Deuteronomy 4:17-18
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This isn't just a list of forbidden objects; it's a pointed critique of how ancient peoples worshipped. Moses is directly confronting the Egyptians and other neighbors who honored specific animals and birds, implying these creatures were powerful or divine, when in reality, they were mere creations of God.
the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Moses is urgently warning Israel against adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations, particularly the animal worship prevalent in Egypt. He's listing all sorts of created things – animals, birds, and eventually even celestial bodies – that they must not fashion into images or worship. This intense caution precedes his instruction that they should remember their God and the covenant He made with them, emphasizing His singular holiness and power.
Why did Moses list out animals and birds specifically? What was he trying to prevent God's people from doing?
In Deuteronomy 4:17, Moses gives a stark warning against making any carved image or likeness. He specifically calls out 'any animal that is on the earth' and 'any winged bird that flies in the air.' This wasn't just a random list; it was a direct confrontation with the popular religious practices of the surrounding nations, especially Egypt.
Ditching Divine Likeness
Ancient cultures, like the Egyptians, worshipped gods in the form of animals – bulls, hawks, serpents, and more. They literally created idols that looked like creatures to represent their deities. Moses is saying, 'No! The God you serve is not one of these things. He is not limited to the form of a creature you can see or capture in an image.' This distinction is crucial: God is the Creator, not part of His creation.
What ancient practices was Moses specifically trying to steer Israel away from with this command?
Moses wasn't just talking about abstract ideas; he was calling out real-world idolatry. The nations around Israel were deeply entrenched in worshipping gods that took the form of animals.
Seeing Through Idolatry
Think about the Egyptian pantheon: gods like Apis represented as a bull, or Horus as a falcon. These weren't just symbols; they were believed to the divine presence. Moses is saying this kind of worship is a fundamental misunderstanding of God. It reduces the infinite, all-powerful Creator to the level of His creation.
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By forbidding these specific likenesses, Moses was safeguarding Israel from adopting the very practices that made their neighbors spiritually vulnerable and bound to false gods.
This warning against depicting animals in worship directly addresses the Israelites' recent experience in Egypt, where animal worship was rampant, reminding them to distinguish their unique covenant relationship with the one true God from the surrounding pagan cultures.
c. 18th-15th centuries BC
Egyptian Animal Worship Flourishes
During this period, various animals like bulls, cats, ibises, and snakes were revered and even deified in Egyptian religion, with elaborate rituals and temples dedicated to them.
c. 15th century BC
Israelites Live in Egypt
The Israelites lived for generations in Egypt, becoming deeply immersed in the surrounding culture and its polytheistic practices, including the worship of animal forms.
c. 1446 BC
The Exodus from Egypt
Under Moses' leadership, the Israelites were dramatically freed from slavery in Egypt, a pivotal event that set them on a path to receiving God's law.
c. 1446 BC
Giving of the Ten Commandments
At Mount Sinai, God delivered the Ten Commandments, including the prohibition against making and worshipping idols or any graven images.
c. 1406 BC— this verse
Moses Repeats the Law
Just before entering the Promised Land, Moses reiterates God's laws to the new generation, specifically warning them against adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations, including animal imagery.
This verse directly prohibits making 'a likeness of anything that is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth,' which is the core prohibition being unpacked in Deuteronomy 4:17 against idolatry. It shows the foundational nature of this command against creating images for worship.
Isaiah 40:18-20This passage powerfully contrasts the true God, the Creator of all things, with the futility of idols made by human hands, often in the form of animals or crafted objects, highlighting the absurdity of worshipping what man has made, just as Deuteronomy warns.
Romans 1:21-23The Apostle Paul explains how humanity, instead of honoring God as Creator, 'exchanged the truth about God for a lie and worshiped and served the creature rather than the Creator,' directly reflecting the kind of nature-worship that Deuteronomy is cautioning against.
Acts 17:29When addressing the Athenians, Paul rebukes the idea that the divine being can be represented by gold or silver or stone, 'images formed by the inventive art and imagination of man,' echoing the prohibition in Deuteronomy against crafting likenesses for worship.
gillDeuteronomy 4:17: "The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,"
The likeness of any beast that is on the earth,.... As there are scarce any but the likeness of them has been made and worshipped, or the creatures themselves, as the ox by the Egyptians, the sheep by the Thebans, the goat by the Mendesians, and others by different people: the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air; as the hawk, and the bird called Ibis, and an…
clarkeDeuteronomy 4:17: "The likeness of any beast that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged fowl that flieth in the air,"
The likeness of any beast, etc. - Such as the Egyptian god Apis, who was worshipped under the form of a white bull; the ibis and hawk, among the fowls, had also Divine honors paid to them; serpents and the crocodile among reptiles; besides monkeys, dogs, cats, the scarabaeus, leeks, and onions! See this explained at large, Exodus 20:4 (note).
This isn't just a list of forbidden objects; it's a pointed critique of how ancient peoples worshipped. Moses is directly confronting the Egyptians and other neighbors who honored specific animals and birds, implying these creatures were powerful or divine, when in reality, they were mere creations of God.
Moses is urgently warning Israel against adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations, particularly the animal worship prevalent in Egypt. He's listing all sorts of created things – animals, birds, and eventually even celestial bodies – that they must not fashion into images or worship. This intense caution precedes his instruction that they should remember their God and the covenant He made with them, emphasizing His singular holiness and power.
Moses is urgently warning Israel against adopting the idolatrous practices of the surrounding nations, particularly the animal worship prevalent in Egypt. He's listing all sorts of created things – animals, birds, and eventually even celestial bodies – that they must not fashion into images or worship. This intense caution precedes his instruction that they should remember their God and the covenant He made with them, emphasizing His singular holiness and power.
"the likeness of any animal that is on the earth, the likeness of any winged bird that flies in the air, the likeness of anything that creeps on the ground, the likeness of any fish that is in the water under the earth." — This isn't just a list of forbidden objects; it's a pointed critique of how ancient peoples worshipped. Moses is directly confronting the Egyptians and other neighbors who honored specific animals an…
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Last reviewed October 2026
