King James Version

Deuteronomy 4:23

Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image, or the likeness of any thing, which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

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Hebrew

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הִשָּׁמְר֣וּhishamervbewardשָׁמַרverb, niphal, imperative, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “beward”, a commandH8104properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).לָכֶ֗םlakhemtoלָכֶ֗םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”toפֶּֽןpenthat...notפֵּןconjunction — “that...not”H6435properly, removal; used only (in the construction) adverb as conjunction, lest(lest) (peradventure), that...not.תִּשְׁכְּחוּ֙tishkechvforgetשָׁכַחverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “forget”, an unfinished actionH7911to mislay, i.e. to be oblivious of, from want of memory or attention[idiom] at all, (cause to) forget.אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).בְּרִ֤יתberitconfederacyבְּרִיתnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “confederacy”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH1285a compact (because made by passing between pieces of flesh)confederacy, (con-) feder(-ate), covenant, league.יְהוָה֙yehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹ֣הֵיכֶ֔םeloheykhemGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.אֲשֶׁ֥רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…כָּרַ֖תkaratcovenantכָּרַתverb, qal, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “covenant”, a completed actionH3772to cut (off, down or asunder); by implication, to destroy or consume; specifically, to covenant (i.e. make an alliance or bargain, originally by cutting flesh and passing between the pieces)be chewed, be con-(feder-) ate, covenant, cut (down, off), destroy, fail, feller, be freed, hew (down), make a league (covenant), [idiom] lose, perish, [idiom] utterly, [idiom] want.עִמָּכֶ֑םimakhemwithעִםpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “with”H5973adverb or preposition, with (i.e. in conjunction with), in varied applications; specifically, equally with; often with prepositional prefix (and then usually unrepresented in English)accompanying, against, and, as ([idiom] long as), before, beside, by (reason of), for all, from (among, between), in, like, more than, of, (un-) to, with(-al).וַעֲשִׂיתֶ֨םvaasitemand doעָשָׂהconjunction, verb, qal, sequential perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “and do”, a completed action in a sequenceH6213to do or make, in the broadest sense and widest applicationaccomplish, advance, appoint, apt, be at, become, bear, bestow, bring forth, bruise, be busy, [idiom] certainly, have the charge of, commit, deal (with), deck, [phrase] displease, do, (ready) dress(-ed), (put in) execute(-ion), exercise, f…לָכֶ֥םlakhemtoלָכֶ֥םpreposition, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “to”toפֶּ֨סֶל֙peselcarved imageפֶּסֶלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “carved image”, the ordinary formH6459an idolcarved (graven) image.תְּמ֣וּנַתtemunatimageתְּמוּנָהnoun, common, feminine, singular, construct — “image”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH8544something portioned (i.e. fashioned) out, as ashape, i.e. (indefinitely) phantom, or (specifically) embodiment, or (figuratively) manifestation (of favor)image, likeness, similitude.כֹּ֔לkolallכֹּלnoun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “all”, the ordinary formH3605properly, the whole; hence, all, any or every (in the singular only, but often in a plural sense)(in) all (manner, (ye)), altogether, any (manner), enough, every (one, place, thing), howsoever, as many as, (no-) thing, ought, whatsoever, (the) whole, whoso(-ever).אֲשֶׁ֥רasherbecauseאֲשֶׁרparticle, relative — “because”H834who, which, what, that; also (as an adverb and a conjunction) when, where, how, because, in order that, etc.[idiom] after, [idiom] alike, as (soon as), because, [idiom] every, for, [phrase] forasmuch, [phrase] from whence, [phrase] how(-soever), [idiom] if, (so) that ((thing) which, wherein), [idiom] though, [phrase] until, [phrase] whatsoever,…צִוְּךָ֖tsivkhaappointצָוָהverb, piel, perfect, 3rd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “appoint”, a completed actionH6680(intensively) to constitute, enjoinappoint, (for-) bid, (give a) charge, (give a, give in, send with) command(-er, -ment), send a messenger, put, (set) in order.יְהוָ֥הyehvahJehovahיְהֹוָהnoun, proper name — “Jehovah”H3068Jehovah, Jewish national name of GodJehovah, the Lord. Compare H3050 (יָהּ), H3069 (יְהֹוִה).אֱלֹהֶֽיךָeloheykhaGodאֱלֹהִיםnoun, common, masculine, plural, construct, suffix, pronominal, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “God”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH430gods in the ordinary sense; but specifically used (in the plural thus, especially with the article) of the supreme God; occasionally applied by way of deference to magistrates; and sometimes as a superlativeangels, [idiom] exceeding, God (gods) (-dess, -ly), [idiom] (very) great, judges, [idiom] mighty.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the LORD your God, which He made with you, and make you a graven image, even the likeness of any thing which the LORD thy God hath forbidden thee.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

Take heed unto yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he made with you, and make you a graven image in the form of anything which Jehovah thy God hath forbidden thee.

Young’s Literal Translation

'Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which He hath made with you, and have made to yourselves a graven image, a similitude of anything [concerning] which Jehovah thy God hath charged thee:

World English Bible

Be careful, lest you forget the covenant of Yahweh your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves a carved image in the form of anything which Yahweh your God has forbidden you.

Darby Translation

Take heed to yourselves lest ye forget the covenant of Jehovah your God, which he made with you, and make yourselves a graven image, the form of anything which Jehovah thy God hath forbidden thee.

Douay-Rheims

Beware lest thou ever forget the covenant of the Lord thy God, which he hath made with thee: and make to thyself a graven likeness of those things which the Lord hath forbid to be made:

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

Take heed to yourselves, lest ye forget the covenant of the Lord our God, which he made with you, and ye transgress, and make to yourselves a graven image of any of the things concerning which the Lord thy God commanded thee.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Προσέχετε ὑμῖν, μὴ ἐπιλάθησθε τὴν διαθήκην Κύριου τοῦ Θεοῦ ἡμῶν, ἣν διέθετο πρὸς ὑμᾶς, καὶ ἀνομήσητε, καὶ ποιήσητε ὑμῖν ἑαυτοῖς γλυπτὸν ὁμοίωμα πάντων ὧν συνέταξέ σοι Κύριος ὁ Θεός σου.