Exodus 20:4

Bishops' Bible (1568)

Thou shalt make thee no grauen image, neyther any similitude that is in heauen aboue, eyther in the earth beneath, or in the waters vnder the earth.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹֽ֣א תֽ͏ַעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֡֔ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֡֔עַל וֽ͏ַאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑͏ַ֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥֣ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ

Transliteration

lōʾ ṯaʿăśeh-ləḵā pesel and-all-təmûnāh ʾăsher bash-shāmayim from-mimmaʿal wa-ʾăsher bā-ʾāreṣ mit-tāḥaṯ wa-ʾăsher bam-mayim from-mittaḥaṯ lā-ʾāreṣ

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ ṯaʿăśeh*: negative particle + qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular - you shall not make
• *ləḵā*: preposition with 2nd masculine singular suffix - for yourself
• *pesel*: masculine singular noun - carved image/idol
• *təmûnāh*: feminine singular noun - likeness/form/representation
• *ʾăsher*: relative pronoun - that/which
• *bash-shāmayim*: preposition + definite article + masculine plural noun - in the heavens
• *mimmaʿal*: preposition + adverb - from above
• *bā-ʾāreṣ*: preposition + definite article + feminine singular noun - in the earth
• *mit-tāḥaṯ*: preposition + adverb - from below
• *bam-mayim*: preposition + definite article + masculine plural noun - in the waters
• *lā-ʾāreṣ*: preposition + definite article + feminine singular noun - to the earth

Word Meanings

• *pesel*: carved image/idol/statue
• *təmûnāh*: form/likeness/representation/semblance
• *mimmaʿal*: above/overhead
• *mit-tāḥaṯ*: beneath/below

Referenced Verses

• Lev 26:1 : 1 Ye shall make you no idols nor graue image, neither reare you vp any piller, neither shall ye set vp any image of stone in your lande to bowe downe vnto it: for I am the Lorde your God.
• Deut 4:15-19 : 15 Take therfore good heede vnto your selues as pertaynyng vnto your soules, (for ye sawe no maner of image in the day that the Lorde spake vnto you in Horeb, out of the middes of fire) 16 Lest ye marre your selues, & make you a grauen image, & picture of any maner of figure, whether it be the likenesse of man or woman. 17 The likenesse of any maner of beast that is on the earth, or the likenesse of any maner fethered foule that fleeth in the ayre, 18 Or the likenesse of any maner worme that creepeth on the earth, or the likenesse of any maner fishe that is in the waters beneath the earth: 19 Yea, and lest thou lift vp thyne eyes vnto heauen, and when thou seest the sunne, the moone, and the starres, with all the hoast of heauen, shouldest be driuen to worship them, & serue them, and shouldest worship and serue the thynges, which the Lorde thy God hath made to serue all nations vnder the whole heauen.
• Ps 97:7 : 7 Confounded be all they that do seruice vnto carued images: and that do glorie in idols, but O gods, you all shall worshyp hym.
• Deut 27:15 : 15 Cursed be the man that maketh any carued or moulten image, an abhomination vnto the Lorde, the worke of the handes of the craftesman, and putteth it in a secrete place: and all the people shall aunswere and say, Amen.
• Lev 19:4 : 4 Ye shal not looke vnto idols, nor make you moulten goddes: I am the Lorde your God.
• Acts 17:29 : 29 Forasmuch then as we are the offpring of God, we ought not to thynke that the Godhead is lyke vnto golde, siluer, or stone, grauen by art, and mans deuice.
• Isa 45:16 : 16 Confounded are they all and put to dishonour, thei are gone hence together with shame, euen the makers of images.
• Rev 14:9-9 : 9 And the thirde angell folowed them, saying with a loude voyce: If any man worshippe the beast and his image, and receaue his marke in his foreheade, or on his hande, 10 The same shall drynke of the wyne of the wrath of God: yea, of the pure wyne which is powred in ye cup of his wrath: And he shalbe punisshed in fyre & brimstone, before the holy angels, and before the lambe. 11 And the smoke of their torment ascendeth vp euermore: And they haue no rest day nor nyght which worship the beast and his image, and whosoeuer receaueth the prynt of his name.
• Rev 16:2 : 2 And the first angell went and powred out his vial vpon the earth, and there fell a noysome and a sore botch vpon the men which had the marke of the beast, and vpon them which worshipped his image.
• 1 Kgs 12:28 : 28 Wherupon the king toke counsel, and made two calues of golde, and sayd vnto them, It is muche for you to go vp to Hierusalem: Behold O Israel, these are thy goddes, which brought thee out of the lande of Egypt.
• 2 Chr 33:7 : 7 And he put the carued image and an idol whiche he had made, in the house of God: Of which house, God had sayd to Dauid and to Solomon his sonne, In this house and in Hierusalem whiche I haue chosen afore all the tribes of Israel will I put my name for euer.
• Acts 19:26-35 : 26 Moreouer, ye see and heare, that not alone at Ephesus, but almost throughout all Asia, this Paul hath perswaded and turned away much people, saying that they be not gods which are made with handes. 27 So that not only this our craft commeth into peryll to be set at naught, but also that the temple of ye great goddesse Diana should be despised, and her magnificence should be destroyed, whom all Asia and the worlde worshippeth. 28 And when they hearde these sayinges, they were full of wrath, and cryed out, saying: great is Diana of ye Ephesians. 29 And all the citie was on a rore, & they russhed into the common hall with one assent, and caught Gaius & Aristarcus, men of Macedonia, Paules companions. 30 When Paule woulde haue entred in vnto ye people, the disciples suffred hym not. 31 But certaine of ye chiefe of Asia, which were his friendes, sent vnto hym, desiryng hym that he would not preasse into the common hall. 32 Some therfore cryed one thyng, and some another, and the assemblie was all out of quiet, and the more part knew not wherfore they were come together. 33 And they drewe Alexander out of the multitude, the Iewes thrustyng hym forwardes. And Alexander beckened with the hande, and would haue geuen the people an aunswere. 34 But when they knewe that he was a Iewe, there arose a shoute almost for the space of two houres, of all men, crying: great is Diana of the Ephesians. 35 And when the towne clarke had pacified the people, he sayde: Ye men of Ephesus, what man is it that knoweth not how that the citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddesse Diana, and of the image whiche came downe from Iupiter?
• Rom 1:23 : 23 And turned the glorie of the immortall God, vnto an image, made not only after the similitude of a mortal man, but also of birdes, and foure footed beastes, and of crepyng beastes.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 And the remnaunt of the men whiche were not killed by these plagues, repented not of the deedes of their handes, that they shoulde not worship deuyls, and idoles of golde, and syluer, & brasse, and stone, and of wood, whiche neither can see, neither heare, neither go:
• Rev 13:14-15 : 14 And deceaued them that dwelt on the earth, by the meanes of those signes which he had power to do in the syght of the beast, saying to them that dwelt on the earth, that they shoulde make the image of the beast which had the wounde of a sworde, and dyd lyue. 15 And he had power to geue a spirite vnto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast shoulde speake, and shoulde cause that as many as woulde not worship the image of the beast, shoulde be kylled.
• Isa 46:5-8 : 5 whom wyll ye make me lyke, or to whom wyll ye make me equall or compare me, that I shoulde be like him? 6 Take out siluer and gold out of your purses, and way it, and hyre a goldesmith to make a god of it, that men may kneele downe and worship it: 7 Yet must he be taken on mens shoulders and borne, and set in his place, that he may stande, and not moue out of his place: And if one crye vnto hym, he geueth no aunswere, and deliuereth not the man that calleth vpon hym from his trouble. 8 Consider this well, and be ashamed: go into your owne selues.
• Jer 10:3-5 : 3 Yea all the customes and lawes of the gentiles are nothing but vanitie: They hewe downe a tree in the wood with the handes of the workeman, and fashion it with the axe. 4 They couer it ouer with golde or siluer, they fasten it with nailes and hammers, that it moue not. 5 It standeth as stiffe as the Palme tree, it can neither speake nor go one foote, but must be borne: Be not ye afraide of suche, for they can do neither good nor euill.
• Jer 10:8-9 : 8 They are altogether brutishe and vnwise in this one thing: wood is the teaching of vanitie. 9 Siluer is brought out of Tharsis, and beaten to plates, and gold from Ophir, a worke that is made with the hande of the craftesman, and they are clothed with yelowe silke and scarlet: all these are the worke of cunning men.
• Jer 10:14-16 : 14 His wisdome maketh all men fooles, and confounded be casters of images: for that they cast, is but a vayne thing, and hath no life. 15 The vayne craftesmen with their workes that they in their vanitie haue made, shall perishe one with another in time of visitation. 16 Neuerthelesse, Iacobs portion is none such: but it is he that hath made all thinges, and Israel is the rod of his inheritaunce: the Lorde of hoastes is his name.
• Ezek 8:10 : 10 So I went in and sawe, and beholde there were al maner of creeping beastes, and abhominable beastes, and all the idols of the house of Israel paynted vpon the wall rounde about.
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idols are siluer and gold: euen the workes of mens handes. 5 They haue a mouth and speake not: they haue eyes and see not. 6 They haue eares and heare not: they haue noses and smell not. 7 They haue handes and handle not, they haue feete and walke not: and they vtter no sounde out of their throtes. 8 They that make them are lyke vnto them: euery one that putteth his trust in them.
• Ps 135:15-18 : 15 As for the idols of the Heathen they are but siluer and golde: the worke of mens handes. 16 They haue a mouth and speake not: they haue eyes but they see not. 17 They haue eares and they heare not: yea there is no breath in their mouth. 18 They that make them are lyke vnto them: and euery one that putteth his trust in them.
• Isa 40:18-20 : 18 To whom then wyll ye lyken God? or what similitude will ye set vp to him? 19 Shall the caruer make hym a carued image? and shall the goldesmith couer hym with golde, or cast hym into a fourme of siluer plates? 20 Moreouer, shal the image maker that the poore man which is disposed may haue some thyng to set vp also, seeke out and choose a tree that is not rotten, and carue thereout an image that moueth not?
• Isa 42:8 : 8 Euen I am the Lord, and this is my name: and my glory wyll I geue to none other, neither mine honour to grauen images.
• Isa 42:17 : 17 They are fallen backe, yea and let them be ashamed earnestly that hope in idols, and say to the moulten images, ye are our gods.
• Isa 44:9-9 : 9 All caruers of images are but vayne, and the carued images that they loue can do no good: they must beare recorde them selues, that seeing they can neither see nor vnderstande, they shalbe confounded. 10 Who dare then make a god, or fashion an image that is profitable for nothing? 11 Beholde, all the felowship of them must be brought to confusion, & truely all the workemasters of them are men: they shal all be gathered together, they shall stand, tremble, and be confounded one with another. 12 The smith maketh an axe, and tempereth it with hotte coales, and fashioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with all the strength of his armes, yea sometime he is fainte for very hunger, and so thirstie that he hath no more power. 13 The carpenter or image caruer taketh measure of the timber, and spreadeth foorth his line, he marketh it with some colour, he playneth it, he ruleth it, and squareth it, and maketh it after the image of a man, and according to the beautie of a man, that it may stande in the house. 14 Moreouer, he goeth out to hewe Cedar trees, he bringeth home Elmes and Okes, and taking a bolde courage, he seeketh out the best timber of the wood: he him selfe hath planted a Pine tree, whiche the rayne hath swelled, 15 Which wood serueth for men to burne: Of this he taketh and warmeth hym selfe withall, he maketh a fire of it to bakebread, and maketh also a god therof to honour it, and a grauen image to kneele before it. 16 One peece he burneth in the fire, with another he rosteth fleshe, that he may eate roste his belly full: with the thirde he warmeth him selfe, and saith, Aha, I am well warmed, I haue ben at the fire. 17 And of the residue he maketh hym a god, and grauen image for him selfe: he kneeleth before it, he worshippeth it, he prayeth vnto it, and saith, Deliuer me, for thou art my god. 18 Yet men neither consider nor vnderstande, because their eyes be stopped that they can not see, and their heartes that they can not perceaue. 19 They ponder not in their mindes, for they haue neither knowledge nor vnderstanding to thinke thus: I haue brent one peece in the fire, I haue baked bread with the coales thereof, I haue rosted fleshe withall, and eaten it: and I wyll nowe of the residue make an abhominable idoll, and fall downe before a rotten peece of wood. 20 Thus doth he but lose his labour, and his heart whiche is deceaued doth turne hym aside, so that none of them can haue a free conscience to thinke, Do not I erre?
• Deut 4:23-25 : 23 Take heede vnto your selues, that ye forget not ye appoyntment of the Lorde your God which he made with you, & that ye make you no grauen image or likenesse that the Lorde thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For the Lorde thy God, is a consumyng fire, and a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children, and thy children beget children, and shalt haue remayned long in the lande, ye do wickedly, & make any maner of grauen image, and worke euyll in the sight of the Lorde thy God, to prouoke hym to anger:
• Exod 32:1 : 1 And when ye people sawe that it was log or Moyses came downe out of the mountaine, they gathered them selues together vnto Aaron, and sayd vnto hym, Up, make vs Gods to go before vs: for we wote not what is become of this Moyses, the man that brought vs out of the lande of Egypt.
• Exod 32:8 : 8 They are turned quickly out of the way whiche I commaunded them: for they haue made them a calfe of moulten mettall, and haue worshipped it, and haue offred thervnto, saying: These be thy goddes O Israel, whiche haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt.
• Exod 32:23 : 23 For they sayde vnto me: Make vs goddes to go before vs, for we wote not what is become of Moyses, the man that brought vs out of ye land of Egypt.
• Exod 34:17 : 17 Thou shalt make thee no gods of mettall.
• Deut 5:8 : 8 Thou shalt make thee no grauen image, or any likenesse of that which is in heauen aboue, and that is in earth beneath, and that is in the waters beneath the earth.