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Sunday, July 20th, 2025
the Week of Proper 11 / Ordinary 16
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Read the Bible

King James Version

Deuteronomy 4:16

Lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Afflictions and Adversities;   Idolatry;   Obedience;   The Topic Concordance - Alertness;   Idolatry;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Heedfulness;   Idolatry;   Reptiles;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Idol, Idolatry;   Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - God;   Idol, idolatry;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Idol, Idolatry;   Israel;   Jesus Christ, Name and Titles of;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Polytheism;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Idol;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Baptism of Fire;   Deuteronomy, the Book of;   Likeness;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Deuteronomy;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Quotations;   Morrish Bible Dictionary - Similitude;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Figure;   Form;   Similitude;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Ethics;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Lexham English Bible
so that you do not ruin yourselves and make for yourselves a divine image in a form of any image, a replica of male or female,
English Standard Version
beware lest you act corruptly by making a carved image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
New Century Version
Don't sin by making idols of any kind, and don't make statues—of men or women,
New English Translation
I say this so you will not corrupt yourselves by making an image in the form of any kind of figure. This includes the likeness of a human male or female,
Amplified Bible
so that you do not act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved or sculpted image [to worship] in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
New American Standard Bible
so that you do not act corruptly and make a carved image for yourselves in the form of any figure, a representation of male or female,
Geneva Bible (1587)
That ye corrupt not your selues, and make you a grauen image or representation of any figure: whither it be the likenes of male or female,
Legacy Standard Bible
lest you act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Contemporary English Version
not to commit the sin of worshiping idols. Don't make idols to be worshiped, whether they are shaped like men, women,
Complete Jewish Bible
do not become corrupt and make yourselves a carved image having the shape of any figure — not a representation of a human being, male or female,
Darby Translation
lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image, the form of any figure, the pattern of male or female,
Easy-to-Read Version
So be careful! Don't sin and destroy yourselves by making false gods or statues in the shape of any living thing. Don't make an idol that looks like a man or a woman,
George Lamsa Translation
Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make for yourselves images and the forms of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Good News Translation
that you do not sin by making for yourselves an idol in any form at all—whether man or woman,
Christian Standard Bible®
so you don’t act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves in the shape of any figure: a male or female form,
Literal Translation
that you not deal corruptly, and make for yourselves a graven image, a likeness of any figure, the form of a male or female,
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
and make you eny ymage, that is like a man, or woman,
American Standard Version
lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Bible in Basic English
So that you may not be turned to evil ways and make for yourselves an image in the form of any living thing, male or female,
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Lest ye marre your selues, & make you a grauen image, & picture of any maner of figure, whether it be the likenesse of man or woman.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
lest ye deal corruptly, and make you a graven image, even the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
King James Version (1611)
Lest yee corrupt your selues, and make you a grauen image, the similitude of any figure, the likenes of male, or female,
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
lest ye transgress, and make to yourselves a carved image, any kind of figure, the likeness of male or female,
English Revised Version
lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Berean Standard Bible
that you do not act corruptly and make an idol for yourselves of any form or shape, whether in the likeness of a male or female,
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
lest perauenture ye be disseyued and make to you a grauun licnesse, ether an ymage of male, ether of female;
Young's Literal Translation
lest ye do corruptly, and have made to you a graven image, a similitude of any figure, a form of male or female --
Update Bible Version
Or else you will corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
Webster's Bible Translation
Lest ye corrupt [yourselves], and make to you a graven image, the similitude of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
World English Bible
Lest you corrupt yourselves, and make yourself an engraved image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
New King James Version
lest you act corruptly and make for yourselves a carved image in the form of any figure: the likeness of male or female,
New Living Translation
So do not corrupt yourselves by making an idol in any form—whether of a man or a woman,
New Life Bible
Do not become sinful and make a false god for yourselves that looks like a body or object, like a male or female,
New Revised Standard
so that you do not act corruptly by making an idol for yourselves, in the form of any figure—the likeness of male or female,
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
lest ye should break faith, and make you an image, a form of any likeness, - a model of male or female;
Douay-Rheims Bible
Lest perhaps being deceived you might make you a graven similitude, or image of male or female,
Revised Standard Version
beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
New American Standard Bible (1995)
so that you do not act corruptly and make a graven image for yourselves in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,

Contextual Overview

1 Now therefore hearken, O Israel, unto the statutes and unto the judgments, which I teach you, for to do them, that ye may live, and go in and possess the land which the Lord God of your fathers giveth you. 2 Ye shall not add unto the word which I command you, neither shall ye diminish ought from it, that ye may keep the commandments of the Lord your God which I command you. 3 Your eyes have seen what the Lord did because of Baalpeor: for all the men that followed Baalpeor, the Lord thy God hath destroyed them from among you. 4 But ye that did cleave unto the Lord your God are alive every one of you this day. 5 Behold, I have taught you statutes and judgments, even as the Lord my God commanded me, that ye should do so in the land whither ye go to possess it. 6 Keep therefore and do them; for this is your wisdom and your understanding in the sight of the nations, which shall hear all these statutes, and say, Surely this great nation is a wise and understanding people. 7 For what nation is there so great, who hath God so nigh unto them, as the Lord our God is in all things that we call upon him for? 8 And what nation is there so great, that hath statutes and judgments so righteous as all this law, which I set before you this day? 9 Only take heed to thyself, and keep thy soul diligently, lest thou forget the things which thine eyes have seen, and lest they depart from thy heart all the days of thy life: but teach them thy sons, and thy sons' sons; 10 Specially the day that thou stoodest before the Lord thy God in Horeb, when the Lord said unto me, Gather me the people together, and I will make them hear my words, that they may learn to fear me all the days that they shall live upon the earth, and that they may teach their children.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

corrupt: Deuteronomy 4:8, Deuteronomy 4:9, Exodus 20:4, Exodus 20:5, Exodus 32:7, Psalms 106:19, Psalms 106:20, Romans 1:22-24

the likeness: Such as Baal-peor, the Roman Priapus; Ashtaroth or Astarte, the Greek and Roman Venus, and many others. Deuteronomy 4:23, Isaiah 40:18, John 4:24, Acts 17:29, Acts 20:4, Acts 20:5, 1 Timothy 1:17

Reciprocal: Leviticus 26:1 - Ye shall Deuteronomy 4:25 - corrupt Deuteronomy 9:12 - corrupted Deuteronomy 27:15 - maketh Deuteronomy 32:5 - They have corrupted themselves Psalms 78:58 - with Isaiah 44:13 - he marketh Zephaniah 3:7 - corrupted Acts 7:43 - figures

Cross-References

Genesis 3:8
And they heard the voice of the Lord God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the Lord God amongst the trees of the garden.
Genesis 4:14
Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, that every one that findeth me shall slay me.
Exodus 20:18
And all the people saw the thunderings, and the lightnings, and the noise of the trumpet, and the mountain smoking: and when the people saw it, they removed, and stood afar off.
2 Kings 13:23
And the Lord was gracious unto them, and had compassion on them, and had respect unto them, because of his covenant with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, and would not destroy them, neither cast he them from his presence as yet.
2 Kings 24:20
For through the anger of the Lord it came to pass in Jerusalem and Judah, until he had cast them out from his presence, that Zedekiah rebelled against the king of Babylon.
Job 1:12
And the Lord said unto Satan, Behold, all that he hath is in thy power; only upon himself put not forth thine hand. So Satan went forth from the presence of the Lord .
Job 2:7
So went Satan forth from the presence of the Lord , and smote Job with sore boils from the sole of his foot unto his crown.
Job 20:17
He shall not see the rivers, the floods, the brooks of honey and butter.
Psalms 5:11
But let all those that put their trust in thee rejoice: let them ever shout for joy, because thou defendest them: let them also that love thy name be joyful in thee.
Psalms 68:2
As smoke is driven away, so drive them away: as wax melteth before the fire, so let the wicked perish at the presence of God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Lest ye corrupt yourselves,.... And not themselves only, but the word and worship of God, by idolatry, than which nothing is more corrupting and defiling, nor more abominable to God:

and make you a graven image, the similitude of any figure; a graven image, in the likeness of any figure, an idea of which they had formed in their minds;

the likeness of male or female; of a man or a woman; so some of the Heathen deities were in the likeness of men, as Jupiter, Mars, Hercules, Apollo, c. and others in the likeness of women, as Juno, Diana, Venus, &c. Some think Osiris and Isis, Egyptian deities, the one male, the other female, are respected but it is not certain that these were worshipped by them so early.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Deuteronomy 4:16. The likeness of male or female — Such as Baal-peor and the Roman Priapus, Ashtaroth or Astarte, and the Greek and Roman Venus; after whom most nations of the world literally went a whoring.


 
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