God’s Word Translation
Leviticus 26:1
1⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Never make worthless idols or set up a carved statue or a sacred stone for yourselves. Never cut figures in stone to worship them in your country, because 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
⌞The Lord continued,⌟ “Never make worthless idols or set up a carved statue or a sacred stone for yourselves. Never cut figures in stone to worship them in your country, because I am the Lord your God. 2Observe my days of rest as holy days and respect my holy tent. I am the Lord. 3“This is what I will do if you will live by my laws and carefully obey my commands:
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
Words taken from the KJV.
- Ye shall makeעָשָׂה‛âώâh · to makeH6213
- you no idolsאֱלִיל'ĕlîyl · idolH457
- nor graven imageפֶּ֫סֶלpesel · idolH6459
- neither rear you upקוּםqûm · to arise: raiseH6965
- a standing imageמַצֵּבָהmatstsêbâh · pillarH4676
- neither shall ye set upנָתַןnâthan · to give: putH5414
- imageמַשְׂכִּיתmaώkîyth · figureH4906
- of stoneאֶ֫בֶן'eben · stoneH68
- in your landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
- to bow downשָׁחָהshâchâh · to bowH7812
- the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
- your Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
Cross-references for Leviticus 26:1
- Leviticus 19:4“Don’t turn to worthless gods or cast metal idols. Never make any gods for yourselves. I am the Lord your God.
- Exodus 20:4Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.
- Exodus 23:24Never worship or serve their gods or follow their practices. Instead, you must destroy their gods and crush their sacred stones.
- Exodus 34:17“Never make an idol.
- Deuteronomy 4:16that you don’t become corrupt and make your own carved idols. Don’t make statues that represent men or women,
- Deuteronomy 5:8Never make your own carved idols or statues that represent any creature in the sky, on the earth, or in the water.
- Deuteronomy 16:21When you build the altar for the Lord your God, never plant beside it any tree dedicated to the goddess Asherah.
- Deuteronomy 27:15“Whoever has a carved or metal statue, anything disgusting to the Lord that was made by a craftsman, and sets it up in secret will be cursed.” Then all the people will say amen.
- Psalms 97:7Everyone who worships idols and brags about false gods will be put to shame. All the gods will bow to him.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are made of silver and gold. They were made by human hands.
- Isaiah 2:20On that day people will throw to the moles and the bats the silver and gold idols that they made for themselves to worship.
- Isaiah 44:9All who make idols are nothing. Their precious treasures are worthless. Their own witnesses do not see or know anything, so they will be put to shame.
- Isaiah 48:5That is why I revealed to you what would happen long ago. I told you about them before they happened. ⌞I did this⌟ so you couldn’t say, “My gods have done these things. My carved idols and my metal idols have commanded them to happen.”
- Jeremiah 10:3The religion of the people is worthless. Woodcutters cut down trees from the forest. The hands of craftsmen prepare them with axes.
- Acts 17:29So if we are God’s children, we shouldn’t think that the divine being is like an image made from gold, silver, or stone, an image that is the product of human imagination and skill.
- Romans 2:22As you tell others not to commit adultery, are you committing adultery? As you treat idols with disgust, are you robbing 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
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