Exodus 34:17 — Word Study
WLCאֱלֹהֵ֥י מַסֵּכָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂה־ לָּֽךְ׃
BSAYou shall makeʻâsâh▸ [not create or form] nolôʼ [absolutely none] moltenmaççêkâh [cast metal, liquid] godsʼĕlôhîym [Elohim, idols, false deities]
| Greek | English | Parsing |
|---|---|---|
| אֱלֹהֵ֥י | gods of | Noun common, masculine plural construct |
| מַסֵּכָ֖ה | molten metal | Noun common, feminine singular absolute |
| לֹ֥א | not | Particle |
| תַעֲשֶׂה־ | you must make | Verb, Qal, imperfect second person masculine singular |
| לָּֽךְ׃ | for yourself | Preposition, suffix |
Every word in the verse. Click a row to open it in the panel on the left.
| BSB | You shall make no molten gods for yourselves. |
| KJV | Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. |
| ASV | Thou shalt make thee no molten gods. |
| YLT | a molten god thou dost not make to thyself. |
| WEB | “You shall make no cast idols for yourselves. |
| BBE | Make for yourselves no gods of metal. |
Where they part company is מַסֵּכָ֖ה — see How Translations Differ.
One main verb with three phrases hanging off it, emphasizing the prohibition clearly.
7 commentators on this verse
Gill, Jamieson, Poole, Trapp & more — read them ›
clause
verbעָשָׂה
The sentence as the grammar sees it Open the tree ›
Every word here is used elsewhere in the Old Testament.
Bars are logarithmic — אֵת, the commonest word in the Hebrew Bible, stands about 11,000 times, so a linear scale would leave everything else invisible. Click a row to open that word.
Deep Study — Exodus 34:17
Sections marked generated are written from the data on this page rather than by a named author. Everything else — the lexicon entries, the cross references, the manuscript readings, the counts — is quoted from its source unchanged.
Context — God's Instructions on Idolatrygenerated
Exodus 34:17 is part of a larger passage where God outlines laws for the Israelites, emphasizing their need to remain faithful and not to engage in idolatry. This command follows a warning about the dangers of intermarrying with foreign nations and their gods, highlighting the importance of exclusive worship of Yahweh.
Cross References
| Reference | Text (BSB) | |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Exodus 32:8 | How quickly they have turned aside from the way that I commanded them! They have made for themselves a molten calf and have bowed down to it. They have sacrificed to it and said, ‘These, O Israel, are your gods, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt.’” |
| 2 | Leviticus 19:4 | Do not turn to idols or make for yourselves molten gods. I am the LORD your God. |
| 3 | Isaiah 46:6–7 | They pour out their bags of gold and weigh out silver on scales; they hire a goldsmith to fashion it into a god, so they can bow down and worship. |
| 4 | Jeremiah 10:14 | Every man is senseless and devoid of knowledge; every goldsmith is put to shame by his idols. For his molten images are a fraud, and there is no breath in them. |
| 5 | Acts 17:29 | Therefore, being offspring of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, an image formed by man’s skill and imagination. |
The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge — 6 references, hung on the phrase they belong to
The Key Word — אֱלֹהִים, 'e.lo.Heigenerated
The term אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun that typically refers to God, but in this context, it denotes false deities or idols. It emphasizes the seriousness of the command against idolatry, as the Israelites are warned not to create any representation of divine beings.
This word is often associated with divine majesty and power, and its use here serves to underline the gravity of making any form of idol, contrasting the true God with the false gods that the Israelites might be tempted to worship.
How Translations Differ — measured against the Berean Standard Biblegenerated
Translations generally agree on the meaning of the verse.
Sentence Structuregenerated
The main verb is תַעֲשֶׂה, you shall make, which governs the entire clause. The structure includes a negation with לֹא, not, and a noun phrase אֱלֹהֵ֥י מַסֵּכָ֖ה, molten gods, serving as the object.
The command is direct and emphatic, with the negation placed at the beginning to stress the prohibition against making idols.
Septuagint Backgroundgenerated
The Septuagint translates אֱלֹהִים as θεοὺς, gods, which maintains the focus on the divine aspect of the term, while מַסֵּכָ֖ה is rendered as ξωνευτοὺς, molten, reinforcing the idea of crafted idols.
This choice reflects a consistent understanding of the Hebrew text, emphasizing the prohibition against creating any form of idol.
In plain words — the whole versegenerated
Exodus 34:17 commands the Israelites not to create any molten gods for themselves. This instruction emphasizes the importance of worshiping only Yahweh and avoiding the pitfalls of idolatry, which could lead them away from their covenant relationship with God.
Frequently Asked Questionsgenerated
Making molten gods refers to the practice of creating idols from melted metal, which was common in ancient cultures. God forbids this to prevent the Israelites from turning to false worship.
Idolatry is seen as a betrayal of the covenant between God and His people, as it diverts worship and loyalty away from the one true God.
This command is part of a broader set of laws that emphasize the need for exclusive devotion to God, as seen in other passages such as Exodus 20:3.
The command against making idols can remind us to examine what we prioritize in our lives and ensure that nothing takes the place of our devotion to God.
Reflection Questionsgenerated
- What are some modern forms of idolatry that I might encounter today?
- How can I ensure that my worship is directed solely towards God?
- In what ways can I help others understand the dangers of idolatry?
- How does this command reflect God's desire for a relationship with His people?
The early church on this verse — how the Fathers read it
The early Church Fathers referenced this command to discuss the dangers of idolatry, emphasizing the impossibility of representing the divine with physical images.
“You shall make for yourself no molten gods.” You see that he forbids the making of images because of idolatry and that it is impossible to make an image of the bodiless, invisible and uncircumscribed God.Early Church Fathers on Exodus 34 →
Commentators on this verse — 7 expositors, verse by verse
Each of these wrote on Exodus 34:17 itself, not merely on the chapter around it.
John Gill1697–1771Gill's Exposition of the Entire BibleThou shalt make thee no molten gods. Made of a melted liquid, whether gold, or silver, or brass, poured into a mould; and though graven images are not mentioned, they are included, a part being put
Read John Gill on Exodus 34 →Robert Jamieson1802–1880Jamieson, Fausset, and Brown's CommentaryThou shalt make thee no molten gods. No JFB commentary on these verses.
Read Robert Jamieson on Exodus 34 →Matthew Poole1624–1679Matthew Poole's Commentary on the Holy BibleNor graven, nor any other, as it plainly appears both from the nature of the things, and from many parallel scriptures; but he mentions molten, because their late idol was of that kind.
Read Matthew Poole on Exodus 34 →John Trapp1601–1669Trapp's Complete Commentary on the Old and New TestamentsExodus 34:17 Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.Ver. 17. No molten gods.] As the golden calf was. Goodly gods that are molten! Olim truncus eram. Horat.
Read John Trapp on Exodus 34 →Charles John Ellicott1819–1905Ellicott's Commentary for English Readers(17) Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.—It is just possible that the Israelites when they worshipped the golden calf may have conceived that they were not breaking the second commandment, which forbade the adoration of any “graven image.” An express law was therefore made against “molten images.”
Read Charles John Ellicott on Exodus 34 →CambridgeThe Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges17. Molten gods thou shalt not make thee] Cf. Leviticus 19:4 (H) ‘And molten gods ye shall not make you’; also, for the general thought, Exodus 20:23. Vv. 18–26 agree, for the most part verbally, with Exodus 13:13-14; Exodus 23:12; Exodus 23:15-19. The agreements and differences will be seen most clearly, if the two recensions are printed in parallel columns, with the differences in 34 marked either by italics or, where anything is omitted, by a space in the text. Exodus 23:10-11. (The fallow year.)Exodus 23:12. Six days shalt thou do thy work: but on the seventh day thou shalt desist: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy bondmaid, and the sojourner, may be…
Read Cambridge on Exodus 34 →Daniel Denison Whedon1808–1885Whedon's Commentary on the Bible12-26. Take heed to thyself — Here follows a brief resume of the laws previously ordained, and written in the Book of the Covenant, 21-23. They may be resolved into ten precepts, as follows:1.
Read Daniel Denison Whedon on Exodus 34 →The verse in English, compared — 17 translations, and where they part company
Every translation on this page is a decision someone had to make and commit to. Read down a column and you see one translator's judgement; read across a row and you see the range the Greek actually allows. The BSB is the wording the rest of this page is measured against, so it is listed first.
Modern formal
You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.
“You shall make no cast idols for yourselves.
You shall make no molten gods for yourselves.
You must not make yourselves molten gods.
Tyndale line
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
Thou shalt make thee no molten gods.
Thou shalt make thee no gods of metall.
Strictly literal
— Thou shalt make thyself no molten gods.
a molten god thou dost not make to thyself.
you do not make a molten god for yourself.
Thou shalt not make unto thyself any molten gods.
Do not make for yourselves gods of molten metal.
From the Latin
Thou shalt not make to thyself any molten gods.
Simplified
Don't make any idols for yourselves.
Make for yourselves no gods of metal.
Counted from the translations carried on this site, not from a survey of every English Bible. A rendering shared by many versions is usually inherited rather than independently arrived at — the Tyndale line in particular runs through most of them.
The sentence as the grammar sees it — from the MACULA Hebrew treebank
This is not our own analysis: it is the scholarly syntax tree for the verse, showing how the clause actually holds together.
Boxes are the grammarian's groupings — clause, noun phrase, prepositional phrase.
The four witnesses to this verse — Masoretic, Septuagint, Samaritan, Qumran
The Masoretic Text is supported by the Septuagint and the Samaritan Pentateuch, both agreeing word for word with the prohibition against making molten gods. The Dead Sea Scrolls show partial restoration, indicating some textual damage but align with the overall command.
אֱלֹהֵ֥י מַסֵּכָ֖ה לֹ֥א תַעֲשֶׂה־ לָּֽךְ׃
5 of the 5 words are matched. This is the word-by-word correspondence, not the Septuagint's own sentence — its word order and its articles are its own.
אלהי מסכה לא תעשׂה לך
Agrees with the Masoretic Text here, word for word.
[אלהי] [מסכה] לא תעשה ל׳ך
1 word on the leather — 2 partly restored, 2 supplied entire by an editor.
Four traditions, not one. “On the leather” means the letters physically survive on the scroll, as against letters an editor has supplied to fill a hole in it — a restoration is a scholar’s reading, not a reading of the manuscript. Words in [square brackets] are supplied; the notes count them apart from what survives.
The map of this verse — what each word keeps company with
This is a map of two things, both counted rather than judged. Company kept: which words stand within three words of each of these, anywhere in the Hebrew Bible — the thicker the line, the more often the pair meet compared with chance. Built from: the words a word is made out of, taken from its own Strong’s entry. It is not a map of meaning: nothing here claims two words mean the same thing. Click any circle to see the numbers behind it.
Lexicons — every word in Exodus 34:17
One dossier per word, with every reference work grouped by kind — Hebrew lexicons, morphology, Bible dictionaries, topical chains and the English of the translators themselves. The verse sits at the head of each block with the word under study lit, so you never lose your place. The panel above gives the short answer; this is the long one, and it is the part of the page worth indexing.
Every entry below is the lexicographer's own text. On the Hebrew: Brown-Driver-Briggs entire and its gloss set, Strong's Hebrew Dictionary, and Tyndale House's Translators Brief lexicon. Where a cell says a work has no entry, that work genuinely has none for this word.
אֱלֹהִים (elohiym) is a plural noun meaning 'gods' or 'God,' often referring to the supreme deity in the Old Testament. It encompasses divine beings, rulers, and judges, reflecting divine majesty and power. The term can also denote angels and is used in a superlative sense. Notably, it is sometimes combined with יהוה (YHWH), the personal name of God.
אֱלֹהִים 2570 n.m.pl.
pl. in number.
rulers, judges, either as divine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
angels
gods
pl. intensive
god or goddess
godlike one
works of God, or things belongng to him
God
הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
אֱלֹהִים = God
base
H430 אֱלֹהִים n. m. pl. . pl. in number. . rulers, judges, either asdivine representatives at sacred places or as reflecting divine majesty and power
. divine ones, superhuman beings including God and angels
. angels
. gods
. pl. intensive . god or goddess
. godlike one
. works of God, or things belongng to him
. God
. הָאֱלֹהִים the (true) God
. אֱלֹהִים = God
430 'elohiym el-o-heem'
plural of 433; gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically
used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the
supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to
magistrates; and sometimes as a superlative:--angels, X
exceeding, God (gods)(-dess, -ly), X (very) great, judges, X
mighty.
see HEBREW for 0433
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — God.
This name means "gods" (plural intensive-singular meaning), "God"
Another name of ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068G)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (LORD)-Elohe.
Combined with ye.ho.vah (יהוה "LORD" H3068)
אֱלֹהִים (e.lo.him) — (Gibeath)-elohim.
Combined with giv.ah (גִּבְעָה "Gibeath" H1389)
N-mp — Noun common · masculine plural constructHNcmpc
ov:
(1) In Anglo-Saxon, had the meaning "from," "away from" (as the strengthened form "off" has still), and was not used for genitive or possessive relations, these being expressed by special case-forms. In the Norman period, however, "of" was taken to represent the French de (a use well developed by the time of Chaucer), and in the Elizabethan period both senses of "of" were in common use. But after about 1600 the later force of the word became predominant, and in the earlier sense (which is now practically obsolete) it was replaced by other prepositions. In consequence the King James Version (and in some cases the Revised Version (British and American)) contains many uses of "of" that are no longer familiar--most of them, to be sure, causing no difficulty, but there still being a few responsible for real obscurities.
OF, preposition ov. [Gr.]
1. From or out of; proceeding from, as the cause, source, means, author or agent bestowing.
I have received of the Lord that which also I delivered to you. 1 Corinthians 11:1.
For it was of the Lord to harden their hearts. Joshua 11:1.
It is of the Lord's mercies that we are not consumed.
Lamentations 3:1.
The whole disposing thereof is of the Lord. Proverbs 16:1.
Go, inquire of the Lord for me. 2 Chronicles 34:2.
That holy thing that shall be born of thee. Luke 1:1.
Hence of is the sign of the genitive case, the case that denotes production; as the son of man, the son proceeding from man, produced from man. This is the primary sense, although we now say, produced by man. 'Part of these were slain; ' that is, a number separate, for part denotes a division; the sense then is, a number from or out of the whole were slain. So also, 'some of these were slain; ' that is…
מַסֵּכָה (maccekah) refers to a concept of pouring or fusion, primarily associated with molten metal or images, as well as libations or drink offerings. It can also denote woven materials, such as coverings or veils. The term encompasses both physical objects and ritual practices, highlighting its dual significance in ancient contexts.
מַסֵּכָה n.f. 1. molten metal, or image; 2. libation
libation, with covenant sacrif. in making covenant
molten metal, or image
base
מַסֵּכָה n.f. woven stuff, web, esp. as covering
base
H4541a מַסֵּכָה . molten metal, or image
. libation
H4541b מַסֵּכָה woven stuff, web, esp. as covering
4541 maccekah mas-say-kaw'
from 5258; properly, a pouring over, i.e. fusion of metal
(especially a cast image); by implication, a libation, i.e.
league; concretely a coverlet (as if poured out):--covering,
molten (image), vail.
see HEBREW for 05258
מַסֵּכָה (mas.se.khah) — liquid.
1) a pouring, libation, molten metal, cast image, drink offering
1a) libation (with covenant sacrifice)
1b) molten metal, molten image, molten gods
מַסֵּכָה (mas.se.khah) — veil.
web, covering, veil, woven stuff
N-fs — Noun common · feminine singular absoluteHNcfsa
met'-al (chashmal; elektron; the King James Version amber; Eze 8:2, the Revised Version margin "amber"): The substance here intended is a matter of great uncertainty. In Egypt bronze was, called chesmen, which may be connected with the Hebrew chashmal; the Greek elektron too has generally been accepted as an alloy of gold or silver or other metals, but this is far from certain. Professor Ridgeway (EB, I, cols. 134-36) has conclusively shown, however, that amber was well known in early times and that there is nothing archaeologically improbable in the reading of the King James Version.
Amber is a substance analogous to the vegetable resins, and is in all probability derived from extinct coniferous trees. The best or yellow variety was obtained by the ancients from the coasts of the Baltic where it is still found more plentifully than…
→ See BRASS (copper)
→ See GOLD
→ See IRON
→ See LEAD
→ See SILVER
→ See TIN
לֹא (lo') is a Hebrew word meaning 'not' or 'no.' It serves as a simple negation and can imply absence or prohibition. The word can also be used in various contexts, often combined with other particles for emphasis or clarification. Its Aramaic equivalent is לָא (la), which also means 'not.'
לֹא or לוֹא adv. not
base
H3808 לֹא or לוֹא not
3808 lo' lo
or lowi {lo}; or loh (Deut. 3:11) {lo}; a primitive particle;
not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often
used with other particles (as follows):--X before, + or else,
ere, + except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never,
no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (X as though...,(can-), for) not (out
of), of nought, otherwise, out of, + surely, + as truly as, +
of a truth, + verily, for want, + whether, without.
לֹא (lo) — not.
1) not, no
1a) not (with verb-absolute prohibition)
1b) not (with modifier-negation)
1c) nothing (subst)
1d) without (with particle)
1e) before (of time)
Aramaic equivalent: la (לָא "not" H3809)
Part — ParticleHTn
עָשָׂה (asah) is a Hebrew verb meaning to do or make, encompassing a wide range of actions such as producing, preparing, and observing. It can refer to both concrete and abstract activities, including making offerings and attending to tasks. The verb also has forms indicating passive meanings, such as being made or offered. Notably, the Piel form refers to pressing or squeezing.
עָשָׂה 2622 vb. do, make
Qal 2524
do (1560 t.)
deal with
oft. in phr. do kindness with
abs. act, act with effect
make (670 t.)
produce, yield
prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
make offering
attend to, put in order
observe, celebrate, religious festival
acquire property of various kinds
appoint priests
bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
use
spend, pass, days of life
Niph.
97be done
be made, of concr. things
be produced from vine
be prepared, of food
be offered
be observed, passover
be used
Pu. I was made
base
[עָשָׂה] vb. Pi. press, squeeze
base
H6213a עָשָׂה do, make .. . do (1560 + t.)
. deal with
. oft. in phr. do kindness with
. abs. act, act with effect
. . make (670 + t.)
. produce, yield
. prepare, esp. of dressing and cooking food
. make offering
. attend to, put in order
. observe, celebrate, religious festival
. acquire property of various kinds
. appoint priests
. bring about of י׳’s effecting a deliverance
. use
. spend, pass, days of life
. . be done
. . be made, of concr. things
. be produced from vine
. be prepared, of food
. be offered
. be observed, passover
. be used
. I was made
H6213b עָשָׂה Pi. press, squeeze
6213 `asah aw-saw'
a primitive root; to do or make, in the broadest sense and
widest application (as follows):--accomplish, advance,
appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth,
bruise, be busy, X certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal
(with), deck, + displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in)
execute(-ion), exercise, fashion, + feast, (fight-)ing man, +
finish, fit, fly, follow, fulfill, furnish, gather, get, go
about, govern, grant, great, + hinder, hold ((a feast)), X
indeed, + be industrious, + journey, keep, labour, maintain,
make, be meet, observe, be occupied, offer, + officer, pare,
bring (come) to pass, perform, pracise, prepare, procure,
provide, put, requite, X sacrifice, serve, set, shew, X sin,
spend, X surely, take, X thoroughly, trim, X very, + vex, be
(warr-)ior, work(-man), yield, use.
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make: do.
: do/perform
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
1a2c) to prepare
1a2d) to make (an offering)
1a2e) to attend to, put in order
1a2f) to observe, celebrate
1a2g) to acquire (property)
1a2h) to appoint, ordain, institute
1a2i) to bring about
1a2j) to use
1a2k) to spend, pass
1b) (Niphal)
1b1) to be done
1b2) to be made
1b3) to be produced
1b4) to be offered
1b5) to be observed
1b6) to be used
1c) (Pual) to be made
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to press.
(Piel) to press, squeeze
עָשָׂה (a.sah) — to make.
: make(OBJECT)
1) to do, fashion, accomplish, make
1a) (Qal)
1a1) to do, work, make, produce
1a1a) to do
1a1b) to work
1a1c) to deal (with)
1a1d) to act, act with effect, effect
1a2) to make
1a2a) to make
1a2b) to produce
V-Qal-Imperf-2ms — Verb · Qal · imperfect second person masculine singularHVqi2ms
ךָּ (ka) — you.
Personal object pronoun - suffix for propositions and verbs without an object: 2nd person masculine singular
HRd/Sp2ms — Preposition · suffixHRd/Sp2ms