Deuteronomy 27:15

Verse

‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

American Standard Version (1901)

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

Bible in Basic English

Cursed is the man who makes any image of wood or stone or metal, disgusting to the Lord, the work of man's hands, and puts it up in secret. And let all the people say, So be it.

Douay-Rheims 1899

Cursed be the man that maketh a graven and molten thing, the abomination of the Lord, the work of the hands of artificers, and shall put it in a secret place: and all the people shall answer and say: Amen.

Free Bible Version

“A curse on anyone who makes a carved image or a metal idol and worships it in secret. It's only an object that someone made, and it's offensive to the Lord!” Everyone says “Amen!”

Geneva Bible 1599

Cursed be the man that shall make any carued or molten image, which is an abomination vnto the Lord, the worke of the hands of the craftesman, and putteth it in a secrete place: And all the people shall answere, and say: So be it.

King James (Authorized) Version

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.

One Unity Resource Bible

‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Adonai , the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen ·So be it·.’

Translation for Translators

‘Yahweh will curse anyone who makes an idol of stone, or of wood, or of metal, and secretly sets it up and worships it. Yahweh considers that those things, made by humans [SYN], are detestable/disgusting.’ And all the people must reply, ‘◄Amen/We want that to happen►.’

Unlocked Literal Bible

'May the man be cursed who makes a carved or cast figure, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of a craftsman, and who sets it up in secret.' Then all the people must answer and say, 'Amen.'

Noah Webster Bible

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image, an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of the artificer, and putteth it in a secret place : and all the people shall answer, and say Amen.

World English Bible

‘Cursed is the man who makes an engraved or molten image, an abomination to Yahweh, the work of the hands of the craftsman, and sets it up in secret.’ All the people shall answer and say, ‘Amen.’

Young's Literal Translation

'Cursed [is] the man who maketh a graven and molten image, the abomination of Jehovah, work of the hands of an artificer, and hath put [it] in a secret place, — and all the people have answered and said, Amen.

Context

Curses Pronounced from Ebal

¹⁴Then the Levites shall proclaim in a loud voice to every Israelite:¹⁵‘Cursed is the man who makes a carved idol or molten image—an abomination to the LORD, the work of the hands of a craftsman—and sets it up in secret.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

Summary

In this verse, Moses instructs the Israelites to set up large stones coated with plaster on Mount Ebal, where they are to inscribe the words of the law. This act symbolizes the importance of remembering and honoring God's commandments. By publicly displaying the law, the people are reminded of their covenant with God and the consequences of disobedience. It serves as a visual representation of their commitment to follow God's instructions and live according to His will.

Commentary

Keil-Delitzsch
John Gill
Tyndale

Carl Friedrich Keil and Franz Delitzsch Old Testament Commentary

In Deu 27:15-26 there follow twelve curses, answering to the number of the tribes of Israel. The first is directed against those who make graven or molten images of Jehovah, and set them up in secret, that is to say, against secret breaches of the second commandment (Exo 20:4); the second against contempt of, or want of reverence towards, parents (Exo 21:17); the third against those who remove boundaries (Deu 19:14); the fourth against the man who leads the blind astray (Lev 19:14); the fifth against those who pervert the right of orphans and widows (Deu 24:17); the sixth against incest with a mother (Deu 23:1; Deu 18:8); the seventh against unnatural vices (Lev 18:23); the eighth and ninth against incest with a sister or a mother-in-law (Lev 18:9 and Lev 18:17); the tenth against secret murder (Exo 20:13; Num 35:16.); the eleventh against judicial murder ("he that taketh reward to slay a soul, namely, innocent blood:" Exo 23:7-8); the twelfth against the man who does not set up the words of this law to do them, who does not make the laws the model and standard of his life and conduct. From this last curse, which applied to every breach of the law, it evidently follows, that the different sins and transgressions already mentioned were only selected by way of example, and for the most part were such as could easily be concealed from the judicial authorities. At the same time, "the office of the law is shown in this last utterance, the summing up of all the rest, to have been pre-eminently to proclaim condemnation. Every conscious act of transgression subjects the sinner to the curse of God, from which none but He who has become a curse for us can possibly deliver us" (Gal 3:10, Gal 3:13. O. v. Gerlach). - On the reason why the blessings are not given, see the remarks on Deu 27:4. As the curses against particular transgressions of the law simply mention some peculiarly grievous sins by way of example, it would be easy to single out corresponding blessings from the general contents of the law: e.g., "Blessed be he who faithfully follows the Lord his God, or loves Him with the heart, who honours his father and his mother," etc.; and lastly, all the blessings of the law could be summed up in the words, "Blessed be he who setteth up the words of this law, to do them."

John Gill Bible Commentary

Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image,.... The blessings and the form of them are not recorded, because they were not to be had from the law, and through obedience to it; and therefore there is a profound silence about them, to put men upon seeking for them elsewhere, and which are only to be had in Christ, especially spiritual ones; but we may suppose they were delivered in the same form, and respecting the same things as the curses, only just the reverse of them; as, "blessed is the man that maketh not any graven image", &c. The order of both is given in the Targums of Jonathan and Jerusalem; See Gill on Deu 11:29. This curse respects the breach of the first table of the law, and everything included in it relating to the nature and being of God, the worship of him, and the honour of his name; to do anything contrary to which, particularly to make an image, whether graven or molten, to worship, is an abomination to the Lord; and therefore subjects a man to the curse of his law, it being the work of the hands of the craftsman; and therefore it must be a most stupid thing to ascribe deity to it, and worship it as such: and putteth it in a secret place; though it is not set in a place of public worship, or the house, so as to be seen by everyone; but in some retired place, in a secret chamber, and there worshipped, or kept to look at with pleasure; which would be a temptation, and lead on to idolatry, and therefore is forbidden, and to be guarded against: now one that committed idolatry, or anything like it, in the most secret manner, was liable to this curse; for the omniscient God, the legislator, knows what is done in the most private manner, and will resent and revenge every affront and injury to his honour and glory. And Aben Ezra observes, that all that follow respect things done in a secret way, and which were not cognizable by the civil magistrate, and therefore to deter persons from them these curses were pronounced: and all the people shall answer and say Amen; even those on the one mountain as on the other, thereby approving of, and assenting to, the justice of the sentence pronounced.