Leviticus 26 · Verse 1

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.
Leviticus 26:1, King James Version

Leviticus 26:1 in other translations

BSB“You must not make idols for yourselves or set up a carved image or sacred pillar; you must not place a sculpted stone in your land to bow down to it. For I am the LORD your God.
WEB“‘You shall make for yourselves no idols, and you shall not raise up a carved image or a pillar, and you shall not place any figured stone in your land, to bow down to it; for I am the LORD your God.
ASVYe shall make you no idols, neither shall ye rear you up a graven image, or a pillar, neither shall ye place any figured stone in your land, to bow down unto it: for I am Jehovah your God.
YLT‘Ye do not make to yourselves idols; and graven image or standing image ye do not set up to yourselves; and a stone of imagery ye do not put in your land, to bow yourselves to it; for I am Jehovah your God.
DARBYYe shall make yourselves no idols, neither rear you up for yourselves carved image, or statue, nor shall ye set up a figured stone in your land, to bow down unto it; for I am Jehovah your God.
BBEDo not make images of false gods, or put up an image cut in stone or a pillar or any pictured stone in your land, to give worship to it; for I am the Lord your God.
WebsterYe 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 to it: for I am the LORD your God.

What does Leviticus 26:1 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
Le 26:1, 2. Of Idolatry. 1. Ye shall make you no idols--Idolatry had been previously forbidden (Ex 20:4, 5), but the law was repeated here with reference to some particular forms of it that were very prevalent among the neighboring nations. a standing image--that is, "upright pillar." image of stone--that is, an obelisk, inscribed with hieroglyphical and superstitious characters; the former denoting the common and smaller pillars of the Syrians or Canaanites; the latter, pointing to the large and elaborate obelisks which the Egyptians worshipped as guardian divinities, or used as stones of adoration to stimulate religious worship. The Israelites were enjoined to beware of them.

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary

Introduction

Idolatry forbidden, Lev 26:1. The Sabbath to be sanctified, Lev 26:2-3. Promises to obedience, of fruitful fields, plentiful harvests, and vintage, Lev 26:4-5. Of peace and security, Lev 26:6. Discomfiture of their enemies, Lev 26:7-9. Of abundance, Lev 26:10. Of the divine presence, Lev 26:11-13. Threatenings against the disobedient, Lev 26:14-15. Of terror and dismay, Lev 26:16. Their enemies shall prevail against them, Lev 26:17-18. Of barrenness, Lev 26:19-20. Of desolation by wild beasts, Lev 26:21-22. And if not humbled and reformed, worse evils shall be inflicted upon them, Lev 26:23-24. Their enemies shall prevail, and they shall be wasted by the pestilence, Lev 26:25-26. If they should still continue refractory, they shall be yet more sorely punished, Lev 26:27-28. The famine shall so increase that they shall be obliged to eat their own children, Lev 26:29. Their carcasses shall be cast upon the carcasses of their idols, Lev 26:30. Their cities shall be wasted, and the sanctuary desolated, Lev 26:31; the land destroyed, Lev 26:32; themselves scattered among their enemies, and pursued with utter confusion and distress, Lev 26:33-39. If under these judgments they confess their sin and return to God, He will remember them in mercy, Lev 26:40-43; visit them even in the land of their enemies, Lev 26:44; and remember His covenant with their fathers, Lev 26:45. The conclusion, stating these to be the judgments and laws which the Lord made between himself and the children of Israel in Mount Sinai, Lev 26:46. Verse 1 Ye shall make you no idols - See note on Exo 20:4, and see the note on Gen 28:18-19 (note), concerning consecrated stones. Not only idolatry in general is forbidden here, but also the superstitious use of innocent and lawful things. Probably the stones or pillars which were first set up, and anointed by holy men in commemoration of signal interposition of God in their behalf, were afterward abused to idolatrous and superstitious purposes, and therefore prohibited. This we know was the case with the brazen serpent, 2Kgs 18:4.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary on Leviticus 26:1-13
This chapter contains a general enforcement of all the laws given by Moses; by promises of reward in case of obedience, on the one hand; and threatenings of punishment for disobedience, on the other. While Israel maintained a national regard to God's worship, sabbaths, and sanctuary, and did not turn aside to idolatry, the Lord engaged to continue to them temporal mercies and religious advantages. These great and precious promises, though they relate chiefly to the life which now is, were typical of the spiritual blessings made sure by the covenant of grace to all believers, through Christ. 1. Plenty and abundance of the fruits of the earth. Every good and perfect gift must be expected from above, from the Father of lights. 2. Peace under the Divine protection. Those dwell in safety, that dwell in God. 3. Victory and success in their wars. It is all one with the Lord to save by many or by few. 4. The increase of their people. The gospel church shall be fruitful. 5. The favour of God, which is the fountain of all Good. 6. Tokens of his presence in and by his ordinances. The way to have God's ordinances fixed among us, is to cleave closely to them. 7. The grace of the covenant. All covenant blessings are summed up in the covenant relation, I will be your God, and ye shall be my people; and they are all grounded upon their redemption. Having purchased them, God would own them, and never cast them off till they cast him off. (Le 26:14-39)

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Leviticus 26:1 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
תַעֲשׂ֨וּta.'a.Suyou must makeH6213
לָכֶ֜םla.Khemfor <the> yourselves
אֱלִילִ֗ם'e.li.Limworthless idolsH457
וּפֶ֤סֶלu.Fe.seland an idolH6459
וּמַצֵּבָה֙u.ma.tze.Vahand a sacred pillarH4676
לֹֽא\־lo'-notH3808
תָקִ֣ימוּta.Ki.muyou must set upH6965
לָכֶ֔םla.Khemfor <the> yourselves
וְאֶ֣בֶןve.'E.venand a stone ofH68
מַשְׂכִּ֗יתmas.Kita carved imageH4906
לֹ֤אlo'notH3808
תִתְּנוּ֙ti.te.Nuyou must makeH5414
בְּאַרְצְכֶ֔םbe.'ar.tze.Khemin land yourH776
לְהִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֹ֖תle.hish.ta.cha.Votto bow downH7812
עָלֶ֑יהָ'a.Lei.hato itH5921
כִּ֛יkiforH3588
אֲנִ֥י'a.NiIH589
יְהוָ֖הYah.weh[am] YahwehH3068
אֱלֹהֵיכֶֽם\׃'e.lo.hei.KhemGod yourH430

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Leviticus 26:1

  • Leviticus 19:4

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

  • Deuteronomy 27:15

    Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination unto the Lord, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and putteth it in a secret place. And all the people shall answer and say, Amen.

  • Numbers 33:52

    Then ye shall drive out all the inhabitants of the land from before you, and destroy all their pictures, and destroy all their molten images, and quite pluck down all their high places:

  • Exodus 23:24

    Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

  • Exodus 20:4-5

    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: 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;

  • 1 Corinthians 10:19-20

    What say I then? that the idol is any thing, or that which is offered in sacrifice to idols is any thing? But I say, that the things which the Gentiles sacrifice, they sacrifice to devils, and not to God: and I would not that ye should have fellowship with devils.

  • Revelation 13:14-15

    And deceiveth them that dwell on the earth by the means of those miracles which he had power to do in the sight of the beast; saying to them that dwell on the earth, that they should make an image to the beast, which had the wound by a sword, and did live. And he had power to give life unto the image of the beast, that the image of the beast should both speak, and cause that as many as would not worship the image of the beast should be killed.

  • Deuteronomy 16:21-22

    Thou shalt not plant thee a grove of any trees near unto the altar of the Lord thy God, which thou shalt make thee. Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the Lord thy God hateth.

  • Exodus 20:23

    Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

  • Jeremiah 10:3-8

    For the customs of the people are vain: for one cutteth a tree out of the forest, the work of the hands of the workman, with the axe. They deck it with silver and with gold; they fasten it with nails and with hammers, that it move not. They are upright as the palm tree, but speak not: they must needs be borne, because they cannot go. Be not afraid of them; for they cannot do evil, neither also is it in them to do good. Forasmuch as there is none like unto thee, O Lord; thou art great, and thy name is great in might. …

  • Romans 2:22-23

    Thou that sayest a man should not commit adultery, dost thou commit adultery? thou that abhorrest idols, dost thou commit sacrilege? Thou that makest thy boast of the law, through breaking the law dishonourest thou God?

  • Revelation 22:15

    For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
1 Of idolatry.
2 Religiousness.
3 A blessing to them that keep the commandments.
14 A curse to those that break them.
40 God promises to remember them that repent.

Ye shall.
19:4; Ex 20:4,5,23; 23:24; 34:17; De 4:16-19; 5:8,9; 16:21,22; 27:15
Ps 97:7; 115:4-8; Isa 2:20; 44:9-20; 48:5-8; Jer 10:3-8; Ac 17:29
Ro 2:22,23; 1Co 10:19,20; Re 13:14,15; 22:15
standing image. or, pillar. image of stone. or, figuredstone. Heb. a stone of picture.

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • 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.

  • Leviticus 26:2

    Ye shall keep my sabbaths, and reverence my sanctuary: I am the Lord.

Read all of Leviticus 26

Leviticus 26:1 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909
NO haréis para vosotros ídolos, ni escultura, ni os levantaréis estatua, ni pondréis en vuestra tierra piedra pintada para inclinaros á ella: porque yo soy Jehová vuestro Dios.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885
*Vous ne vous ferez pas d’idoles, et vous ne vous dresserez pas d’image taillée, ou de statue, et vous ne mettrez pas de pierre sculptée dans votre pays, pour vous prosterner devant elles; car moi, je suis l’ Éternel, votre Dieu.
German
Elberfelder 1871
Ihr sollt euch keine Götzen machen und sollt euch kein geschnitztes Bild und keine Bildsäule aufrichten, und keinen Stein mit Bildwerk sollt ihr in eurem Lande setzen, um euch davor niederzubeugen; denn ich bin Jehova, euer Gott.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate
Ego Dominus Deus vester: non facietis vobis idolum, et sculptile, nec titulos erigetis, nec insignem lapidem ponetis in terra vestra, ut adoretis eum. Ego enim sum Dominus Deus vester.