Deuteronomy 4:16

My Notes

What Does Deuteronomy 4:16 Mean?

"Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female." Moses warns against the FIRST STEP of idolatry: making a GRAVEN IMAGE in ANY form — 'the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female.' The prohibition covers EVERY possible representation: any FIGURE (temunah — form, shape, pattern), ANY likeness (tavnit — structure, model, representation), whether MALE or FEMALE. The comprehensiveness eliminates every exception. NO IMAGE of ANY form in ANY gender is permitted. The prohibition is TOTAL.

The phrase "lest ye corrupt yourselves" (pen tashchitun — lest you destroy/corrupt/ruin yourselves) makes idol-making SELF-DESTRUCTIVE: the corruption isn't done TO you. It's done BY you TO yourselves. The idol-making is SELF-CORRUPTION. The image-crafting RUINS the crafter. The destruction is SELF-INFLICTED. The 'yourselves' (tashchitun — you destroy YOU) places the victim and the perpetrator in the SAME person. You damage YOURSELF by making what God prohibited.

The "the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female" (temunath kol samel tavnit zakhar o neqevah — the form of any image/statue, the pattern of male or female) covers EVERY possible representation: ANY figure (kol — all, every). The likeness of MALE (zakhar) OR FEMALE (neqevah). The prohibition extends to HUMAN representations of BOTH genders AND to representations of animals (verse 17-18 — beast, bird, ground-creature, fish). The prohibition is EXHAUSTIVE — no living thing can be represented as an object of worship.

Reflection Questions

• 1.What image are you crafting that's corrupting you in the making?
• 2.What does idol-making being SELF-destruction teach about the maker being the primary victim?
• 3.How does 'any figure' (no exceptions) describe the comprehensiveness of the image-prohibition?
• 4.What human representation of the divine (male or female) most distorts who God actually is?

Devotional

Lest you CORRUPT YOURSELVES — and make a graven image of ANY figure, ANY likeness, male OR female. The prohibition is TOTAL: no image, no form, no representation, no gender, no exception. The idol-making is SELF-DESTRUCTION. The image-crafting RUINS the crafter. The corruption is self-inflicted. You destroy YOURSELF by making what God prohibited.

The 'lest ye corrupt yourselves' makes the damage SELF-DIRECTED: the Hebrew puts the SELF as both subject and object. YOU corrupt YOU. The idol-making doesn't just offend GOD. It destroys the MAKER. The corruption is IN the person who makes the image. The image-crafting produces the image-crafter's OWN corruption. The prohibition is as much about SELF-PRESERVATION as about divine honor. Don't make images — because making them RUINS you.

The 'similitude of any figure' covers EVERY possible form: the word kol (any, all, every) eliminates EVERY exception. ANY figure. Any shape. Any form. The prohibition doesn't leave room for 'this kind of image is okay but that kind isn't.' EVERY kind is prohibited. The comprehensiveness of the prohibition matches the comprehensiveness of the corruption: every form of image produces every form of self-destruction.

The 'likeness of male or female' specifically addresses HUMAN-FORM images: the prohibition starts with the MOST TEMPTING form — the human form. Male OR female representations of deity are prohibited. The 'or' covers BOTH genders. Neither masculine gods NOR feminine goddesses may be represented. The prohibition extends to animal-forms in verses 17-18, but starts HERE — with the human form that most closely approaches (and therefore most dangerously distorts) the image of God.

What image are you making — of God, of yourself, of reality — that the making itself is CORRUPTING you?

Commentary

Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.

Cross References

Related passages throughout Scripture