Deuteronomy 4 18

Deuteronomy 4:18 kjv

The likeness of any thing that creepeth on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the waters beneath the earth:

Deuteronomy 4:18 nkjv

the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground or the likeness of any fish that is in the water beneath the earth.

Deuteronomy 4:18 niv

or like any creature that moves along the ground or any fish in the waters below.

Deuteronomy 4:18 esv

the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth.

Deuteronomy 4:18 nlt

a small animal that scurries along the ground, or a fish in the deepest sea.

Deuteronomy 4 verses

Deuteronomy 4 18 Meaning

Deuteronomy 4:18 prohibits the Israelites from making for themselves any physical representation or image (likeness) of land animals or winged birds. This command is a specific application of the Second Commandment, underscoring the Lord God's unique, transcendent, and non-representable nature, preventing His worship from being corrupted by humanly conceived forms. It emphasizes spiritual worship over material depiction, guarding against the syncretism and idolatry prevalent in surrounding pagan cultures that commonly depicted their deities with animal forms.

Deuteronomy 4 18 Context

Deuteronomy 4:18 is part of Moses' grand address to the Israelites on the plains of Moab, before their entry into the Promised Land. This chapter specifically serves as a powerful call for the nation to remember the covenant made at Mount Horeb (Sinai) and to remain faithful to God's commandments. Moses sternly warns against idolatry, highlighting that Israel saw no physical form of God when He spoke to them from the fire (Dt 4:12, 15). This absence of a visible representation of God forms the theological basis for the strict prohibition against making any "likeness" (tᵉmûnāh) of Him or any created thing as an object of worship. Verses 16-19 detail the specific categories of forbidden images: male or female human figures, land animals, winged birds (v. 18), creeping things, fish, and celestial bodies. This comprehensive list directly counters the polytheistic practices of surrounding nations—Egyptians, Canaanites, and others—who commonly worshipped deities depicted as humans, animals (like bull gods or bird-headed deities), or celestial objects, engaging in a polemic against pagan animism and zoomorphism by asserting God's transcendence above creation.

Deuteronomy 4 18 Word analysis

• the likeness (תְּמוּנָה - tᵉmûnāh): This Hebrew term signifies "form," "figure," "image," or "similitude." Its repeated use in Dt 4 (vv. 12, 15, 16, 18, 23, 25) emphasizes that the prohibition is not just against worshipping animals themselves but against making any representation or physical resemblance of them for the purpose of worship. It ties back to the crucial point that Israel "saw no form" (tᵉmûnāh) of God, thereby making any physical depiction of God or of any created thing a misrepresentation of the divine.

• of any beast (כָּל־בְּהֵמָה - kol-bᵉhēmāh): Refers to all land animals or quadruped "beasts." This broad category includes both domestic animals (cattle) and wild animals, indicating a comprehensive ban on representing any terrestrial creature. Surrounding cultures like the Egyptians widely deified land animals (e.g., Apis bull, various sacred animals), making this prohibition a direct challenge to such practices.

• that is on the earth (אֲשֶׁר בָּאָרֶץ - ’asher bā’āreṣ): Specifies the domain of these creatures as the land, distinguishing them from aquatic or aerial life mentioned elsewhere. This provides geographical scope to the command.

• the likeness (תְּמוּנָה - tᵉmûnāh): Repeats the concept of image or representation, reinforcing the core idea that no physical embodiment should be made for worship.

• of any winged fowl (כָּל־צִפּוֹר כָּנָף - kol-ṣippōr kānāp̄): Literally "every bird of wing," encompassing all birds. This includes both birds of the air and any bird-like creatures (e.g., griffins) imagined in pagan iconography. Birds, like the falcon-headed god Horus in Egypt, were commonly used to depict deities or their attributes, which this command directly opposes.

• that flies in the air (אֲשֶׁר תָּעוּף בַּשָּׁמָיִם - ’asher tā‘ûp̄ baššāmāyim): Specifies the habitat of these creatures as the sky, encompassing all aerial life. This again outlines a distinct category within the comprehensive list of forbidden representations.

• Words-group Analysis:

  • "the likeness of any beast... the likeness of any winged fowl": This phrase, combined with v.17 and v.19 (likeness of fish, creeping things, celestial bodies, male/female figures), highlights the all-encompassing nature of the prohibition. It leaves no category of created thing (whether terrestrial, aerial, aquatic, human, or celestial) open for representation as an object of worship. This comprehensiveness reinforces God's exclusive claim to worship and His utterly distinct nature as Creator, not to be confined to, or confused with, any part of His creation. It directly counters pagan polytheistic religions that worshipped various animal, human, and stellar deities.

Deuteronomy 4 18 Bonus section

The emphasis on not creating "likenesses" points to a deeper truth: worship of God is to be through spirit and truth (John 4:24), not through the work of human hands or imagination. While God commanded specific visual elements for the Tabernacle and Temple (like cherubim), these were specific, divinely appointed symbols of His presence or attributes, not objects of worship themselves, nor were they ever intended to represent God's form. They functioned differently from the idolatrous images explicitly prohibited here. The transgression of this command often stemmed from a desire to make God "tangible" or "manageable," mirroring a human tendency to domesticate the divine rather than bowing before His holy mystery and unsearchable greatness. This principle remains vital: true worship guards against making God in our own image, whether literally or figuratively, and against allowing created things to take the place of the Creator in our hearts.

Deuteronomy 4 18 Commentary

Deuteronomy 4:18 functions as a detailed expansion of the Second Commandment, meticulously specifying the types of images God’s people are forbidden to create for worship. This particular verse addresses land animals and birds, which were prominent figures in the pantheons and sacred symbols of Israel's pagan neighbors. The core theological principle is that because God revealed Himself to Israel through voice and mighty acts, but without any discernible "form" at Horeb (Deut 4:15), any attempt to depict Him or worship Him through a created "likeness" fundamentally misrepresents His invisible, incomparable, and transcendent nature. Such acts reduce the Infinite to the finite, substituting human conceptions for divine revelation, and invariably lead to idolatry, which attributes divine power to what is powerless and diminishes the glory of the true God. The verse therefore establishes a profound boundary for worship, emphasizing that devotion to the Lord must be spiritual, based on His revealed Word and character, not on physical imagery, thus preserving the purity of their relationship with the only God.