IDOLATRY

- Forbidden Ex 20:2,3; De 5:7 - CONSISTS IN . Bowing down to images Ex 20:5; De 5:9 . Worshipping images Isa 44:17; Da 3:5,10,15 . Sacrificing to images Ps 106:38; Ac 7:41 . Worshipping other gods De 30:17; Ps 81:9 . Swearing by other gods Ex 23:13; Jos 23:7 . Walking after other gods De 8:19 . Speaking in the name of other gods De 18:20 . Looking to other gods Ho 3:1 . Serving other gods De 7:4; Jer 5:19 . Fearing other gods 2Ki 17:35 . Sacrificing to other gods Ex 22:20 . Worshipping the true God by an image, Ex 32:4-6; Ps 106:19,20 . Worshipping angels Col 2:18 . Worshipping the host of heaven De 4:19; 17:3 . Worshipping demons Mt 4:9-10; Re 9:20 . Worshipping dead men Ps 106:28 . Setting up idols in the heart Eze 14:3,4 . Covetousness Eph 5:5; Col 3:5 . Sensuality Php 3:19 - Is changing the glory of God into an image Ro 1:23; Ac 17:29 - Is changing the truth of God into a lie Ro 1:25; Isa 44:20 - Is a work of the flesh Ga 5:19,20 - Incompatible with the service of God Ge 35:2,3; Jos 24:23; 1Sa 7:3; 1Ki 18:21; 2Co 6:15,16 - DESCRIBED AS . An abomination to God De 7:25 . Hateful to God De 16:22; Jer 44:4 . Vain and foolish Ps 115:4-8; Isa 44:19; Jer 10:3 . Bloody Eze 23:39 . Abominable 1Pe 4:3 . Unprofitable Jud 10:14; Isa 46:7 . Irrational Ac 17:29; Ro 1:21-23 . Defiling Eze 20:7; 36:18 - THEY WHO PRACTISE . Forget God De 8:19; Jer 18:15 . Go astray from God Eze 44:10 . Pollute the name of God Eze 20:39 . Defile the sanctuary of God Eze 5:11 . Are estranged from God Eze 14:5 . Forsake God 2Ki 22:17; Jer 16:11 . Hate God 2Ch 19:2,3 . Provoke God De 31:20; Isa 65:3; Jer 25:6 . Are vain in their imaginations Ro 1:21 . Are ignorant and foolish Ro 1:21,22 . Inflame themselves Isa 57:5 . Hold fast their deceit Jer 8:5 . Carried away by it 1Co 12:2 . Go after it in heart Eze 20:16 . Are mad upon it Jer 50:38 . Boast of it Ps 97:7 . Have fellowship with devils Ho 4:12 . Ask counsel of their idols Ho 4:12 . Look to idols for deliverance Isa 44:17; 45:20 . Swear by their idols Am 8:14 - Objects of, numerous 1Co 8:5 - OBJECTS OF DESCRIBED AS . Strange gods Ge 35:2,4; Jos 24:20 . Other gods Jud 2:12,17; 1Ki 14:9 . New gods De 32:17; Jud 5:8 . Gods that cannot save Isa 45:20 . Gods that have not made the heavens Jer 10:11 . No gods Jer 5:7; Ga 4:8 . Molten gods Ex 34:17; Le 19:4 . Molten images De 27:15; Hab 2:18 . Graven images Isa 45:20; Ho 11:2 . Senseless idols De 4:28; Ps 115:5,7 . Dumb idols Hab 2:18 . Dumb Stones Hab 2:19 . Stocks Jer 3:9; Ho 4:12 . Abominations Isa 44:19; Jer 32:34 . Images of abomination Eze 7:20 . Idols of abomination Eze 16:36 . Stumbling blocks Eze 14:3 . Teachers of lies Hab 2:18 . Wind and confusion Isa 41:29 . Nothing Isa 41:24; 1Co 8:4 . Helpless Jer 10:5 . Vanity Jer 18:15 . Vanities of the Gentiles Jer 14:22 - Making idols for the purpose of, described and ridiculed Isa 44:10-20 - Obstinate sinners judicially given up to De 4:28; 28:64; Ho 4:17 - Warnings against De 4:15-19 - Exhortations to turn from Eze 14:6; 20:7; Ac 14:15 - Renounced on conversion 1Th 1:9 - Led to abominable sins Ro 1:26-32; Ac 15:20 - SAINTS SHOULD . Keep from Jos 23:7; 1Jo 5:21 . Flee from 1Co 10:14 . Not have anything connected with in their houses De 7:26 . Not partake of any thing connected with 1Co 10:19,20 . Not have religious intercourse with those who practise Jos 23:7; 1Co 5:11 . Not covenant with those who practise Ex 34:12,15; De 7:2 . Not intermarry with those who practise Ex 34:16; De 7:3 . Testify against Ac 14:15; 19:26 . Refuse to engage in, though threatened with death Da 3:18 - Saints preserved by God from 1Ki 19:18; Ro 11:4 - Saints refuse to receive the worship of Ac 10:25,26; 14:11-15 - Angels refuse to receive the worship of Re 22:8,9 - Destruction of, promised Eze 36:25; Zec 13:2 - Everything connected with, should be destroyed Ex 34:13; De 7:5; 2Sa 5:21; 2Ki 23:14 - Woe denounced against Hab 2:19 - Curse denounced against De 27:15 - PUNISHMENT OF . Judicial death De 17:2-5 . Dreadful judgments which end in death Jer 8:2; 16:1-11 . Banishment Jer 8:3; Ho 8:5-8; Am 5:26,27 . Exclusion from heaven 1Co 6:9,10; Eph 5:5; Re 22:15 . Eternal torments Re 14:9-11; 21:8 - Exemplified . Israel Ex 32:1; 2Ki 17:12 . Philistines Jud 16:23 . Micah Jud 17:4,5 . Jeroboam 1Ki 12:28 . Maachah 1Ki 15:13 . Ahab 1Ki 16:31 . Jezebel 1Ki 18:19 . Sennacherib 2Ki 19:37 . Manasseh 2Ki 21:4-7 . Amon 2Ki 21:21 . Ahaz 2Ch 28:3 . Judah Jer 11:13 . Nebuchadnezzar Da 3:1 . Belshazzar Da 5:23 . People of Lystra Ac 14:11,12 . Athenians Ac 17:16 . Ephesians Ac 19:28 - Zeal against-Exemplified . Asa 1Ki 15:12 . Josiah 2Ki 23:5 . Jehoshaphat 2Ch 17:6 . Israel 2Ch 31:1 . Manasseh 2Ch 33:15 - All forms of, forbidden by the law of Moses Ex 20:4,5 - All heathen nations given up to Ps 96:5; Ro 1:23,25; 1Co 12:2 - Led the heathen to think that their gods visited the earth in bodily shapes Ac 14:11 - Led the heathen to consider their gods to have but a local influence 1Ki 20:23; 2Ki 17:26 - OBJECTS OF . The heavenly bodies 2Ki 23:5; Ac 7:42 . Angels Col 2:18 . Departed spirits 1Sa 28:14,15 . Earthly creatures Ro 1:23 . Images De 29:17; Ps 115:4; Isa 44:17 - Temples built for Ho 8:14 - Altars raised for 1Ki 18:26; Ho 8:11 - Accompanied by feasts 2Ki 10:20; 1Co 10:27,28 - OBJECTS OF, WORSHIPPED . With sacrifices Nu 22:40; 2Ki 10:24 . With libations Isa 57:6; Jer 19:13 . With incense Jer 48:35 . With prayer 1Ki 18:26; Isa 44:17 . With singing and dancing Ex 32:18,19; 1Ki 18:26; 1Co 10:7 . By bowing to them 1Ki 19:18; 2Ki 5:18 . By kissing them 1Ki 19:18; Ho 13:2 . By kissing the hand to them Job 31:26,27 . By cutting the flesh 1Ki 18:28 . By burning children De 12:31; 2Ch 33:6; Jer 19:4,5; Eze 16:21 . In temples 2Ki 5:18 . On high places Nu 22:41; Jer 2:20 . In groves Ex 34:13 . Under trees Isa 57:5; Jer 2:20 . In private houses Jud 17:4,5 . On the tops of houses 2Ki 23:12; Zep 1:5 . In secret places Isa 57:8 - Rites of, obscene and impure Ex 32:25; Nu 25:1-3; 2Ki 17:9; Isa 57:6,8,9; 1Pe 4:3 - Divination connected with 2Ch 33:6 - Victims sacrificed in, often adorned with garlands Ac 14:13 - IDOLS, . Adrammelech 2Ki 17:31 . Anammelech 2Ki 17:31 . Ashima 2Ki 17:30 . Ashtoreth Jud 2:13; 1Ki 11:33 . Baal Jud 2:11-13; 6:25 . Baal-berith Jud 8:33; 9:4,46 . Baal-peor Nu 25:1-3 . Baalzebub 2Ki 1:2,16 . Baal-zephon Ex 14:2 . Bel Jer 50:2; 51:44 . Chemosh Nu 21:29; 1Ki 11:33 . Chiun Am 5:26 . Dagon Jud 16:23; 1Sa 5:1-3 . Diana Ac 19:24,27 . Huzzab Na 2:7 . Jupiter Ac 14:12 . Mercury Ac 14:12 . Molech or Milcom Le 18:21; 1Ki 11:5,33 . Merodach Jer 50:2 . Nergal 2Ki 17:30 . Nebo Isa 46:1 . Nibhaz and Tartak 2Ki 17:31 . Nisroch 2Ki 19:37 . Queen of heaven Jer 44:17,25 . Remphan Ac 7:43 . Rimmon 2Ki 5:18 . Succothbenoth 2Ki 17:30 . Tammuz Eze 8:14 - Objects of, carried in procession Isa 46:7; Am 5:26; Ac 7:43 - Early notice of, amongst God's professing people Ge 31:19,30; 35:1-4; Jos 24:2 - THE JEWS . Practised, in Egypt Jos 24:14; Eze 23:3,19 . Brought, out of Egypt with them Eze 23:8; Ac 7:39-41 . Forbidden to practise Ex 20:1-5; 23:24 . Often mixed up, with God's worship Ex 32:1-5; 1Ki 12:27,28 . Followed the Canaanites in Jud 2:11-13; 1Ch 5:25 . Followed the Moabites in Nu 25:1-3 . Followed the Assyrians in Eze 16:28-30; 23:5-7 . Followed the Syrians in Jud 10:6 - Adopted by Solomon 1Ki 11:5-8 - Adopted by the wicked kings 1Ki 21:26; 2Ki 21:21; 2Ch 28:2-4; 33:3,7 - Example of the kings encouraged Israel in 1Ki 12:30; 2Ki 21:11; 2Ch 33:9 - Great prevalence of, in Israel Isa 2:8; Jer 2:28; Eze 8:10 - A virtual forsaking of God Jer 2:9-13 - The good kings of Judah endeavoured to destroy 2Ch 15:16; 34:7 - Captivity of Israel on account of 2Ki 17:6-18 - Captivity of Judah on account of 2Ki 17:19-23

---

Idolatry. Idolatry
Image-worship or divine honour paid to any created object. Paul describes the origin of idolatry in Rom. 1:21-25: men forsook God, and sank into ignorance and moral corruption (1:28).

The forms of idolatry are, (1.) Fetishism, or the worship of trees, rivers, hills, stones, etc.

(2.) Nature worship, the worship of the sun, moon, and stars, as the supposed powers of nature.

(3.) Hero worship, the worship of deceased ancestors, or of heroes.

In Scripture, idolatry is regarded as of heathen origin, and as being imported among the Hebrews through contact with heathen nations. The first allusion to idolatry is in the account of Rachel stealing her father’s teraphim (Gen. 31:19), which were the relics of the worship of other gods by Laban’s progenitors “on the other side of the river in old time” (Josh. 24:2). During their long residence in Egypt the Hebrews fell into idolatry, and it was long before they were delivered from it (Josh. 24:14; Ezek. 20:7). Many a token of God’s displeasure fell upon them because of this sin.

The idolatry learned in Egypt was probably rooted out from among the people during the forty years’ wanderings; but when the Jews entered Palestine, they came into contact with the monuments and associations of the idolatry of the old Canaanitish races, and showed a constant tendency to depart from the living God and follow the idolatrous practices of those heathen nations. It was their great national sin, which was only effectually rebuked by the Babylonian exile. That exile finally purified the Jews of all idolatrous tendencies.

The first and second commandments are directed against idolatry of every form. Individuals and communities were equally amenable to the rigorous code. The individual offender was devoted to destruction (Ex. 22:20). His nearest relatives were not only bound to denounce him and deliver him up to punishment (Deut. 13:20-10), but their hands were to strike the first blow when, on the evidence of two witnesses at least, he was stoned (Deut. 17:2-7). To attempt to seduce others to false worship was a crime of equal enormity (13:6-10). An idolatrous nation shared the same fate. No facts are more strongly declared in the Old Testament than that the extermination of the Canaanites was the punishment of their idolatry (Ex. 34:15, 16; Deut. 7; 12:29-31; 20:17), and that the calamities of the Israelites were due to the same cause (Jer. 2:17). “A city guilty of idolatry was looked upon as a cancer in the state; it was considered to be in rebellion, and treated according to the laws of war. Its inhabitants and all their cattle were put to death.” Jehovah was the theocratic King of Israel, the civil Head of the commonwealth, and therefore to an Israelite idolatry was a state offence (1 Sam. 15:23), high treason. On taking possession of the land, the Jews were commanded to destroy all traces of every kind of the existing idolatry of the Canaanites (Ex. 23:24, 32; 34:13; Deut. 7:5, 25; 12:1-3).

In the New Testament the term idolatry is used to designate covetousness (Matt. 6:24; Luke 16:13; Col. 3:5; Eph. 5:5).

---

IDOLATRY. → WICKED PRACTICES OF
* Human sacrifices Le 18:21; 20:2-5; De 12:31; 18:10; 2Ki 3:26,27; 16:3; 17:17,18; 21:6; 23:10; 2Ch 28:3; 33:6; Ps 106:37,38; Isa 57:5; Jer 7:31; 19:4-7; 32:35; Eze 16:20,21; 20:26,31; 23:37,39; Mic 6:7
* Practices of, relating to the dead De 14:1
* Licentiousness of Ex 32:6,25; Nu 25:1-3; 1Ki 14:24; 15:12; 2Ki 17:30; 23:7; Eze 16:17; 23:1-44; Ho 4:12-14; Am 2:8; Mic 1:7; Ro 1:24,26,27; 1Co 10:7,8; 1Pe 4:3,4; Re 2:14,20-22; 9:20,21; 14:8; 17:1-6

→ OTHER CUSTOMS OF
* Offered burnt offerings Ex 32:6; 1Ki 18:26; Ac 14:13
* Libations Isa 57:6; 65:11; Jer 7:18; 19:13; 32:29; 44:17,19,25; Eze 20:28
* Libations of wine De 32:38
* Libations of blood Ps 16:4; Zec 9:7
* Meat offerings Isa 57:6; Jer 7:18; 44:17; Eze 16:19
* Peace offerings Ex 32:6
* Incense burned on altars 1Ki 12:33; 2Ch 30:14; 34:25; Isa 65:3; Jer 1:16; 11:12,17; 44:3; 48:35; Eze 16:18; 23:41; Ho 11:2
* Prayers to idols Jud 10:14; Isa 44:17; 45:20; 46:7; Jon 1:5
* Praise Jud 16:24; Da 5:4
* Singing and dancing Ex 32:18,19
* Music Da 3:5-7
* Cutting the flesh 1Ki 18:28; Jer 41:5
* Kissing 1Ki 19:18; Ho 13:2; Job 31:27
* Bowing 1Ki 19:18; 2Ki 5:18
* Tithes and gifts 2Ki 23:11; Da 11:38; Am 4:4,5

→ ANNUAL FEASTS 1Ki 12:32; Eze 18:6,11,12,15; 22:9; Da 3:2,3 → OBJECTS OF
* Sun, moon, and stars De 4:19; 2Ki 17:16; 21:3,5; 2Ch 33:3,5; Job 31:26-28; Jer 7:17-20; 8:2; Eze 8:15,16; Zep 1:4,5; Ac 7:42
* Images of angels Col 2:18
* Animals Ro 1:23
* Gods of Egypt Ex 12:12
* Golden calf Ex 32:4
* Brazen serpent 2Ki 18:4
* Net and drag Hab 1:16
* Pictures Nu 33:52; Isa 2:16
* Pictures on walls Eze 8:10
* Earrings Ge 35:4
* See SHRINE

→ DENUNCIATIONS AGAINST Ge 35:2; Ex 20:3-6,23; 23:13; 34:17; Le 19:4; 26:1,30; De 4:15-23,25-28; 5:7-9; 11:16,17,28; 12:31; 16:21,22; 27:15; 28:15-68; 30:17,18; 31:16-21,29; 32:15-26; 1Sa 15:23; 1Ki 9:6-9; Job 31:26-28; Ps 16:4; 44:20,21; 59:8; 79:6; 81:9; 97:7; Isa 42:17; 45:16; Joe 3:12; Jon 2:8; Mic 5:15; Hab 1:16; Ac 15:20,29; 17:16; Ro 1:25; 1Co 6:9,10; 8:1-13; 10:7,14,20-22; 1Jo 5:21; Re 21:8; 22:15
* See ICONOCLASM

→ WARNINGS AGAINST, AND PUNISHMENTS OF De 17:2-5; 2Ch 28:23; Ne 9:27-37; Ps 78:58-64; 106:34-42; Isa 1:29-31; 2:6-22; 30:22; 57:3-13; 65:3,4; Jer 1:15,16; 3:1-11; 5:1-17; 7; 8:1,2,19; 13:9-27; 16; 17:1-6; 18:13-15; 19; 22:9; 32:35; 44; 48:8; Eze 6; 7:19; 8:5-18; 9; 14:1-14; 16; 20; 22:4; 23; 44:10-12; Ho 1:2; 2:2-5; 4:12-19; 5:1-3; 8:5-14; 9:10; 10; 11:2; 12:11-14; 13:1-4; 14:8; Am 3:14; 4:4,5; 5:5; Mic 1:1-9; 5:12-14; 6:16; Zep 1; Mal 2:11-13 → PROPHECIES RELATING TO Ex 12:12; Nu 33:4; Isa 2:18,20; 17:7,8; 19:1; 21:9; 27:9; 31:7; Jer 10:11,15; 51:44,47,52; Eze 43:7-9; Ho 10:2; Mic 5:13; Zep 2:11; Zec 13:2 → FOLLY OF Ex 32:20; De 4:28; 32:37,38; Jud 6:31; 10:14; 1Sa 5:3,4; 12:21; 1Ki 18:27; 2Ki 3:13; 19:18; 2Ch 25:15; 28:22,23; Ps 96:5; 106:20; 115:4,5,8; 135:15-18; Isa 2:8; 16:12; 36:18; 37:19; 40:12-26; 41:23,24,26-29; 43:9; 44:9-20; 45:20; 46:1,2,6,7; 47:12-15; 57:13; Jer 2:28; 10:3-16; 11:12; 14:22; 16:19,20; 48:13; 51:17; Da 5:23; Ho 8:5,6; Hab 2:18,19; Zec 10:2; Ac 14:15; 17:22,23,29; Ro 1:22,23; 1Co 8:4,5; 10:19; 12:2; Ga 4:8; Re 9:20

---

I‐dol″a‐try (?), n.; pl. Idolatries (#). [[F. idolâtrie, LL. idolatria, L. idololatria, Fr. Gr. �; � idol + � service.]] 1. 1. The worship of idols, images, or anything which is not God; the worship of false gods.
His eye surveyed the dark idolatries Of alienated Judah. Milton. 2. 2. Excessive attachment or veneration for anything; respect or love which borders on adoration. Shak.