Turn you not to idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.
not unto
Leviticus 26:1 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.
Exodus 20:3-5 Thou shalt have no other gods before me…
1 Corinthians 10:14 Wherefore, my dearly beloved, flee from idolatry.
molten gods
Exodus 20:23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
Exodus 32:4 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.
Exodus 34:17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
or make for yourselves molten gods
The phrase "molten gods" refers to idols made by melting metal and casting it into a form, often representing deities. This practice was widespread in ancient cultures, including Egypt, where the Israelites had been enslaved. The golden calf incident in Exodus 32 is a direct example of this sin, where Aaron fashioned a molten calf for the people to worship. This command serves as a reminder of the dangers of creating physical representations of deities, which can lead to false worship and a departure from faith in the invisible God. The prohibition also highlights the futility of worshiping man-made objects, which cannot compare to the living God.
I am the LORD your God
This declaration serves as the foundational reason for the command. The use of "I am the LORD" (Yahweh) emphasizes God's covenant relationship with Israel. It is a reminder of His identity as the one true God who delivered them from Egypt and established them as His chosen people. The phrase "your God" personalizes the relationship, indicating that Yahweh is not just a distant deity but the God who is intimately involved with His people. This statement is a recurring theme throughout Leviticus and the Pentateuch, reinforcing God's authority and the call to holiness. It also foreshadows the New Testament revelation of Jesus Christ, who fulfills the law and establishes a new covenant with His followers, as seen in passages like Hebrews 8:6-13.
- “Turn” pictures a deliberate shift of attention, affection, and allegiance. The Lord forbids even the first step toward any rival. (Exodus 20:3—“You shall have no other gods before Me.”)
- Idolatry can be physical statues or anything that displaces God—success, relationships, pleasures, or self. (Ezekiel 14:3 speaks of “idols in their hearts.”)
- Idols are powerless and lifeless; trusting them leads to the same emptiness. (Psalm 115:4-8)
- The New Testament echoes the same warning: “Little children, keep yourselves from idols.” (1 John 5:21)
- The phrase moves from attraction to action—actually crafting a false deity. (Exodus 32:4: Aaron “fashioned it with an engraving tool and made a molten calf.”)
- “For yourselves” highlights self-centered worship: creating a god that serves our preferences instead of submitting to the true God. (Romans 1:22-23 describes exchanging “the glory of the immortal God for images.”)
- Molten images demand resources—time, talent, treasure—meant for the Lord. (Isaiah 44:9-17 illustrates the absurdity of expending effort to build an idol that cannot save.)
- God calls such making “abominable.” (Deuteronomy 27:15)
- The command rests on His identity: “I AM.” (Exodus 3:14) He alone is self-existent, sovereign, and worthy.
- “Your God” speaks of covenant closeness; He redeemed Israel and claims our wholehearted devotion. (Exodus 20:2; 1 Peter 2:9)
- Holiness flows from relationship: because we belong to Him, our lives must reflect His purity. (Leviticus 19:2; 1 Peter 1:15-16)
- His final word in the verse seals the command with authority and love—He protects us from the ruin of idolatry and invites us into life with Him.
Leviticus 19:4 draws a clear line: do not even start drifting toward false gods, and never fabricate substitutes for the Lord. The prohibition springs from who He is—the holy, redeeming, covenant-keeping God. Real freedom and fullness are found in worshiping Him alone.
(4) Turn ye not unto idols.--As the Lord is their God, and there is no other God besides Him, the Israelites must never turn their affections nor address prayers or enquiries to idols. This part of the verse therefore corresponds with the first commandment of the Decalogue (Exodus 20:3). The expression here rendered "idols," which, apart from the Prophets and Hagiographa, only occurs once more (see Leviticus 26:1), denotes non-entities--nothings, and it is in allusion to this import of the word that the Apostle remarks, "We know that an idol is nothing in the world" (1Corinthians 8:4). According to the administrators of the law during the second Temple, the injunction here "turn not" means "face not," and forbids even the looking at or the examination of an idol.Nor make yourselves molten gods.--This part of the verse corresponds with the second commandment in the Decalogue (Exodus 20:4-6), though the phrase "molten gods" only occurs once more where the same prohibition is enforced (Exodus 34:17). . . .
Verse 4. - Turn ye not unto idols. The word used for idols, elilim, meaning nothings, is contrasted with Elohim, God. Psalm 115 exhibits this contrast in several of its particulars. Cf. St. Paul's statement, "We know that an idol is nothing in the world, and that there is none other God but one" (1 Corinthians 8:4). "If the heart of man becomes benumbed to the use of images of false gods of any kind, he sinks down to the idols which are his ideals, and becomes as dumb and unspiritual as they are" (Lunge). The remainder of the verse forbids the transgression of the second commandment, as the earlier part of the verse forbids the transgression of the first commandment: nor make to yourselves molten gods, as was done by Jeroboam when he set up the calves (1 Kings 12:23).