New King James Version
Leviticus 26:1
1‘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.
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 Living Translation (NLT)“Do not make idols or set up carved images, or sacred pillars, or sculptured stones in your land so you may worship them. I am the Lord your God.
Context of Leviticus 26:1
‘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. 2You shall keep My Sabbaths and reverence My sanctuary: I am the Lord. 3‘If you walk in My statutes and keep My commandments, and perform them,
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‘Do not turn to idols, nor make for yourselves molded gods: I am the Lord your God.
- Exodus 20:4“You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
- Exodus 23:24You shall not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do according to their works; but you shall utterly overthrow them and completely break down their sacred pillars.
- Exodus 34:17“You shall make no molded gods for yourselves.
- Deuteronomy 4:16lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,
- Deuteronomy 5:8‘You shall not make for yourself a carved image—any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth;
- Deuteronomy 16:21“You shall not plant for yourself any tree, as a wooden image, near the altar which you build for yourself to the Lord your God.
- Deuteronomy 27:15‘Cursed is the one who makes a carved or molded image, an abomination to the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ “And all the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen!’
- Psalms 97:7Let all be put to shame who serve carved images, Who boast of idols. Worship Him, all you gods.
- Psalms 115:4Their idols are silver and gold, The work of men’s hands.
- Isaiah 2:20In that day a man will cast away his idols of silver And his idols of gold, Which they made, each for himself to worship, To the moles and bats,
- Isaiah 44:9Those who make an image, all of them are useless, And their precious things shall not profit; They are their own witnesses; They neither see nor know, that they may be ashamed.
- Isaiah 48:5Even from the beginning I have declared it to you; Before it came to pass I proclaimed it to you, Lest you should say, ‘My idol has done them, And my carved image and my molded image Have commanded them.’
- Jeremiah 10:3For the customs of the peoples are futile; For one cuts a tree from the forest, The work of the hands of the workman, with the ax.
- Acts 17:29Therefore, since we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Divine Nature is like gold or silver or stone, something shaped by art and man’s devising.
- Romans 2:22You who say, “Do not commit 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries