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[Updated: 2023.05.19]
Modern interpretations of this passage fail the test of seeing the Scripture from the ancient perspective of ancient humanity and Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ. In the ancient world, humanity began with an animist belief system: that every physical thing was imbued with an associated, animating spirit; e.g., leaves rustled in the wind because the leaf-spirits were agitated by the rūꞋakh (wind-spirit!!!). Another particularly well-recognized animism was the rūꞋakh-nëphꞋësh-nᵊshãm•ãhꞋ (cognizance-breath-windspirit) triad.
Beyond the infamous Gold Calf-Mask debacle, which seduced even Mōsh•ëhꞋ's big brother (A•ha•rōnꞋ Bën-AmᵊrãmꞋ the Kō•hænꞋ ha-Jã•dōlꞋ), Ta•na״khꞋ documents endless bouts of widespread physicomorphism in early Israel, followed unwaveringly by stern admonishments; e.g.,
לֹֽ֣א־יִהְיֶ֥͏ֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ͏ַ֗י׃
 350x332.png "Ancient cosmological perspective of universe (using diagram by Vadim Sadovski @ Shutterstock)") |
 548x520.png "Click to enlarge"){kind=small} Ancient cosmological perspective of universe (diagram: Vadim Sadovski @ Shutterstock) |
In the original Middle-Eastern (as opposed to modern foreign) perspective of the Israeli authors of this Scripture, this Scriptural decree prohibits revering or idolizing any and all physicomorphisms—gods = rūkh•ōtꞋ.
יְהוָׂה Alone and unaided is the Singularity exception.
The next passage (Shᵊm•ōtꞋ 20.4–5, and very similar Dᵊvãr•imꞋ 5.7–9) can only be understood in the perspective of the early Israeli authors who wrote it in terms of the universe as they—not you—perceived it! See illustration.
4 לֹֽ֣א־תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכׇל־תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֔֡עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑͏ַ֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ׃
Thus, in English, the continuing passage (above) then explicates in detail that it forbids anything in the context of physicomorphic: "You shall not make for yourself any physicomorphic-sculpture, nor any physicomorphic-image; not of any such physicomorphism in the heavens above, nor any such physicomorphism in the land below, nor any such physicomorphism in the oceans below the terrain.
This context is then further reconfirmed in the following passage:
5 לֹֽא־תִשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֥֣ה לָׂׂהֶם וְלֹ֣א תׇעׇבְדֵ֑ם֒ כִּ֣י אָֽנֹכִ֞י יְהֹוָ֤ה אֱלֹהֶ֙יךָ֙ אֵ֣ל קַנָּ֔א פֹּ֠קֵד עֲוֺ֨ן אָבֹ֧ת עַל־בָּנִ֛ים עַל־ שִׁלֵּשִׁ֥ים וְעַל־רִבֵּעִ֖ים לְשֹׂנְאָֽ֑י׃
This Scripture dictates that Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ—i.e. the Jew—neither make nor possess nor indulge any representation of any physicomorphism; not heavenly, nor nether-worldly, nor suboceanic rūkh•ōtꞋ-ël•ōh•imꞋ; nor serve any of them—under penalty of khæꞋrëm beyond pãd•ãhꞋ ! Nor may a person תִֽשְׁתַּחֲוֶ֖ה to another ël•ōh•imꞋ.
Scripture doubles-down: "Don't even ask about this! Because physicomorphism is the principle violation of the bᵊrit"!!!
Why? כִּ֣י אֵ֤ל אָנֹכִי֙ וְלֹא־אִ֔ישׁ, לֹ֣א אִ֥ישׁ אֵל֙׃
(For I-Myself am æl and not a mortal; no mortal is an æl!)
Despite anthropomorphism being a subset of physicomorphism, and Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ having been weaned (70 CE) of sacrificial aspects of physicomorphism, misleading metaphors, inviting continued physicomorphisms (Greek "idolatry") of two major types continued to abound:
Gender. יְהוָׂה is a Supergender, Creator of gender; neither male nor female (nor trans, etc.)
eyes (ÃꞋmōs 9.3),
ears (Dãn•iy•ælꞋ 9.18),
hands (Yᵊsha•yãhꞋū 5.25), and
feet (bᵊReish•itꞋ 3.8; Yᵊsha•yãhꞋū 63.3).
Promulgating the Fire-spirit physicomorphism: spoke from the midst of fireDᵊvãr•imꞋ 4.12
He ceased from mᵊlãkh•ãhꞋ, He had done mᵊlãkh•ãhꞋ (bᵊReish•itꞋ 2.2–3),
He forms man (out of the dust, puffs breath-spirit into man, plants a garden), (bᵊReish•itꞋ 2.7-8),
He speaks (bᵊReish•itꞋ 1.3;
wa-Yi•qᵊr•ãꞋ 4.1), listens (Shᵊm•ōtꞋ 16.12),
closes the door of NōꞋakh's barge (bᵊReish•itꞋ 7.16)
He even whistles (Yᵊsha•yãhꞋū 7.18)
He laughs—one can "laugh on the inside", non-physically (Tᵊhil•imꞋ 2.4),
rejoices (Tzᵊphan•yãh 3.17),
becomes angry (Di•vᵊr•æꞋ-ha-Yãm•imꞋ ÃlꞋëph 13.10),
disgusted (wa-Yi•qᵊr•ãꞋ 20.23),
[compassionately lenient] (נִחַ֙מְתִּי֙ , Yi•rᵊmᵊyãhꞋū 42.10),
revengeful (Yᵊsha•yãhꞋū 1.24).
People today fail to appreciate how different the worlds of Avᵊrã•hãmꞋ, Mōsh•ëhꞋ & Hi•leilꞋ were from each other, and even moreso from today. הָעוֹלָם הִשְׁתַּנָּה (mundus mutatus )! Knowledge marches forward. Yesterday's scientists are remembered only as "ancient alchemists & astrologers". But, in their day, they were the scientists and luminaries, building on the most advanced knowledge of their day, striving for more knowledge of the real world upholding the goals of Truth and Justice—leaving behind the backward and superstitious of their time. Like them, we must continue to build on the most advanced knowledge of our day, to strive to increase our knowledge of the real world upholding the goals of Truth and Justice—leaving behind the backward and superstitious of our time. Conventional clergies, then and now, by contrast, preach mystical (animist & physicomorphic) "tradition!"; what was good enough for our ancestors is good enough for you (while we priests, by contrast, enrich ourselves off of the backs of our followers).
Your fate depends upon you knowing—not believing in any other mortal(s) who claim(s) to know—how your "God" is different in kind from the "Gods" of other cultures of the ancient, and modern, world as they all have become better understood and refined over the ages; all of which are Biblically prohibited as "foreign", false and emptiness! What is the key difference in how other gods were originally conceived and developed; the similarities and parallels between other cultural gods that were defined, with each thereafter evolving and being syncretized among advancing cultures—yet all are children of the same Creator. In other words, how is Existant (Hebrew י‑‑ה) of Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ and Tor•ãhꞋ universally different from all others?
Unlike the Creator-Singularity (Existant, י‑‑ה), Who is Alone in having been recognized through logical reasoning (scientific-method of the day), by AvᵊrãmꞋ. Everything AvᵊrãmꞋ understood in the universe had some cause. Included within that universe, necessarily the result of the same Singularity Prime Cause, were what others viewed as "the ël•oh•imꞋ"; i.e., idolatry. In short, AvᵊrãmꞋ reasoned that there had to be a Singularity Prime Cause for everything. He gave that Singularity Prime Cause a descriptive Name, י‑‑ה, meaning (roughly) "Self-existing Singularity" that is corroborated in our Shᵊm•aꞋ. See how this contrasts with all other human conceptions of ël•oh•imꞋ.
All of the gods and goddesses of all other cultures were assumed simplistically (and arrogantly — humans presuming to define the Creator of the universe when they can't even begin to grasp His creation):
Whatever you cannot understand and control is a supernatural miracle by some ël•oh•imꞋ that controls you. Therefore, you must worship and placate it in order to channel its power to your own ends.
Volcanoes were ascribed to a mountain god, lightning to a lightning god, wind to a sky god, love & fertility to a goddess of love & fertility, power of an army to its war god, etc. Between cultures, it reduced to a game of "My god is stronger than your god!" When cultures were friendly and trading, religious discussions led to the discovery of different names in different cultures for the same goddess of love & fertility, the god of war, thunder, mountains, waters, rains, lightning, etc.
Thus, cultures began to recognize that each particular god, with minor differences of cultural perspective (and local topographical differences), was the same except for the name. As a result, cultures began equating each other's sky god, mountain god, god of war, goddess of love & fertility, etc. As a result, there turned out to be no significant difference among the respective god of any particular force or power of nature. Water was pretty much the same among all cultures. So, too, the god of water was correspondingly similar. There was no significant difference between the Arabic god Allah and early Semitic god ElꞋoh (since stricken from the Hebrew language, displaced by Eil), nor between the Arabic goddess Al•lahtꞋ and the early Semitic goddess El•oh•ãhꞋ (since stricken from the Hebrew language). Whether these were the lunar, solar or war gods of Arabs and pre-Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ Semites matters not at all. They are all just "the gods ," which are spurned by Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ in accordance with the Shᵊm•aꞋ. We know both that there were idolatrous Semites before Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ (and, the Bible documents, that Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ periodically dabbled in idolatry) as well as the expulsion of the patriarchs of the Arabs, Yi•shᵊm•ã•eilꞋ and Ë•dōmꞋ, from the family covenant down to the time when Muhammad condemned idolatry—but retained Al•lahꞋ and renovated the Temple of Al•lahtꞋ into today's Kaaba. Al•lahꞋ equates to pre-Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ ElꞋoh, but it's all idolatry, not the same as (lᵊ‑ha•vᵊdilꞋ) י‑‑ה!
All were internal to the universe, arrogating creation to phone displacement gods —idolatry!
AvᵊrãmꞋ reasoned a Singularity Prime Cause external to the universe. All other human conceptions of "the gods and goddesses," in all other cultures, conceived only powers and forces internal to the universe. Only AvᵊrãmꞋ's reasoning extended beyond our universe to contemplate its Singularity Creator. Every other god, of every culture and every age, is based on powers and forces created by the Singularity Prime-Cause Creator. Thus, to ascribe His laws of physics and the operation of His universe to any other source (which includes all gods) is arrogating His work to a fake god displacing י‑‑ה; and that is the core definition of idolatry!
Thus, power became equated to evidence of being pleasing to ël•oh•imꞋ; basis for claims of "divine right to the throne.") Thereafter, outside of Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ, in their hunger for power, the goy•imꞋ sought to become spox (priests, clerics) of ël•oh•imꞋ, to prevail on and manipulate ël•oh•imꞋ to do their bidding, and to become the ël•oh•imꞋ.
Over time, all of the ël•oh•imꞋ throughout all cultures—outside of Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ—evolved, mutated, morphed and were conflated and syncretized by other goy•imꞋ with their ël•oh•imꞋ. Thus, most of the ël•oh•imꞋ developed parallels equating to the ël•oh•imꞋ of other, especially neighboring, cultures.
As a result of these evolutions, mutations and syncretisms, the argument some try to make, denying idolatry based on some minor difference between them, collapses. Differences between your ël•oh•imꞋ and his Al•lahꞋ, or his Ash•tōrꞋët or Aphrodite and your Al•lahtꞋ is no more significant than the differences within these same idols over a couple of centuries of their own respective evolution and refinements.
Idolatry—from the ≈BCE 170 Hellenist Greek LXX; has no corresponding single Hebrew source term in Ta•na״khꞋ.
Ta•na״khꞋ addresses and prohibits a far broader set of foreign practices than the Hellenist concept of Εἰδωλολατρία.
Even with all of its connotations, "idolatry", limited to "visual-only" prohibitions, is so inadequate to the far broader prohibitions in Ta•na״khꞋ that it misleads readers to circumvent the plethora of additional Hebrew descriptions in Ta•na״khꞋ. Even the concept of "animism", which emerged among earliest humans from their primitive perception of eish (fire), ignores animist prohibitions based on the other 4 senses—plus the mystical imaginations of primitive peoples.
Even taking all of this into account, while the Tōr•ãhꞋ concept was always broader than the Greek (and vastly broader than the English "idolatry"), the meaning of the core Tōr•ãhꞋ Principle itself must be updated to adapt to הָעוֹלָם הִשְׁתַּנָּה (mundus mutatus ). Today's science requires that animism ("idolatry") must update; acknowledge all physical manifestations—not all of which are visible. Today, we know that much of physical manifestation arrives to our awareness, delivered by our physical nervous system through our other 4 physical senses aside from visible: i.e. audio, tactile (touch), olfactory (smell) and gustatory (taste). These, too, are physical manifestations. Hear an omen, sign or prophecy? Feel a sign or presence? Smell a sign or demon? Taste the bread-body or wine- (or juice-) blood in, even symbolically, eating a demigod christ to make it a physical part of your physical body? Dependence upon any combination of physical manifestations for supernatural (metaphysical) direction falls within the Tōr•ãhꞋ prohibitions.
According to Classical Greek era (Aristotelian) Hellenism, every physical manifestation in the universe that they could perceive was soul-linked to any of a legion of ë•lil•imꞋ. This is the definition of animism, the quintessential "luck" engine underlying every form of divination (□mancy)—from "sacred" sculptures, paintings or images to astrology & signs prophecy, Qa•bãl•ãhꞋ and other Dark Ages mysticism, ascribing influence to a cross, mᵊzūz•ãhꞋ, mᵊnōr•ãhꞋ, a hamsa, or other religious amulet; an Ouija board, crystal ball, or the like; believing "luck" to be linked to any gambling, or "lucky" object or fortune device (e.g., lucky pool cue or table, slot machine, game shoes, clothes) or visible ritual—including physically audible "prayer", etc. to a kip•ãhꞋ, ta•litꞋ, tᵊphil•inꞋ (warning reminders, not talismen); including misplacing faith in the \’\’visible\’\’, i.e. exterior corporeal \’\’gifts of the Spirit\’\’ or corporeal mechanical ritual rather than internal incorporeal, aspects of holy days and prayer—not clergy-correct\’\’ mystical rituals and incantations disguised as prayers. (Note the difference between betting on (belief in) \’\’lucky\’\’ dice, amulet, cards, etc. versus simply determining fair lots or moves in a board game.) Extending "luck" or "fortune" to anything having a visible aspect is the core violation of Tōr•ãhꞋ!
The literal meaning of the Greek (idolizing, or placing faith in, anything "having a visible aspect" having supernatural power) is addresses only those animist associations deriving from our sense of vision. But we have an additional 4 senses (+ imagination) that also contribute to superstitious animism. The widespread use of the English term "idolatry" in "Biblical" discussion falls fatally short of Aramic or Hebrew term in Scripture meaning "idolatry"; nor for all of the legion types of animism. At the time the Hellenist Greek term εἴδωλον was introduced in LXX, it was understood (by Hellenists) to refer to any physical portrayal-rendering (i.e. seen aspect, i.e. visual aid), which was believed to incorporate—be animated via—a surmised soul-link or spirit-link; and that is every particle in the universe. That is animism—and is the root reason that Ta•na״khꞋ is, lᵊ-ha•vᵊdilꞋ, mutually exclusive from any and all other beliefs
Shᵊm•ōtꞋ 20 3 You shall not have אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל-פִּי פָּנָֽ͏ַ֗י;
4 לֹֽ֣א־תַֽעֲשֶׂ֨ה־לְךָ֥֣ פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכׇל־תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה אֲשֶׁ֤֣ר בַּשָּׁמַ֣֙יִם֙ ׀ מִמַּ֔֡עַל וַֽאֲשֶׁ֥ר֩ בָּאָ֖֨רֶץ מִתָּ֑͏ַ֜חַת וַאֲשֶׁ֥ר בַּמַּ֖֣יִם ׀ מִתַּ֥֣חַת לָאָֽ֗רֶץ׃
Dᵊvãr•imꞋ 5.7 פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ כׇּל־תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה (figure, [or] any image)
Dᵊvãr•imꞋ 32
21 לֹא־אֵ֔ל
37 וְאָמַ֖ר אֵ֣י אֱלֹהֵ֑ימוֹ צ֖וּר חָסָ֥יו בְוֹ׃
39 וְאֵ֥ין אֱלֹהִ֖ים עִמָּדִ֑י
Yᵊhō•shūꞋa 23 (1-16)
7 אֱלֹהֵיהֶ֤ם
16 אֱלֹהִ֣ים אֲחֵרִ֔ים
Shᵊmu•ælꞋ ÃlꞋëph 15:23 קֶ֙סֶם֙, תְרָפִ֖ים
Yᵊsha•yãhꞋū 41:29 אָ֥וֶן אֶ֖פֶס, ר֥וּחַ וָתֹ֖הוּ
Yᵊsha•yãhꞋū 44
If you ascribe any supernatural (including vicarious) power to anything created by יְהוָׂה (which includes every mortal, clergy, priest, imam, shaman, etc.)—the animist gods of ancient peoples, then you are violating Tōr•ãhꞋ! (That includes every mortal, clergy, priest, imam, shaman, etc.).
All Εἰδωλολατρία is forbidden by Scripture (e.g. Shᵊm•ōtꞋ 20.3-4 & Dᵊvãr•imꞋ 5.7-9), but these original Hebrew Scriptures forbid representations that go vastly beyond the far more narrow modern definition of "idolatry" in English, in modern Greek, and even translated into Hebrew a•vōd•ãhꞋ zãr•ãhꞋ—which fails to ! Consequently, myriads who keep the Greek displacement mythology definition typically live in continual violation of the actual Scriptural proscription against animism!
There is neither an Aramaic, Hebrew, Ta•na״khꞋ nor DërꞋëkh יְהוָׂה counterpart of the Hellenist (Greek LXX) ei•dōꞋlo•la•triꞋa or resulting English "idolatry"! Further, the term "idolatry" has since evolved and been redefined beyond the Greek (e.g., English "idolatry"); neither equivalent nor adequate to supersede the Scriptural (Aramaic & Hebrew) original Source text underpinning the first of the A•sërꞋët ha-Dᵊvãr•imꞋ.
Thus, from the time of Yᵊhō•shūꞋa Bin-Nūn, Yi•sᵊr•ã•eilꞋ began to stray from the historical origins of Avᵊrã•hãmꞋ, Mōsh•ëhꞋ and Scripture. By the time that the Beit ha-Mi•qᵊdãshꞋ of ZᵊrūꞋ-Bã•vëlꞋ was Hellenized (cBCE 175), creating the original Jewish-protestants—the rabbis (Pᵊrush•imꞋ, i.e. Beit Hi•leilꞋ), the LXX term of the Tzᵊdōq•imꞋ (Tzᵊdōq•imꞋ, (Beit Sha•maiꞋ), εἴδωλον , appeared. The widespread adoption of this term reformed, displaced and superseded the Scriptural injunction (below) with "a•vōd•ãhꞋ zãr•ãhꞋ"—reforming the rabbinic definition to refer only to rituals that "Orthodox" rabbis define as "not permitted by Orthodox rabbis"!!! Thereby, inter alia, Orthodox rabbis perverted the Scriptural proscription to appear to proscribe anything and everything religious that Orthodox rabbis consider decree "not Orthodox" as "a•vōd•ãhꞋ zãr•ãhꞋ"—which they equated to the Hellenist LXX Greek "idolatry"!
To understand what Scripture was targeting (and proscribing), one must recognize the universal belief system from which Avᵊrã•hãmꞋ was weaning himself. From eons before the time of Avᵊrã•hãmꞋ, "everyone" believed that every physical object—from rocks to plants & trees to air, a breeze, lightning, volcanoes & fire to animals—every physical object was believed to have its own phantom soul-spirit (or demon), capable of determining one's fortunes (luck). This belief is animism: "1. The belief in the existence of individual spirits that inhabit natural objects and phenomena. This was the underlying belief, proscribed by the Scriptural description, which enabled—animated—idolatry, inter alia. All talismans (amulets, charms, totems and other physical objects believed to affect luck or fortune), while not prohibited by Hellenist idolatry, are prohibited by Scripture as animist. Contrary to conventional thought, animism remains rampant today: including, inter alia, a good-luck penny, a broken mirror, a 4-leaf clover, black cat, object displaying a (un)lucky number (7, 8-ball, 13 or 666), lucky paraphernalia (socks, shoes, ties, hat, etc.), dream-catchers, divining-rods, horseshoes, spilled salt, Ouija boards, rabbit's foot, crystal ball, fortune cards, a wishbone or a current-generation lie detector machine—to Hamsas and religious/holy books, et al. Handling revered books carefully is exemplary; assigning holiness to a physical object is Scripturally proscribed animism! (Note: by contrast, the Ūr•imꞋ wᵊ-Tūm•imꞋ was a non-magical, non-animist binary decider for cases requiring resolution but beyond the human knowledge to decide; like having to resort to casting lots (dice) or flipping a coin.)
A distinct essential and enabling element of ancient animism is physicomorphism: "Attribution of human motivation, characteristics, or behavior to inanimate objects, animals, or natural phenomena" (emphasis added) "Idolatry" doesn't include anthropomophism; that is, believers in physicomorphism aren't "idolaters" as set forth in LXX. Therefore, while it doesn't violate "idolatry", it's clearly physicomorphism proscribed by Scripture to represent the Arm of the Lord, the eyes of the Lord (think beyond recognized idols to include Michelangelo's "The Creation of Adam", pictures and crucifixes of Jesus as well as the images conjured in your mind's eye by physicomorphic interpretations of some Scripture—resulting in most narratives in an Orthodox Ha•gãd•ãhꞋ) even the attribution of gender. The Existant is Singularly Unique, neither he nor she—not even animist physical "it". Whether Hebrew, English or another language: The Existant is the Incomparable Unique Existant; i.e. יְהוָׂה is the Incomparable Unique יְהוָׂה.
This discussion raises the need to discuss Scripturally-required objects (in addition to the Ūr•imꞋ wᵊ-Tūm•imꞋ mentioned above) versus animism; e.g., the A•rōnꞋ ha-Bᵊrit, mᵊzūz•ōtꞋ, tᵊphil•inꞋ, tzitz•itꞋ, et al.. These were commanded as evidentiary or Scripture memory instillments. Perverting any Scripturally-commanded object into animist physical attributes (e.g., special power of a physical object, or its size, length, associating a special empowering formula of wording or magical pronunciation of incantation/blessing) violates the Scriptural proscription against both animism and physicomorphism; the latter by misrepresenting the Inimitable and Sovereign Power of יְהוָׂה to be a mystical occult, cultic, mortal-operated physicomorphic mechanism; the most blatant and severe form of brazen blasphemy and profaning יְהוָׂה!
Eons before the Hellenist introduction of the Greek term ei•dōꞋlo•la•triꞋa, Scripture originally targeted the universal belief system that had evolved to the time of Avᵊrã•hãmꞋ: (animism and physicomorphism), which centered on some physical idolatry פֶ֣֙סֶל֙ ׀ וְכָל־תְּמוּנָ֔֡ה that evokes anything that is venerated within (i.e. constrained to) the physical universe. Thus, the Scriptural prohibition, in addition to Hellenist idolatry of millennia later, further forbade every kind of animism and physicomorphism!
Pay it forward! Quote & Cite:
| Yirmeyahu Ben-David. Idololatria (update). Netzarim Jews Worldwide (Ra'anana, Israel). https://www.netzarim.co.il/Shared/Glossary/cccc.htm (Access date). |
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