Question 55 of 118
Which is the second commandment?
The second commandment is, “Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them; for I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me: and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.”
Scripture proofs
- Exodus 20:4-6
“You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me, and showing loving kindness to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
Scripture quotations are from the World English Bible (public domain).
More on the law and the ten commandments
- Q45. What is the duty which God requires of man?
- Q46. What did God at first reveal to man for the rule of his obedience?
- Q47. Where is the moral law summarily comprehended?
- Q48. What is the sum of the Ten Commandments?
- Q49. What is the preface to the Ten Commandments?
- Q50. What does the preface to the Ten Commandments teach us?
- Q51. Which is the first commandment?
- Q52. What is required in the first commandment?
- Q53. What is forbidden in the first commandment?
- Q54. What are we especially taught by these words, “before me,” in the first commandment?
- Q56. What is required in the second commandment?
- Q57. What is forbidden in the second commandment?