1. Leviticus 26:1 (ESV)
  2. Exposition

How is this commandment emphasized?

Leviticus 26:1 (ESV)

1 “You shall not make idols for yourselves or erect an image or pillar, and you shall not set up a figured stone in your land to bow down to it, for I am the LORD your God.

This prohibition is reinforced by the use of four different names to describe other gods. First, idols (’ělîl), literally meaning nothing. Second, the word image (pěsěl) comes from a verb meaning, to hew from wood or stone. It refers to divine representations made out of such materials. Third, a pillar (mǎṣṣēḇāh) is a standing stone connected to the worship of Canaanite gods (Exodus 23:24). Finally, a figured stone (’ěḇěn mǎśkîṯ) is an idolatrous symbol hewn from stone (see Ezekiel 8:10–12).