And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
English Standard Version (ESV)
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Deuteronomy 16:22
What does Deuteronomy 16:22 mean?
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Deuteronomy 16:22
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The Hebrew word here doesn't just mean a statue, but any kind of pillar or standing stone, even plain ones. God hates these not just because they could be idols, but because the very act of setting up such a stone dishonors His infinite, Spirit nature by trying to give Him a physical form.
And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse comes at the end of instructions for Israel's religious festivals, reminding them to uphold justice and avoid the corrupting practices of surrounding nations. Immediately before, Moses is telling them to appoint judges, and just after, he reiterates the importance of bringing offerings to the central sanctuary. This prohibition against setting up pillars, often used for idolatrous worship by other peoples, underscores God's absolute demand for exclusive devotion.
Think about a simple stone pillar. What could be so wrong with that? Deuteronomy 16:22 warns against setting up 'pillars' that God hates. It's not just about grand statues!
The Hebrew word translated as 'image' or 'pillar' here (mazzebah) wasn't always a carved figure. It could be a simple standing stone, like the ones Jacob set up as memorials.
The Shift to Worship
However, in the context of Canaanite worship surrounding Israel, these pillars took on a new, sinister meaning. They were set up as objects of worship themselves, or as sacred markers at altars for idolatrous practices.
God's Jealous Love
God's prohibition stems from His intense jealousy for His people's devotion. He knows that any focus of worship apart from Him, no matter how simple, diverts our hearts and dishonors His unique, spiritual nature.
The verse declares that God 'hates' the pillar. This is strong language! What does God's hatred here reveal about His character and His commands?
When Scripture says God hates something, it's not an emotional outburst like human anger. It's a profound, settled opposition to anything that stands against His holy nature and His redemptive plan.
The Core Offense
Setting up these pillars was an offense because it fundamentally misrepresented God. It attempted to give God a physical form or associate Him with pagan rituals, both of which rob Him of His unique glory and spiritual reality.
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Protecting True Worship
This command is designed to protect the integrity of Israel's relationship with the one true God. By forbidding any object that could become a substitute for direct, spiritual worship, God was safeguarding their hearts from the corrupting influence of idolatry and ensuring their devotion was rightly placed.
Understand the original words
matstsebah · Hebrew Noun
A standing stone, often used in ancient Near Eastern pagan worship as a cultic object; God forbids these in Israel because they become objects of idolatry that displace true worship.
This prohibition directly echoes the Second Commandment, which forbids making 'graven images' and bowing down to them, highlighting God's deep aversion to idolatry.
Leviticus 26:1This verse warns against setting up any 'pillar' or 'image' for worship, reinforcing the idea that these objects are abominations to God and lead to spiritual ruin.
1 Kings 14:23This passage describes the widespread idolatry in Judah, where people set up pillars and Asherah poles on every high hill and under every green tree, illustrating the very practice God detests.
Hosea 10:1Hosea directly accuses Israel of multiplying altars and pillars for their idols, showing how these physical markers became focal points for corrupt worship, which God despises.
Romans 1:23Paul explains how humanity exchanged the truth of God for a lie and worshiped created things rather than the Creator, providing a theological framework for why God hates idolatrous images.
gillDeuteronomy 16:22: "Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth."
Neither shalt thou set up any image,.... Graven or molten, of man, beast, fish, or fowl; the word signifies a "statue or pillar" (c) which was set up for idolatry; for, as Aben Ezra observes, what was not set up for idolatry was not forbidden, as when erected in memory of any action or remarkable event; see Joshua 22:10 , &c. which the Lord thy God hateth; as he does every species, of idolatry, or that…
calvinDeuteronomy 16:22: "Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy God hateth."
- Neither shalt thou set thee up. Hence also it more clearly appears what is the meaning and tendency of the Second Commandment. God elsewhere commands, [100] (as we have seen,) that statues [101] should be erected on the borders of the land, on which the sum of the Law should be inscribed. At first sight this prohibition seems to be contradictory; and indeed it would be so, unless you understand "st…
The Hebrew word here doesn't just mean a statue, but any kind of pillar or standing stone, even plain ones. God hates these not just because they could be idols, but because the very act of setting up such a stone dishonors His infinite, Spirit nature by trying to give Him a physical form.
This verse comes at the end of instructions for Israel's religious festivals, reminding them to uphold justice and avoid the corrupting practices of surrounding nations. Immediately before, Moses is telling them to appoint judges, and just after, he reiterates the importance of bringing offerings to the central sanctuary. This prohibition against setting up pillars, often used for idolatrous worship by other peoples, underscores God's absolute demand for exclusive devotion.
This verse comes at the end of instructions for Israel's religious festivals, reminding them to uphold justice and avoid the corrupting practices of surrounding nations. Immediately before, Moses is telling them to appoint judges, and just after, he reiterates the importance of bringing offerings to the central sanctuary. This prohibition against setting up pillars, often used for idolatrous worship by other peoples, underscores God's absolute demand for exclusive devotion.
"And you shall not set up a pillar, which the LORD your God hates." — The Hebrew word here doesn't just mean a statue, but any kind of pillar or standing stone, even plain ones. God hates these not just because they could be idols, but because the very act of setting…
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Last reviewed October 2026