Thou shalt not make thee any graven image

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Ten Commandments
Protestant numbering
1st 6th
2nd 7th
3rd 8th
4th 9th
5th 10th
Catholic numbering
1st a b 6th
2nd 7th
3rd 8th
4th 9th
5th 10th

Thou shalt not make thee any graven image is the 2nd of the Ten Commandments in the Protestant tradition. It is considered part of the 1st commandment according to Catholic numbering. It forbids graven images or likenesses, generally considered to refer to idols for worship. In many Christian denominations, this commandment is often downplayed by renumbering the commandments, abbreviating it or ignoring it. The commandment has been adopted by Islam which is more noted for its stance against graven images.

Exodus 20:4-6 Bible-icon.png:

4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.

5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;

6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.

Deuteronomy 5:8-10 Bible-icon.png:

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

Though typically shortened to Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image the 2nd commandment is the longest commandment serving as a complete prohibition against making any likeness of anything in air, land, or sea. Bowing before such likenesses is also prohibited. This is because God is jealous.

The "iniquity" will be visited unto the third and fourth generations.

Counter-apologetics[edit]

  • At face value, this commandment rules out all art! Apologists argue that this only applies in the context of worship :

"Verses 4 and 5 are to be taken together, the prohibition being intended, not to forbid the arts of sculpture and painting, or even to condemn the religious use of them, but to disallow the worship of God under material forms."

Pulpit Commentary, Exodus 20
  • Some Christian denomination feature statues, pictures and icons. It is telling that the Catholics (and Lutherans) downplay this particular commandment by merging it with the 1st and divide up the 10th commandment into coveting wife and house separately. This is mostly because, some would say, Catholicism is all about the graven images. Many Jewish divisions of the ten commandments also ignore this commandment, dividing up the 1st commandment into I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt and Thou shalt have no other gods before me. replacing the 2nd.

In United States law[edit]

  • The 2nd commandment is not a part of any U.S. law or custom. This statement, ironically, appears on a graven image monolith of the Ten Commandments in many locations. The U.S. government sets aside grants specifically to fund and encourage the breaking of this commandment by artists. If this commandment was a law, it would violate free speech.

References[edit]

See also[edit]