Exodus 20:4

Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

`Thou dost not make to thyself a graven image, or any likeness which `is' in the heavens above, or which `is' in the earth beneath, or which `is' in the waters under 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 do not make to yourselves idols; and graven image or standing image ye do not set up to yourselves; and a stone of imagery ye do not put in your land, to bow yourselves to it; for I `am' Jehovah your God.
• Deut 4:15-19 : 15 and ye have been very watchful of your souls, for ye have not seen any similitude in the day of Jehovah's speaking unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire, 16 lest ye do corruptly, and have made to you a graven image, a similitude of any figure, a form of male or female -- 17 a form of any beast which `is' in the earth -- a form of any winged bird which flieth in the heavens -- 18 a form of any creeping thing on the ground -- a form of any fish which `is' in the waters under the earth; 19 `And lest thou lift up thine eyes towards the heavens, and hast seen the sun, and the moon, and the stars, all the host of the heavens, and thou hast been forced, and hast bowed thyself to them, and served them, which Jehovah thy God hath apportioned to all the peoples under the whole heavens.
• Ps 97:7 : 7 Ashamed are all servants of a graven image, Those boasting themselves in idols, Bow yourselves to him, all ye gods.
• Deut 27:15 : 15 `Cursed `is' the man who maketh a graven and molten image, the abomination of Jehovah, work of the hands of an artificer, and hath put `it' in a secret place, -- and all the people have answered and said, Amen.
• Lev 19:4 : 4 `Ye do not turn unto the idols, and a molten god ye do not make to yourselves; I `am' Jehovah your God.
• Acts 17:29 : 29 `Being, therefore, offspring of God, we ought not to think the Godhead to be like to gold, or silver, or stone, graving of art and device of man;
• Isa 45:16 : 16 They have been ashamed, And they have even blushed -- all of them, Together gone in confusion have those carving images.
• Rev 14:9-9 : 9 And a third messenger did follow them, saying in a great voice, `If any one the beast doth bow before, and his image, and doth receive a mark upon his forehead, or upon his hand, 10 he also shall drink of the wine of the wrath of God, that hath been mingled unmixed in the cup of His anger, and he shall be tormented in fire and brimstone before the holy messengers, and before the Lamb, 11 and the smoke of their torment doth go up to ages of ages; and they have no rest day and night, who are bowing before the beast and his image, also if any doth receive the mark of his name.
• Rev 16:2 : 2 and the first did go away, and did pour out his vial upon the land, and there came a sore -- bad and grievous -- to men, those having the mark of the beast, and those bowing to his image.
• 1 Kgs 12:28 : 28 And the king taketh counsel, and maketh two calves of gold, and saith unto them, `Enough to you of going up to Jerusalem; lo, thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'
• 2 Chr 33:7 : 7 And he placeth the graven image of the idol that he made in the house of God, of which God said unto David, and unto Solomon his son, `In this house, and in Jerusalem that I have chosen out of all the tribes of Israel, I put My name to the age,
• Acts 19:26-35 : 26 and ye see and hear, that not only at Ephesus, but almost in all Asia, this Paul, having persuaded, did turn away a great multitude, saying, that they are not gods who are made by hands; 27 and not only is this department in danger for us of coming into disregard, but also, that of the great goddess Artemis the temple is to be reckoned for nothing, and also her greatness is about to be brought down, whom all Asia and the world doth worship.' 28 And they having heard, and having become full of wrath, were crying out, saying, `Great `is' the Artemis of the Ephesians!' 29 and the whole city was filled with confusion, they rushed also with one accord into the theatre, having caught Gaius and Aristarchus, Macedonians, Paul's fellow-travellers. 30 And on Paul's purposing to enter in unto the populace, the disciples were not suffering him, 31 and certain also of the chief men of Asia, being his friends, having sent unto him, were entreating him not to venture himself into the theatre. 32 Some indeed, therefore, were calling out one thing, and some another, for the assembly was confused, and the greater part did not know for what they were come together; 33 and out of the multitude they put forward Alexander -- the Jews thrusting him forward -- and Alexander having beckoned with the hand, wished to make defence to the populace, 34 and having known that he is a Jew, one voice came out of all, for about two hours, crying, `Great `is' the Artemis of the Ephesians!' 35 And the public clerk having quieted the multitude, saith, `Men, Ephesians, why, who is the man that doth not know that the city of the Ephesians is a devotee of the great goddess Artemis, and of that which fell down from Zeus?
• Rom 1:23 : 23 and changed the glory of the incorruptible God into the likeness of an image of corruptible man, and of fowls, and of quadrupeds, and of reptiles.
• Rev 9:20 : 20 and the rest of men, who were not killed in these plagues, neither did reform from the works of their hands, that they may not bow before the demons, and idols, those of gold, and those of silver, and those of brass, and those of stone, and those of wood, that are neither able to see, nor to hear, nor to walk,
• Rev 13:14-15 : 14 and it leadeth astray those dwelling on the land, because of the signs that were given it to do before the beast, saying to those dwelling upon the land to make an image to the beast that hath the stroke of the sword and did live, 15 and there was given to it to give a spirit to the image of the beast, that also the image of the beast may speak, and `that' it may cause as many as shall not bow before the image of the beast, that they may be killed.
• Isa 46:5-8 : 5 To whom do ye liken Me, and make equal? And compare Me, that we may be like? 6 -- They are pouring out gold from a bag, And silver on the beam they weigh, They hire a refiner, and he maketh it a god, They fall down, yea, they bow themselves. 7 They lift him up on the shoulder, They carry him, and cause him to rest in his place, And he standeth, from his place he moveth not, Yea, one crieth unto him, and he answereth not, From his adversity he saveth him not. 8 Remember this, and shew yourselves men, Turn `it' back, O transgressors, to the heart.
• Jer 10:3-5 : 3 For the statutes of the peoples are vanity, For a tree from a forest hath one cut, Work of the hands of an artificer, with an axe, 4 With silver and with gold they beautify it, With nails and with hammers they fix it, And it doth not stumble. 5 As a palm they `are' stiff, and they speak not, They are surely borne, for they step not, Be not afraid of them, for they do no evil, Yea, also to do good is not in them.
• Jer 10:8-9 : 8 And in one they are brutish and foolish, An instruction of vanities `is' the tree itself. 9 Spread-out silver from Tarshish is brought, And gold from Uphaz, Work of an artizan, and of the hands of a refiner, Blue and purple `is' their clothing, Work of the skilful -- all of them.
• Jer 10:14-16 : 14 Brutish is every man by knowledge, Put to shame is every refiner by a graven image, For false `is' his molten image. And there is no breath in them. 15 Vanity `are' they, work of erring ones, In the time of their inspection they perish. 16 Not like these `is' the Portion of Jacob, For framer of all things `is' He, And Israel `is' the rod of His inheritance, Jehovah of Hosts `is' His name.
• Ezek 8:10 : 10 And I go in, and look, and lo, every form of creeping thing, and detestable beast -- and all the Idols of the house of Israel -- graved on the wall, all round about,
• Ps 115:4-8 : 4 Their idols `are' silver and gold, work of man's hands, 5 A mouth they have, and they speak not, Eyes they have, and they see not, 6 Ears they have, and they hear not, A nose they have, and they smell not, 7 Their hands, but they handle not, Their feet, and they walk not; 8 Nor do they mutter through their throat, Like them are their makers, Every one who is trusting in them.
• Ps 135:15-18 : 15 The idols of the nations `are' silver and gold, Work of the hands of man. 16 A mouth they have, and they speak not, Eyes they have, and they see not, 17 Ears they have, and they give not ear, Nose -- there is no breath in their mouth! 18 Like them are their makers, Every one who is trusting in them.
• Isa 40:18-20 : 18 And unto whom do ye liken God, And what likeness do ye compare to Him? 19 The graven image poured out hath a artizan, And a refiner with gold spreadeth it over, And chains of silver he is refining. 20 He who is poor `by' heave-offerings, A tree not rotten doth choose, A skilful artizan he seeketh for it, To establish a graven image -- not moved.
• Isa 42:8 : 8 I `am' Jehovah, this `is' My name, And Mine honour to another I give not, Nor My praise to graven images.
• Isa 42:17 : 17 Removed backward -- utterly ashamed, Are those trusting in a graven image, Those saying to a molten image, `Ye `are' our gods.'
• Isa 44:9-9 : 9 Framers of a graven image `are' all of them emptiness, And their desirable things do not profit, And their own witnesses they `are', They see not, nor know, that they may be ashamed. 10 Who hath formed a god, And a molten image poured out -- not profitable? 11 Lo, all his companions are ashamed, As to artizans -- they `are' of men, All of them gather together, they stand up, They fear, they are ashamed together. 12 He hath wrought iron `with' an axe, And hath wrought with coals, And with hammers doth form it, And doth work it by his powerful arm, Yea, he is hungry, and there is no power, He doth not drink water, and he is wearied. 13 He hath wrought `with' wood, He hath stretched out a rule, He doth mark it out with a line, He maketh it with carving tools, And with a compass he marketh it out, And maketh it according to the form of a man, According to the beauty of a man, To remain in the house. 14 Cutting down to himself cedars, He taketh also a cypress, and an oak, And he strengtheneth `it' for himself Among the trees of a forest, He hath planted an ash, and the shower doth nourish `it'. 15 And it hath been for man to burn, And he taketh of them, and becometh warm, Yea, he kindleth `it', and hath baked bread, Yea, he maketh a god, and boweth himself, He hath made it a graven image, And he falleth down to it. 16 Half of it he hath burnt in the fire, By `this' half of it he eateth flesh, He roasteth a roasting, and is satisfied, Yea, he is warm, and saith: `Aha, I have become warm, I have enjoyed the light. 17 And its remnant for a god he hath made -- For his graven image, He falleth down to it, and worshippeth, And prayeth unto it, and he saith, `Deliver me, for my god thou `art'.' 18 They have not known, nor do they understand, For He hath daubed their eyes from seeing, Their heart from acting wisely. 19 And none doth turn `it' back unto his heart, Nor hath knowledge nor understanding to say, `Half of it I have burned in the fire, Yea, also, I have baked bread over its coals, I roast flesh and I eat, And its remnant for an abomination I make, To the stock of a tree I fall down.' 20 Feeding on ashes, the heart is deceived, It hath turned him aside, And he delivereth not his soul, nor saith: `Is there not a lie in my right hand?'
• Deut 4:23-25 : 23 `Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He hath made with you, and have made to yourselves a graven image, a similitude of anything `concerning' which Jehovah thy God hath charged thee: 24 for Jehovah thy God is a fire consuming -- a zealous God. 25 `When thou begettest sons and sons' sons, and ye have become old in the land, and have done corruptly, and have made a graven image, a similitude of anything, and have done the evil thing in the eyes of Jehovah, to provoke Him to anger: --
• Exod 32:1 : 1 And the people see that Moses is delaying to come down from the mount, and the people assemble against Aaron, and say unto him, `Rise, make for us gods who go before us, for this Moses -- the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt -- we have not known what hath happened to him.'
• Exod 32:8 : 8 they have turned aside hastily from the way that I have commanded them; they have made for themselves a molten calf, and bow themselves to it, and sacrifice to it, and say, These thy gods, O Israel, who brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.'
• Exod 32:23 : 23 and they say to me, Make for us gods, who go before us, for this Moses -- the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt -- we have not known what hath happened to him;
• Exod 34:17 : 17 a molten god thou dost not make to thyself.
• Deut 5:8 : 8 `Thou dost not make to thee a graven image, any similitude which `is' in the heavens above, and which `is' in the earth beneath, and which `is' in the waters under the earth;