Leviticus 19:4 (ASV)

Passage

Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 19:2 Speak unto all the congregation of the children of Israel, and say unto them, Ye shall be holy; for I Jehovah your God am holy.

Leviticus 19:3 Ye shall fear every man his mother, and his father; and ye shall keep my sabbaths: I am Jehovah your God.

Leviticus 19:4 Turn ye not unto idols, nor make to yourselves molten gods: I am Jehovah your God.

Leviticus 19:5 And when ye offer a sacrifice of peace-offerings unto Jehovah, ye shall offer it that ye may be accepted.

Leviticus 19:6 It shall be eaten the same day ye offer it, and on the morrow: and if aught remain until the third day, it shall be burnt with fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "turn", "idols", "make", "yourselves", "molten", "gods", and "jehovah". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "turn" and "idols", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 3's "Ye shall fear every man his mother..." into verse 5's "And when ye offer a sacrifice of...", so "turn" and "idols" belong inside that flow. In Leviticus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "turn" and "idols" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.