Exodus 20:3–6 in context
The passage commonly associated with the Second Commandment addresses exclusive loyalty to Israel's God and cautions against making or worshipping religious images. Numbering differs among traditions: Roman Catholics and some Lutherans commonly call these verses the First Commandment, while many Jewish and Protestant traditions identify them with the Second.
Verse 3: The passage calls for loyalty to one God rather than placing other deities before God.
Verses 4–5: It warns against making an image for worship and against bowing before it.
Verse 6: It connects obedience with mercy toward those who love God and keep the commandments.
The wording is complex because two themes are joined together: the rejection of rival worship and the question of whether religious representations themselves are forbidden. Communities have reached different conclusions about how broadly the command should apply.
Why interpretations differ
The Hebrew Bible contains both prohibitions against idolatry and instructions for sacred objects decorated with symbolic forms. Readers therefore distinguish in different ways between an image used as a god, an image used in worship, and art that functions as teaching or decoration.
- Some conservative interpreters understand the command broadly and warn against images that could become objects of devotion.
- Many Jewish, Catholic, Orthodox and Protestant interpreters distinguish between worship owed to God and respect shown to a symbol, icon or religious object.
- Some liberal theologians read the passage historically, emphasizing how later editors and communities shaped its wording and application.
Different numbering traditions
Roman Catholic and some Lutheran readings
Verses 3–6 are commonly treated together as the First Commandment, focusing on the rejection of other gods and false worship.
Jewish readings
Many Jewish traditions number the opening prohibition as the First Commandment and verses 4–6 as the Second.
Many Protestant and Orthodox readings
Verses 4–6 are often treated as the Second Commandment, with verse 3 understood as the First.
Images in religious practice
Religious communities differ in how they use visual representation. Some avoid figurative religious art or restrict it to teaching. Others use crosses, icons, statues, stained glass, illustrated texts or other objects while maintaining that these are not themselves gods.
Roman Catholic teaching, for example, distinguishes between adoration directed to God and veneration or honor associated with sacred representations. Eastern Orthodox practice gives icons a significant role in prayer and devotion. Many Protestant communities use crosses, biblical illustrations and other visual aids, although some Reformed traditions have historically favored plainer spaces.
The Amish and some Old Order Mennonite communities have traditionally applied strong limits to photography and representations of people. Such practices illustrate how one command can produce different disciplines even among groups that share biblical sources.
Questions raised by the Hebrew Scriptures
Readers who interpret the command literally often discuss passages that describe cherubim, flowers, trees and other forms in the tabernacle or Temple. Examples include the ark's cherubim in Exodus 25, decorated curtains in Exodus 26, the bronze serpent in Numbers 21, and Temple carvings described in 1 Kings 6.
These passages have been reconciled in several ways. Some interpreters distinguish between objects commanded for a specific sacred purpose and images made for personal devotion. Others see the texts as evidence that the biblical tradition contains multiple perspectives on representation. Historical-critical readers may also consider how different authors and editors contributed to the Pentateuch and later biblical books.
Summary
The commandment has been used to discuss monotheism, idolatry, religious art, authority and freedom of conscience. Its interpretation depends on how a community defines worship, symbolism and the relationship between written texts and later practice. Careful comparison helps readers understand these disagreements without treating any one interpretation as universal.
Continue reading
This topic continues in the next essay. Related background is available through the Ten Commandments overview, biblical inerrancy, the Documentary Hypothesis, BCE dating and the page on comparing religions.