Exodus 20:4

Geneva Bible (1560)

Thou shalt make thee no grauen image, neither any similitude of things that are in heauen aboue, neither that are in the earth beneath, nor that are 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 none idoles nor grauen image, neither reare you vp any pillar, neither shal ye set any image of stone in your land to bow downe to it: for I am the Lord your God.
• Deut 4:15-19 : 15 Take therefore good heede vnto your selues: for ye sawe no image in the day that the Lord spake vnto you in Horeb out of the middes of the fire: 16 That ye corrupt not your selues, and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure: whither it be the likenes of male or female, 17 The likenes of any beast that is on earth, or the likenesse of any fethered foule that flieth in the aire: 18 Or the likenesse of any thing that creepeth on the earth, or the likenesse of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth, 19 And lest thou lift vp thine eyes vnto heauen, and when thou seest the sunne & the moone and the starres with all the host of heauen, shouldest bee driuen to worship them and serue them, which the Lord thy God hath distributed to all people vnder the whole heauen.
• Ps 97:7 : 7 Confounded be all they that serue grauen images, and that glory in idoles: worship him all ye gods.
• Deut 27:15 : 15 Cursed be the man that shall make any carued or molten image, which is an abomination vnto the Lord, the worke of the hands of the craftesman, and putteth it in a secrete place: And all the people shal answere, and say: So be it.
• Lev 19:4 : 4 Ye shall not turne vnto idoles, nor make you molten gods: I am the Lord your God.
• Acts 17:29 : 29 Forasmuch then, as we are the generation of God, we ought not to thinke that ye Godhead is like vnto gold, or siluer, or stone grauen by arte and the inuention of man.
• Isa 45:16 : 16 All they shalbe ashamed and also confounded: they shall goe to confusion together, that are the makers of images.
• Rev 14:9-9 : 9 And the third Angel followed them, saying with a loude voyce, If any man worship the beast and his image, and receiue his marke in his forehead, or on his hand, 10 The same shall drinke of the wine of ye wrath of God, yea, of the pure wine, which is powred into the cup of his wrath, and he shalbe tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy Angels, and before the Lambe. 11 And the smoke of their torment shall ascend euermore: and they shal haue no rest day nor night, which worship the beast and his image, and whosoeuer receiueth the print of his name.
• Rev 16:2 : 2 And the first went & powred out his viall vpon the earth: and there fell a noysome, & a grieuous sore vpon the men, which had the marke of ye beast, and vpon them which worshipped his image.
• 1 Kgs 12:28 : 28 Whereupon the King tooke counsell, and made two calues of golde, and saide vnto them, It is too much for you to goe vp to Ierusalem: beholde, O Israel, thy gods, which brought thee vp out of the lande of Egypt.
• 2 Chr 33:7 : 7 He put also the carued image, which he had made, in the house of God: whereof God had said to Dauid and to Salomon his sonne, In this house and in Ierusalem, which I haue chosen before 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 onely this thing is dangerous vnto vs, that this our portion shall be reproued, but also that the temple of the great goddesse Diana should be nothing esteemed, and that it would come to passe that her magnificence, which all Asia & the world worshippeth, should be destroyed. 28 Now when they heard it, they were full of wrath, and cried out, saying, Great is Diana of the Ephesians. 29 And the whole citie was full of confusion, and they rushed into the common place with one assent, and caught Gaius, and Aristarchus, men of Macedonia, and Pauls companions of his iourney. 30 And when Paul would haue entred in vnto the people, the disciples suffred him not. 31 Certaine also of the chiefe of Asia which were his friendes, sent vnto him, desiring him that hee woulde not present him selfe in the Common place. 32 Some therefore cried one thing, and some another: for the assemblie was out of order, and the more part knewe not wherefore they were come together. 33 And some of the company drew foorth Alexander, the Iewes thrusting him forwards. Alexander then beckened with the hande, and woulde haue excused the matter to the people. 34 But when they knew 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 Then the towne clearke when hee had stayed the people, saide, Ye men of Ephesus, what man is it that knoweth not howe that the citie of the Ephesians is a worshipper of the great goddesse Diana, and of the image, which came downe from Iupiter?
• Rom 1:23 : 23 For they turned the glorie of the incorruptible God to the similitude of the image of a corruptible man, and of birdes, and foure footed beastes, and of creeping things.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 And the remnant of the men which were not killed by these plagues, repented not of the works of their handes that they should not worship deuils, and idoles of golde and of siluer, and of brasse, and of stone, and of wood, which neither can see, neither heare nor goe.
• Rev 13:14-15 : 14 And deceiued them that dwell on the earth by the signes, which were permitted to him to doe in the sight of the beast, saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make the image of the beast, which had the wound of a sword, and did liue. 15 And it was permitted to him to giue a spirit vnto the image of the beast, so that the image of the beast should speake, and should cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast, should be killed.
• Isa 46:5-8 : 5 To whom will ye make me like or make me equall, or copare me, that I should be like him? 6 They draw gold out of the bagge & weigh siluer in the balance, and hire a goldsmith to make a god of it, and they bowe downe, and worship it. 7 They beare it vpon the shoulders: they carie him and set him in his place: so doeth he stand, and cannot remoue from his place. Though one crie vnto him, yet can he not answere, nor deliuer him out of his tribulation. 8 Remember this, and be ashamed: bring it againe to minde, O you transgressers.
• Jer 10:3-5 : 3 For the customes of the people are vaine: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest (which is the worke of the handes of the carpenter) with the axe, 4 And another decketh it with siluer, and with golde: they fasten it with nailes, and hammers, that it fall not. 5 The idoles stande vp as the palme tree, but speake not: they are borne because they cannot go feare them not, for they cannot do euill, neither can they do good.
• Jer 10:8-9 : 8 But, altogether they dote, and are foolish: for the stocke is a doctrine of vanitie. 9 Siluer plates are brought from Tarshish, & golde from Vphaz, for the worke of the workeman, and the handes of the founder: the blewe silke, and the purple is their clothing: all these things are made by cunning men.
• Jer 10:14-16 : 14 Euery man is a beast by his owne knowledge: euery founder is confounded by the grauen image: for his melting is but falsehood, and there is no breath therein. 15 They are vanitie, and the worke of errours: in the time of their visitation they shall perish. 16 The portion of Iaakob is not like them: for he is the maker of all things, and Israel is the rodde of his inheritance: the Lorde of hostes is his Name.
• Ezek 8:10 : 10 So I went in, and sawe, and beholde, there was euery similitude of creeping thinges and abominable beasts and all the idoles of the house of Israel painted vpon the wall round about.
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idoles are siluer and golde, euen the worke of mens hands. 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 touche not: they haue feete and walke not: neither make they a sound with their throte. 8 They that make them are like vnto them: so are all that trust in them.
• Ps 135:15-18 : 15 The idoles of the heathen are siluer and golde, euen the worke of mens handes. 16 They haue a mouth, and speake not: they haue eyes and see not. 17 They haue eares and heare not, neither is there any breath in their mouth. 18 They that make them, are like vnto them: so are all that trust in them.
• Isa 40:18-20 : 18 To whom then wil ye liken God? or what similitude will ye set vp vnto him? 19 The workeman melteth an image, or the goldsmith beateth it out in golde, or the goldesmith maketh siluer plates. 20 Doeth not the poore chuse out a tree that will not rot, for an oblation? he seeketh also vnto him a cunning workeman, to prepare an image, that shall not be moued.
• Isa 42:8 : 8 I am the Lorde, this is my Name, and my glory wil I not giue to another, neither my praise to grauen images.
• Isa 42:17 : 17 They shall be turned backe: they shall be greatly ashamed, that trust in grauen images, and say to the molten images, Yee are our gods.
• Isa 44:9-9 : 9 All they that make an image, are vanitie, and their delectable things shall nothing profite: & they are their owne witnesses, that they see not nor know: therefore they shalbe confounded. 10 Who hath made a god, or molten an image, that is profitable for nothing? 11 Beholde, all that are of the felowship thereof, shall be confounded: for the workemen themselues are men: let them all be gathered together, and stand vp, yet they shall feare, and be confounded together. 12 The smith taketh an instrument, and worketh in the coles, and facioneth it with hammers, and worketh it with the strength of his armes: yea, he is an hungred, and his strength faileth: he drinketh no water, and is faint. 13 The carpenter stretcheth out a line: he facioneth it with a red thread, he planeth it, and he purtreyeth it with the compasse, and maketh it after the figure of a man, and according to the beautie of a man that it may remaine in an house. 14 He will hewe him downe cedars, and take the pine tree and the oke, and taketh courage among the trees of the forest: he planteth a firre tree, and the raine doeth nourish it. 15 And man burneth thereof: for he will take thereof and warme himselfe: he also kindleth it & baketh bread, yet he maketh a god, & worshippeth it: he maketh it an idole and boweth vnto it. 16 He burneth the halfe thereof euen in the fire, and vpon the halfe thereof he eateth flesh: he rosteth the roste and is satisfied: also he warmeth himselfe and sayth, Aha, I am warme, I haue bene at the fire. 17 And the residue thereof he maketh a god, euen his idole: he boweth vnto it, and worshippeth and prayeth vnto it, and sayeth, Deliuer me: for thou art my god. 18 They haue not knowen, nor vnderstand: for God hath shut their eyes that they cannot see, and their heartes, that they cannot vnderstand. 19 And none considereth in his heart, neither is there knowledge nor vnderstanding to say, I haue burnt halfe of it, euen in the fire, and haue baked bread also vpon the coles thereof: I haue rosted flesh, and eaten it, and shall I make the residue thereof an abomination? shall I bowe to the stocke of a tree? 20 He feedeth of ashes: a seduced heart hath deceiued him, that he cannot deliuer his soule, nor say, Is there not a lye in my right hand?
• Deut 4:23-25 : 23 Take heede vnto your selues, least ye forget the couenant of the Lorde your God which hee made with you, and least ye make you any grauen image, or likenes of any thing, as the Lorde thy God hath charged thee. 24 For the Lorde thy God is a consuming fire, and a ielous God. 25 When thou shalt beget children and childrens children, and shalt haue remained long in the land, if ye corrupt your selues, and make any grauen image, or likenes of any thing, and worke euill in the sight of the Lord thy God, to prouoke him to anger,
• Exod 32:1 : 1 Bvt when the people sawe, that Moses taryed long or he came downe from the mountaine, the people gathered themselues together against Aaron, and sayde vnto him, Vp, make vs gods to goe before vs: for of this Moses (the man that brought vs out of the land of Egypt) we knowe not what is become of him.
• Exod 32:8 : 8 They are soone turned out of the way, which I commanded them: for they haue made them a molten calfe and haue worshipped it, and haue offered thereto, saying, These be thy gods, O Israel, which haue brought thee out of the lande of Egypt.
• Exod 32:23 : 23 And they sayde vnto me, Make vs gods to go before vs: for we knowe not what is become of this Moses (the man that brought vs out of the land of Egypt.)
• Exod 34:17 : 17 Thou shalt make thee no gods of metall.
• Deut 5:8 : 8 Thou shalt make thee no grauen image or any likenesse of that that is in heauen aboue, or which is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters vnder the earth.