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!' Cursed is the manThe word "cursed" in Hebrew is "אָרוּר" (arur), which signifies being under divine judgment or condemnation. In the context of Deuteronomy, it reflects the covenantal relationship between God and Israel, where blessings and curses are contingent upon obedience or disobedience to God's laws. This phrase underscores the seriousness of idolatry, as it directly violates the first two commandments and disrupts the exclusive worship due to Yahweh. who makes a carved idol or molten image
The Hebrew words for "carved idol" (פֶּסֶל, pesel) and "molten image" (מַסֵּכָה, massekah) refer to physical representations of deities, often crafted from wood, stone, or metal. These practices were common among Israel's neighboring cultures, such as the Canaanites and Egyptians, who used idols in their religious rituals. The prohibition against such images is rooted in the understanding that God is spirit and cannot be contained or represented by material objects, which diminishes His transcendence and glory. an abomination to the LORD
The term "abomination" (תּוֹעֵבָה, to'evah) is used throughout the Old Testament to describe practices that are detestable and repugnant to God. Idolatry is particularly offensive because it represents a breach of the covenant and a turning away from the true God to false gods. This phrase highlights the moral and spiritual repulsion that idolatry incites in the divine nature. the work of the hands of a craftsman
This phrase emphasizes the human origin of idols, contrasting the Creator God with man-made objects. The Hebrew word for "craftsman" (חָרָשׁ, charash) denotes a skilled artisan, yet no matter the skill involved, the product remains a lifeless object. This serves as a reminder of the futility and absurdity of worshiping something fashioned by human hands, which cannot see, hear, or act. and sets it up in secret
The act of setting up idols "in secret" suggests a deliberate attempt to hide idolatrous practices, indicating an awareness of their wrongness. This secrecy implies a breach of trust and integrity within the community of faith. It also reflects the internal struggle between the desire to conform to surrounding cultures and the call to remain faithful to God's commandments. And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
The word "Amen" (אָמֵן) is a Hebrew term meaning "so be it" or "truly." It is an affirmation of agreement and acceptance of the preceding statement. In this context, it signifies the collective acknowledgment and commitment of the Israelite community to uphold God's laws and reject idolatry. This communal response reinforces the shared responsibility of maintaining covenant faithfulness and the societal rejection of practices that lead away from God. Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who delivered God's laws and instructions, including the blessings and curses in Deuteronomy. 2. The IsraelitesThe chosen people of God, who are receiving the law and instructions as they prepare to enter the Promised Land. 3. Mount Ebal and Mount GerizimThe locations where the blessings and curses were to be proclaimed to the Israelites. 4. The CraftsmanRepresents those who create idols, which are considered abominations to God. 5. The LORD (Yahweh)The one true God who commands exclusive worship and forbids idolatry. Teaching Points The Seriousness of IdolatryIdolatry is not just a physical act but a spiritual betrayal. It represents a turning away from God to trust in something created rather than the Creator. The Call for Community AccountabilityThe communal response of "Amen" signifies agreement and accountability among the people. It reminds us of the importance of community in upholding God's standards. The Danger of Secret SinThe verse highlights the danger of setting up idols "in secret." It serves as a warning that hidden sins are still seen by God and have serious consequences. The Role of Obedience in WorshipTrue worship involves obedience to God's commands. Idolatry is a direct violation of this obedience and disrupts our relationship with God. The Importance of Heart ExaminationWhile physical idols may not be as prevalent today, anything that takes the place of God in our hearts can become an idol. Regular self-examination is crucial. Bible Study Questions 1. What are some modern-day "idols" that can take the place of God in our lives, and how can we guard against them? 2. How does the communal response of "Amen" in this passage reflect the importance of accountability within the church today? 3. In what ways can secret sins, like hidden idols, affect our relationship with God and others? 4. How can we apply the principle of fleeing from idolatry in our daily lives, as advised in 1 Corinthians 10:14? 5. Reflect on a time when you had to choose between obedience to God and something else that was competing for your attention. What did you learn from that experience? Connections to Other Scriptures Exodus 20:3-4The commandment against idolatry is first given in the Ten Commandments, emphasizing the prohibition of making and worshiping idols. Isaiah 44:9-20This passage mocks the futility of idol-making and highlights the foolishness of worshiping man-made objects. 1 Corinthians 10:14Paul advises believers to flee from idolatry, reinforcing the timelessness of this command. Revelation 21:8Idolatry is listed among the sins that lead to eternal separation from God, showing its seriousness in the New Testament. People Asher, Benjamin, Dan, Gad, Issachar, Joseph, Levi, Levites, Moses, Naphtali, Reuben, Simeon, ZebulunPlaces Beth-baal-peor, Jordan River, Mount Ebal, Mount GerizimTopics Abomination, Amen, Artificer, Carves, Casts, Craftsman, Craftsman's, Cursed, Detestable, Disgusting, Engraved, Graven, Hands, Idol, Image, Makes, Maketh, Man's, Metal, Molten, Puts, Putteth, Secret, Secretly, Sets, Setteth, Stone, WoodDictionary of Bible Themes Deuteronomy 27:15 4345 metalworkers
5211 art
5273 creativity
5941 secrecy
6103 abomination
8634 amen Deuteronomy 27:1-26 7797 teaching Deuteronomy 27:9-26 5827 curse Deuteronomy 27:15-26 1461 truth, nature of
5783 agreement Library Obedience
Take heed, and hearken, O Israel; this day thou art become the people of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt therefore obey the voice of the Lord thy God, and do his commandments.' Deut 27: 9, 10. What is the duty which God requireth of man? Obedience to his revealed will. It is not enough to hear God's voice, but we must obey. Obedience is a part of the honour we owe to God. If then I be a Father, where is my honour?' Mal 1: 6. Obedience carries in it the life-blood of religion. Obey the voice of the Lord …
Thomas Watson—The Ten CommandmentsIn Judæa and through Samaria - a Sketch of Samaritan History and Theology - Jews and Samaritans.
We have no means of determining how long Jesus may have tarried in Jerusalem after the events recorded in the previous two chapters. The Evangelic narrative [1850] only marks an indefinite period of time, which, as we judge from internal probability, cannot have been protracted. From the city He retired with His disciples to the country,' which formed the province of Judæa. There He taught and His disciples baptized. [1851] [1852] From what had been so lately witnessed in Jerusalem, as well …
Alfred Edersheim—The Life and Times of Jesus the Messiah How Christ is Made Use of for Justification as a Way.
What Christ hath done to purchase, procure, and bring about our justification before God, is mentioned already, viz. That he stood in the room of sinners, engaging for them as their cautioner, undertaking, and at length paying down the ransom; becoming sin, or a sacrifice for sin, and a curse for them, and so laying down his life a ransom to satisfy divine justice; and this he hath made known in the gospel, calling sinners to an accepting of him as their only Mediator, and to a resting upon him for …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life Gilgal, in Deuteronomy 11:30 what the Place Was.
That which is said by Moses, that "Gerizim and Ebal were over-against Gilgal," Deuteronomy 11:30, is so obscure, that it is rendered into contrary significations by interpreters. Some take it in that sense, as if it were near to Gilgal: some far off from Gilgal: the Targumists read, "before Gilgal": while, as I think, they do not touch the difficulty; which lies not so much in the signification of the word Mul, as in the ambiguity of the word Gilgal. These do all seem to understand that Gilgal which …
John Lightfoot—From the Talmud and Hebraica In Galilee at the Time of Our Lord
"If any one wishes to be rich, let him go north; if he wants to be wise, let him come south." Such was the saying, by which Rabbinical pride distinguished between the material wealth of Galilee and the supremacy in traditional lore claimed for the academies of Judaea proper. Alas, it was not long before Judaea lost even this doubtful distinction, and its colleges wandered northwards, ending at last by the Lake of Gennesaret, and in that very city of Tiberias which at one time had been reputed unclean! …
Alfred Edersheim—Sketches of Jewish Social Life Meditations of the Misery of a Man not Reconciled to God in Christ.
O wretched Man! where shall I begin to describe thine endless misery, who art condemned as soon as conceived; and adjudged to eternal death, before thou wast born to a temporal life? A beginning indeed, I find, but no end of thy miseries. For when Adam and Eve, being created after God's own image, and placed in Paradise, that they and their posterity might live in a blessed state of life immortal, having dominion over all earthly creatures, and only restrained from the fruit of one tree, as a sign …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel Differences in Judgment About Water Baptism, no Bar to Communion: Or, to Communicate with Saints, as Saints, Proved Lawful.
IN ANSWER TO A BOOK WRITTEN BY THE BAPTISTS, AND PUBLISHED BY MR. T. PAUL AND MR. W. KIFFIN, ENTITLED, 'SOME SERIOUS REFLECTIONS ON THAT PART OF MR BUNYAN'S CONFESSION OF FAITH, TOUCHING CHURCH COMMUNION WITH UNBAPTIZED BELIEVERS.' WHEREIN THEIR OBJECTIONS AND ARGUMENTS ARE ANSWERED, AND THE DOCTRINE OF COMMUNION STILL ASSERTED AND VINDICATED. HERE IS ALSO MR. HENRY JESSE'S JUDGMENT IN THE CASE, FULLY DECLARING THE DOCTRINE I HAVE ASSERTED. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'Should not the multitude of words be answered? …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3 Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament Links Deuteronomy 27:15 NIVDeuteronomy 27:15 NLTDeuteronomy 27:15 ESVDeuteronomy 27:15 NASBDeuteronomy 27:15 KJV
Deuteronomy 27:15 Commentaries
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