Leviticus 19:4 (WEB)

Passage

“‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.

Nearby Context

Leviticus 19:2 “Speak to all the congregation of the children of Israel, and tell them, ‘You shall be holy; for I, Yahweh your God, am holy.

Leviticus 19:3 “‘Each one of you shall respect his mother and his father. You shall keep my Sabbaths. I am Yahweh your God.

Leviticus 19:4 “‘Don’t turn to idols, nor make molten gods for yourselves. I am Yahweh your God.

Leviticus 19:5 “‘When you offer a sacrifice of peace offerings to Yahweh, you shall offer it so that you may be accepted.

Leviticus 19:6 It shall be eaten the same day you offer it, and on the next day: and if anything remains until the third day, it shall be burned with fire.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "turn", "idols", "make", "molten", "gods", "yourselves", and "yahweh". 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 "Each one of you shall respect his..." into verse 5's "When you offer a sacrifice of peace...", 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.