Leviticus 19:4

King James Version with Strong's Numbers

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

אַל־תִּפְנוּ֙ אֶל־הָ֣אֱלִילִ֔ים וֵֽאלֹהֵי֙ מַסֵּכָ֔ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ לָכֶ֑ם אֲנִ֖י יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם

Transliteration

ʾal-tifnû ʾel-hā-ʾĕlîlîm wə-ʾĕlōhê massēḵāh lōʾ taʿăśû lāḵem ʾănî YHWH ʾĕlōhêḵem

Grammar Details

• *ʾal*: negative particle with jussive - do not
• *tifnû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural jussive - turn/look
• *ʾel*: preposition - to, toward
• *hā-ʾĕlîlîm*: definite article + noun, masculine plural - the idols/worthless things
• *wə-ʾĕlōhê*: conjunction + noun, masculine plural construct - and gods of
• *massēḵāh*: noun, feminine singular - molten image/cast idol
• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *taʿăśû*: Qal imperfect, 2nd masculine plural - you shall make
• *lāḵem*: preposition + 2nd masculine plural suffix - for yourselves
• *ʾănî*: 1st person singular independent pronoun - I
• *YHWH*: proper noun - the LORD
• *ʾĕlōhêḵem*: noun, masculine plural construct + 2nd masculine plural suffix - your God

Word Meanings

• *tifnû*: turn to/look to/regard/pay attention to
• *hā-ʾĕlîlîm*: the idols/worthless things/false gods/nothings
• *massēḵāh*: molten image/cast idol/metal statue

Referenced Verses

• Lev 26:1 : 1 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.
• Exod 20:23 : 23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
• Exod 34:17 : 17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
• Deut 27:15 : 15 Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the LORD, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.
• 1 John 5:21 : 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
• 1 Cor 10:14 : 14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
• Ps 96:5 : 5 For all the gods of the nations are idols: but the LORD made the heavens.
• Ps 115:4-7 : 4 Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. 5 They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: 6 They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: 7 They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat.
• Exod 32:4 : 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
• Hag 2:18 : 18 Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the LORD'S temple was laid, consider it.