Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am the LORD your God.

LEVITICUS 19:4KJV
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Leviticus 19:4 (KJV)

What does Leviticus 19:4 mean?

Leviticus 19:4 warns the Israelites not to turn to idols or make for themselves metal images of gods, reminding them that the LORD alone is their God. The verse is a clear instruction against worshipping other gods or creating physical objects to represent them.

In this verse, God is speaking to the people of Israel through Moses as part of a larger set of laws about holy living. The setting is the wilderness after the Exodus from Egypt, and the people are being shaped into a distinct community. The command is specific: do not seek out or create other gods, because their relationship is to be with the LORD (the God who brought them out of Egypt), not with man-made images.

The Hebrew behind Leviticus 19:4

  • "Turn" (פָּנָה, panah): This word means to turn toward or pay attention to. Here, it suggests not even directing one’s attention or interest toward idols, not just avoiding worship.
  • "Idols" (אֱלִיל, elil): This word often refers to something worthless or empty, not just a statue but something that has no real power or value.
  • "Molten" (מַסֵּכָה, massekhah): This refers to something cast from metal, usually by pouring molten metal into a mold. The warning is against making gods in this specific, tangible form.
  • "Gods" (אֱלֹהִים, elohim): While this word can mean gods in general, here it points to false gods, in contrast to the true God (the LORD, יְהוָה, YHWH).

Why Leviticus 19:4 matters

  • Leviticus 19:4 clarifies that the issue is not just worshipping idols but even turning attention toward them or giving them any place in life, which is a deeper level of loyalty expected.
  • The verse highlights the difference between the LORD and other so-called gods, emphasizing that the LORD is not to be represented by objects or images.
  • This command fits into the wider context of Leviticus 19, which is about living in a way that is set apart and distinct from the surrounding nations, especially in worship and devotion.

Where else these words appear

“idols” Hebrew H457 · used in 18 verses

  • 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.
  • Isaiah 2:8 Their land also is full of idols; they worship the work of their own hands, that which their own fingers have made:
  • Isaiah 19:3 And the spirit of Egypt shall fail in the midst thereof; and I will destroy the counsel thereof: and they shall seek to the idols, and to the charmers, and to them that have familiar spirits, and to the wizards.

“molten” Hebrew H4541 · used in 28 verses

  • 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.
  • Judges 18:14 Then answered the five men that went to spy out the country of Laish, and said unto their brethren, Do ye know that there is in these houses an ephod, and teraphim, and a graven image, and a molten image? now therefore consider what ye have to do.
  • Psalms 106:19 They made a calf in Horeb, and worshipped the molten image.

“Turn” Hebrew H6437 · used in 128 verses

  • Genesis 18:22 And the men turned their faces from thence, and went toward Sodom: but Abraham stood yet before the LORD.
  • Judges 18:21 So they turned and departed, and put the little ones and the cattle and the carriage before them.
  • Psalms 119:132 Look thou upon me, and be merciful unto me, as thou usest to do unto those that love thy name.