2nd Commandment - no graven images - really?

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I'm theist and suddenly come up against something I should have known - the 2nd Commandment is to have no graven images and not to adore them. Is that right? Or should we just chuck all museums? I may sound flippant but I'm serious. Is there something I'm not understanding here?

Merely looking at images is not idolatrous. If you're actively worshipping them, then yes.

It specifically references idolitary. This law was given to people who had just come from a place steeped in religious imagery. It was to set a contrast. We don't do idols here.

It's not about having no carvings of anything ever. The ark of the covenant was commanded to have two carved angels on it for decoration, but these were not meant to be worshipped.

It's in refferece to Israel having been involved in worshiping idols of Baal, Moloch, Asherah and so on. Mainly forbidden I believe because of unwholesome and downright evil practices that went along with some of those such as child sacrifice.

I mentioned this in another thread recently, because I find this commandment so fascinating.

It says not to make images of anything, and that you shouldn't worship any such images. The way they're worded appears to make them two different, but related thoughts. Why not just say you shouldn't have false idols if that's the whole point? It says not to make images of anything. I always thought that was because it's an impersonation of God to create imagery.

My guess is that it's a continuation of the 1st commandment, "though shalt have no other gods before me". One version HERE specifies, "You shall not make for yourself any idol, nor bow down to it or worship it."

You are right, it does specify that you shouldn't bow down and worship the images. But, the way it's worded seems to imply that creating images itself is idolatrous, and then worshipping them takes the offense even further.

One of the problems with that passage is what you're reading is English translated from Greek translated from Hebrew. Plus I believe there are other references to it in Exodus that makes it clearer.

No, just images of an emaciated dead guy hanging from a cross, a woman holding a naked baby on her lap (and the baby, too), and several dozen other men and women immortalized in paintings, drawings, and sculptures.

That's all.

Some people study Hebrew so they can read the original religious texts.

Not too many people worship, say, Michelangelo's David like it's a god.....

The 2nd Commandment was about the time of the New Kingdom of Ancient Egypt. I would say they were talking about worshipping something like a "golden calf." And that this worship caused much debauchery.

There are Old Order Amish in the area I live in, and they don't have photographs taken or keep photographs because of how they view the second commandment.

I do think as a society we worship images/golden calves more than we believe we do. But we would never believe that we do. I can't buy that the entirety of the second commandment doesn't apply today.

I'm not from a very religious background so I can't really comment on how such images are venerated, but as far as I gather some use these pictures and statues to focus on whilst praying and I personally feel that is a bit at odds with the "No graven images" philosophy.

Also with regards to crosses being displayed everywhere: Someone once said to me if Jesus had been shot would you wear a gun pendant?

How many is "too many"?

Consider also Michelangelo's interpretation of the Pietà -- people do pray to it, give gifts to it, and in these ways, they worship it as well.

I've been to the Vatican. I've seen it happen.

Non sequitur. Firearms weren't invented for another several hundred years.

But do they worship it like a god?

Is there a “cult of the Pieta” like there the cult of the Virgin Mary?

People in medieval times took the “graven images” thing too broadly. This is why art frequently pretty well sucked until the Italian Renaissance (relatively speaking).

Last edited by kraftiekortie on 18 Dec 2018, 10:53 am, edited 1 time in total.