Deuteronomy 4:23

23 Be ye ware, lest any time thou forget the covenant of thy Lord God, which he made with thee, and lest thou make to thee a graven likeness of those things which the Lord hath forbidden thee to make. (Be ye careful, lest any time thou forget the covenant of the Lord thy God, which he made with thee, and lest thou make for yourselves a carved image, or an idol, of those things which the Lord hath forbidden thee to make.)

Deuteronomy 4:23 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 4:23

Take heed unto yourselves
Since he should not be long with them, to advise, instruct, and caution them:

lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord your God,
which he made with you; what that required of them, and what was promised unto them on the performance of it, and what they must expect should they break it, and particularly be so forgetful of it, and the first articles in it, as follows:

and make you a graven image, or the likeness of anything which the
Lord thy God hath forbidden thee;
a graven image in the likeness of men or women, of any beast on the earth, or fowl in heaven, or fish in the sea.

Deuteronomy 4:23 In-Context

21 And the Lord was wroth against me for your words, and swore that I should not pass (the) Jordan, and that I should not enter into the best land, which he shall give to you. (But because of you, the Lord was angry with me, and he swore that I would not cross over the Jordan River, and that I would not enter into that best land, which he shall give to you.)
22 Lo! I die in this land; I shall not pass (the) Jordan; ye shall pass it, and shall wield the noble land. (Lo! I shall die here in this land; I shall not cross over the Jordan River, but ye shall cross over it, and ye shall possess the noble land.)
23 Be ye ware, lest any time thou forget the covenant of thy Lord God, which he made with thee, and lest thou make to thee a graven likeness of those things which the Lord hath forbidden thee to make. (Be ye careful, lest any time thou forget the covenant of the Lord thy God, which he made with thee, and lest thou make for yourselves a carved image, or an idol, of those things which the Lord hath forbidden thee to make.)
24 For thy Lord God is a fire wasting; a jealous God. (For the Lord thy God is a wasting fire; yea, a jealous God.)
25 If ye beget sons, and sons of sons, and ye dwell in the land, and ye be deceived, and make to you any likeness, or image (and make for yourselves any likeness, or idol), and do evil before your Lord God, (so) that ye stir him to great wrath,
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.