), concerning consecrated stones. Not only idolatry in general is forbidden here, but also the superstitious use of innocent and lawful things. Probably the stones or pillars which were first set up, and anointed by holy men in commemoration of signal interposition of God in their behalf, were afterward abused to idolatrous and superstitious purposes, and…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1Idols - literally, “things of nought.” Hebrew אלילים 'ĕlı̂ylı̂m There appears to have been a play on the similarity in sound of this word to אלהים 'ĕlohı̂ym (God). Compare 1 Corinthians 8:4. Standing image - Either an upright statue, or a pillar, such as an obelisk or a Celtic menhir, set up for an idolatrous purpose (compare Exodus 34:13 note). The public worship of Yahweh required, first, the exclusion of all visible symbols of deity as well as of all…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1Promises upon keeping the precepts. (1-13) Threatenings against disobedience. (14-39) God promises to remember those that repent. (40-46) Verses 1-13 This chapter contains a general enforcement of all the laws given by Moses; by promises of reward in case of obedience, on the one hand; and threatenings of punishment for disobedience, on the other. While Israel maintained a national regard to God's worship, sabbaths, and sanctuary, and did not turn aside…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1God instructed Israel not to make idols or carved images to worship (see Exodus 20:4–6). Creating an image to worship would would insult God. It limited God to time and space and replaced the living God with a lifeless object. Early in Israel's history, people set up stones as memorials for various events (Genesis 28:18; Exodus 24:4). Yet, pillars and sculpted stones had connections to pagan worship (2 Kings 3:2; 10:26, 27). This was especially true when…Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1Le 26:1, 2. Of Idolatry. 1. Ye shall make you no idols--Idolatry had been previously forbidden (Ex 20:4, 5), but the law was repeated here with reference to some particular forms of it that were very prevalent among the neighboring nations. a standing image--that is, "upright pillar." image of stone--that is, an obelisk, inscribed with hieroglyphical and superstitious characters; the former denoting the common and smaller pillars of the Syrians or…Read the comment
Topics related to Leviticus 26:1
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Leviticus 26
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
Berean Standard Bible — © Berean Bible — CC0 / Public Domain
Commentaries