Deuteronomy 4:15-24

b. WARNING AGAINST MAKING PHYSICAL REPRESENTATIONS OF GOD OR GODS (Deuteronomy 4:15-24)

15 Take ye therefore good heed unto yourselves; for ye saw no manner of form on the day that Jehovah spake unto you in Horeb out of the midst of the fire; 16 lest ye corrupt yourselves, and make you a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female, 17 the likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flieth in the heavens, 18 the likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth; 19 and lest thou lift up thine eyes unto heaven, and when thou seest the sun and the moon and the stars, even all the host of heaven, thou be drawn away and worship them, and serve them, which Jehovah thy God hath allotted unto all the peoples under the whole heaven. 20 But Jehovah hath taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be unto him a people of inheritance, as at this day. 21 Furthermore Jehovah was angry with me for your sakes, and sware that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not go in unto that good land, which Jehovah thy God giveth thee for an inheritance: 22 but I must die in this land, I must not go over the Jordan; but ye shall go over, and possess that good land. 23 Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image in the form of any thing which Jehovah thy God hath forbidden thee. 24 For Jehovah thy God is a devouring fire, a jealous God.

THOUGHT QUESTIONS 4:15-24

77.

After hearing Jehovah God and participating in His power and provision, how could these people possibly make a likeness of man or woman and worship it?

78.

Why was Moses so elaborate in his prohibitions against idolatry?

79.

What is involved in the expression iron furnace? Does this mean the Israelites worked in iron furnaces in Egypt?

80.

Once again: Does Moses blame Israel for his sin? Cf. Deuteronomy 4:21.

81.

What promised punishment was given for those who forget the covenant of God? Cf. Deuteronomy 4:24.

AMPLIFIED TRANSLATION 4:15-24

15 Therefore take good heed to yourselves; since you saw no form of Him on the day the Lord spoke to you on Horeb out of the midst of the fire,
16 Beware lest you become corrupt by making for yourself [to worship] a graven image in the form of any figure, the likeness of male or female,
17 The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, or of any winged fowl that flies in the air,
18 The likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, or of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth.
19 And beware lest you lift up your eyes to the heavens, and when you see the sun, moon, and stars, even all the host of the heavens, you be drawn away and worship them and serve them, things which the Lord your God has allotted to all nations under the whole heavens.
20 But the Lord has taken you, and brought you forth out of the iron furnace, out of Egypt, to be to Him a people of his own possession, as this day.
21 Furthermore the Lord was angry with me because of you, and He swore that I should not go over the Jordan, and that I should not enter the good land, which the Lord your God gives you for an inheritance.
22 But I must die in this land, I must not cross the Jordan; but you shall go over and possess that good land.
23 Take heed to yourselves, lest you forget the covenant of the Lord your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image in the form of anything, which the Lord your God has forbidden you.
24 For the Lord your God is a consuming fire, a jealous God.

COMMENT 4:15-24

YE SAW NO MANNER OF FORM (Deuteronomy 4:15)See under Deuteronomy 4:12.

LEST YE CORRUPT YOURSELVES, AND MAKE YOU A GRAVEN IMAGE IN THE FORM OF ANY FIGURE (Deuteronomy 4:16)They saw no form of any kindno physical representation of God whateverthus were given no excuse for making any type of image.

Note the list of living things and other objects Israel is forbidden to worship (Deuteronomy 4:16-19):

(1) the likeness of male or female (Deuteronomy 4:16)idols were often of both sexes; e.g. in Egypt, Osiris and Isis; in Canaan, Baal and Astarte.

(2) the likeness of any beast (Deuteronomy 4:17)How could Israel forget the golden calf at Sinai? And the calves of Jeroboam are a later example.

(3) the likeness of any winged bird (Deuteronomy 4:17)Horus, the hawk, was worshipped in ancient Egypt. The ibis and the crane were also deified.

(4) ... the likeness of anything that creepeth on the ground (Deuteronomy 4:18)the crocodile, frog, and beetle were worshipped in Egypt. The serpent was frequently worshipped in ancient timesthe most universally revered of all creatures (I.S.B.E.). Israel's brazen serpent was erected at God's command to stay the plague (Numbers 21:8). But when it later because an object of worship, Hezekiah destroyed it (2 Kings 18:1-8).

(5) the likeness of any fish (Deuteronomy 4:18)In Egypt, all the fish of the Nile river were deified. And the Philistine's god Dagon was represented in figures that were half man, half fish.

(6) sun. moon. stars (Deuteronomy 4:19)Objects of worship in many ancient nations: in the earliest Egyptian texts she sun appears as divine and the moon as the bull among the stars (I.S.B.E.). Ra was the sun-god, and in other forms worshipped as Khepera and Atmu. Then there was Nut, the god of the heavens, and her husband Geb; Shu, the god of space, etc. Similar gods existed among the Babylonians, while Baal was the sun-god of Canaan and surrounding nations. The name Sunday comes to us from the Teutons, who held the first day of the week as sacred to the sun. The ancient Greeks believed that the sun god Apollo drove the sun chariot through the sky. So we could continue through the cultures of the Incas of Peru, Persia, northern India, Scandanavia, the Mayas, peoples of Central and South America, and the American Indian. For obvious reasons, the sun seems especially to have been worshipped by agricultural peoples.

The worship of the moon is prominently illustrated in Ur of the Chaldees, where the Ziggurat, the huge temple-tower erected for its worship, has been unearthed by archaeologists.

BROUGHT YOU FORTH OUT OF THE IRON FURNACE, OF EGYPT (Deuteronomy 4:20)See also 1 Kings 8:51, Jeremiah 11:4. From this mention of the word iron furnace there can be little doubt that the Israelites were employed in Egypt in the most laborious works of metallurgy. Digging, smelting, and forging of iron in so hot a climate must have been oppressive work indeed (Clarke). Others would make this iron furnace figurative. The -iron furnace-' is used metaphorically for affliction, chastisement (Deuteronomy 4:20; Ezekiel 22:18-22)I.S.B.E. We do, indeed have brass and iron used figuratively of barrenness in Deuteronomy 28:23-24, and a yoke of iron is used in Deuteronomy 28:48 to picture slavery or bondage. But even if we have here a figurative expression, it must have been a figure with which Israel was familiar. The argument that iron was not a well-known metal at this time is not valid. In Deuteronomy 3:11 we saw that Og's bedstead was cast of iron, and Joshua 17:16; Joshua 17:18 the Canaanites are not only said to have had chariots of iron, but to have had them in great numbers.