"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image" () is an abbreviated form of the second part of one of the Ten Commandments which, according to the Book of Deuteronomy, were spoken by God to the Israelites and then written on stone tablets by the Finger of God.Deuteronomy 4:13 It continues, "... 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 earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them."
Rabbinical Judaism does not allow images. Christians abide by this law with their own interpretation depending on the denomination. Catholics and Orthodox focus on images and icons rather than idols, sometimes with destruction of images (iconoclasm) occurring, particularly images of Jesus and the saints. Aniconism is a common but not universal aspect of modern Islam.
Although no single biblical passage contains a complete definition of idolatry, the subject is addressed in numerous passages, so that idolatry may be summarized as the strange worship of idols or images; the worship of polytheistic gods by use of idols or images; the worship of created things (trees, rocks, animals, astronomical bodies, or another human being); and the use of idols in the worship of God (YHWH Elohim, the God of Israel).The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Harrison, R. K., ed. (2005), Chicago: Moody Publishers, , p. 602 Covetousness is forbidden by the 10th commandment, and as greed is defined as idolatry in the New Testament.Colossians 3:5, Ephesians 5:5 When the commandment was given, opportunities to participate in the honor or worship of idols abounded, and the religions of Canaanite tribes neighboring the Israelites often centered on a carefully constructed and maintained cult idol."Idol: Images in the ANE", The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Freedman, David N. (ed.), 1992, New York: Doubleday, , p. 377 However, according to the book of Deuteronomy, the Israelites were strictly warned neither to adopt nor adapt any of the religious practices of the peoples around them.Deuteronomy 12:4,31; Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible, Commentary on Deuteronomy 12
Nevertheless, according to the Hebrew Bible the story of the people of Israel until the Babylonian Captivity includes the violation of this commandment as well as the one before it, "Thou shalt have no other gods before me". Much of biblical preaching from the time of Moses to the exile relates to the choice between the exclusive worshiping of God and the worshiping of other idols."Idolatry", HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, 1996, Achtemeier, Paul J. (ed.), New York: HarperCollins, The Babylonian exile seems to have been a turning point after which the Jewish people as a whole were strongly monotheistic and willing to fight battles (such as the Maccabean Revolt) and face martyrdom before paying homage to any other god."Idol: In the Exile and After", in HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, 1996, Achtemeier, Paul J. (ed.), New York: HarperCollins Publishers, ; "Sermon LXXXIII: On Spiritual Idolatry", in Wesley, John, Sermons on Several Occasions, Vol. 2, Jackson, T. (ed.), London: J. Kershaw, 1825, pp. 314-315
According to the psalmist and the prophet Isaiah, those who worship inanimate idols will be like them, that is, unseeing, unfeeling, unable to hear the truth that God would communicate to them.Beale, G. K., We Become What We Worship: A Biblical Theology of Idolatry, InterVarsity Press, 2008, , pp.41-42, 141-142 Paul the Apostle identifies the worship of created things (rather than the Creator) as the cause of the disintegration of sexual and social morality in his letter to the Romans.Romans 1:22-29; Dunn J. D. G. (11998), The Theology of Paul the Apostle, Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, pp.33–34, Although the commandment implies that the worship of God is not compatible with the worship of idols, the status of an individual as an idol worshiper or a God worshiper is not portrayed as predetermined and unchangeable in the Bible. When the covenant is renewed under Joshua, the Israelites are encouraged to throw away their foreign gods and "choose this day whom you will serve".Joshua 24:14-15, commentary on Joshua 24:15, Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Holy Bible, Earle, Ralph (1967), Beacon Hill Press, , p. 263 King Josiah, when he becomes aware of the terms of God's covenant, zealously works to rid his kingdom of idols.2 Kings 22-23; 2 Chronicles 34; "Josiah", The Anchor Bible Dictionary, Vol. 3, Freedman, David Noel (ed.), Doubleday, 1992, According to the book of Acts, Paul tells the Athenians that though their city is full of idols, the true God is represented by none of them and requires them to turn away from idols.Acts 17:16; Walvoord and Zuck ()1983, The Bible Knowledge Commentary: New Testament, l, Colorado Springs: David C. Cook, p. 402,
Commandment
Words translated as "graven image" The English words "graven image" or "idol" in translations of the Bible may represent any of several Hebrew words. The word is pesel (פֶסֶל), translated in modern Hebrew as “sculpture” indicating something carved or hewn. In subsequent passages, pesel was applied to images of metal and wood, as well as those of stone. Other terms, such as nēsek and massēkâ, massēbâ, ōseb, and maskit also indicate a material or manner of manufacture."Idol, Image", in Unger, Merrill F. (2005), The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Harrison, R. K., ed., Chicago: Moody, , pp. 601-602
Some terms represent the consistently negative moral view with which idols are portrayed by the Bible.Bromiley, Geoffrey W. (1982), International Standard Bible Encyclopedia, Vol. E–J, Wm. B. Eerdmans, , p. 795 For example, idols are referred to as "non-God",Deuteronomy 32:17, 21; Jeremiah 2:11 "things of naught",Leviticus 19:4 "vanity",Deuteronomy 32 "iniquity",1 Samuel 15:23 "wind and confusion",Isaiah 41:29 "the dead",Psalm 106:28 "carcasses",Leviticus 26:30; Jeremiah 16:18 and "a lie".Isaiah 44:20 Other terms are deliberately contemptuous, such as elilim, "powerless ones", and gillulim, "pellets of dung"."idol", in Achtemeier Paul J., ed. (1996), The HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, New York: HarperCollins,
Cultural context
The idols of the Ancient Near East were central figures of the tribal cults around the Israelites. They are said to have been placed upon pedestals, clothed and colored, and fastened with chains of silver or nails of iron lest they fall over or be carried off.Jeremiah 10:9, 14; Ezekiel 16:18; Isaiah 40:19, 41:7 To demonstrate victory over an enemy's idols, it was customary to take away the idols of the vanquished,Isaiah 10:10–11, 36:19, 46:1; Jeremiah 48:7, 49:3; Hosea 10:5; Daniel 11:8 and a similar custom is frequently mentioned in the cuneiform texts.See, for example, History of Assurbanipal, translated from the cuneiform inscriptions by G. Smith, 1871, p. 298
Scholars have discussed whether idol worshipers made a distinction between a spiritual being that existed independently of idols and the physical idols themselves. Some scholars opine that the pagans in the Hebrew Bible did not literally worship the objects themselves, so that the issue of idolatry is really concerned with whether one is pursuing a "false god" or "the true God". In addition to the spiritual aspect of their worship, peoples in the Ancient Near East took great care to physically maintain their cult idols and thought that the instructions for their manufacture and maintenance came from the spirit of the god. Magical ceremonies were performed through which the people believed the spirit of the god came to live in the physical idol. When idols were captured or not cared for, the associated religious practices also flagged. So while scholars may debate the relative importance of belief in the physical object or the spirit it represented or housed, in practice the distinction was not easy to discern."Idol", in Achtemeier, Paul J., ed. (1996), HarperCollins Bible Dictionary, HarperCollins, , p. 449
Biblical injunctions Idolatry is prohibited in many biblical passages, although there is no single section that contains a complete definition. Rather there are a number of commandments on this subject spread through the books of the Tanakh, and taking these passages together, idolatry may be defined as the worship of idols (or images); the worship of polytheistic gods by use of idols (or images); the worship of created things (trees, rocks, animals, astronomical bodies, or another human being); and even the use of idols in the worship of the God of Israel.Idolatry, The New Unger's Bible Dictionary, Harrison, R.K., ed., 2005, Chicago: Moody Publishers, , p. 602
The question has been raised whether the ancient view of this command prohibits images of Yahweh. Some scholars have proposed that the golden calf made by Aaron (while Moses was on the mountain receiving the Ten Commandments) was supposed to represent Yahweh, or perhaps a throne or steed on which the people were to envision Yahweh."Idol: Images in Israel", in Freedman, David N., ed. (1992), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, New York: Doubleday, , pp. 378–379 It is generally held that the Masoretes altered ʾābı̂r ("bull") to ʾabbı̂r ("mighty one") by changing the pointing (adding a dagesh to the bet), to disguise any association between Yahweh and a bull.John R. Spencer, "Golden Calf", in Freedman, David N., ed. (1992), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, New York: Doubleday, , p. 1068 Other suggestions are that the calf represents some other god, with El, Baal, and particularly the moon god Sin being proposed. According to Exodus 32:7–8, in a divine speech to Moses, God reveals the events going on at the base of Mt. Sinai to Moses, judging the golden calf to be a violation of the recently revealed law: "They have turned aside quickly from the way that I commanded them".Dozeman, Thomas B. (2009), "Exodus", in Eerdman's Critical Commentary, Grand Rapids, Michigan: Wm. B. Eerdmans, , p. 705 Others point out that the golden calf episode leads to the breaking of the tablets of the Decalogue, something that implies that the covenant had been violated. This event and the plurality of the language used in the second commandment leads many scholars to conclude that it prohibits the making of any image of Yahweh as well as any image of a created thing to which divinity would be ascribed.Waaler, Erik, "The Shema and the first commandment in First Corinthians: an intertextual approach to Paul's reading of Deuteronomy", Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament (2nd series), p. 95
In a number of places the ancient texts assert that God has no shape or form and is utterly incomparable; thus no idol, image, idea, or anything in creation could ever capture God's essence.e.g. Isaiah 40:18, 25; "Idol: Images in Israel", in Freedman, David N., ed. (1992), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, New York: Doubleday, , p. 379 The narrative in Deuteronomy 4Deuteronomy 4:15–18 recounts that when the Israelites were visited by God at Mt. Sinai at the time the Ten Commandments were given, they saw no shape or form and this is stated as a reason why any physical representation of the divine is prohibited – no idols of humans, animals, or heavenly bodies were to be made. Rather than use an idol, God chose to reveal himself in words, by working through people, and by working in history."Image of God", in Freedman, David N., ed. (1992), The Anchor Bible Dictionary, New York: Doubleday, , pp. 389–391