Commentary on Harmony of the Law Volume 1 Complete John Calvin
JOHN CALVIN
22. Neither shalt thou set thee up any image; which the LORD thy
22. Non eriges tibi statuam: quod odio habet Jehova Deus tuus.
God hateth.
22. 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, 442 (as we have seen,) that statues 443 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 "statue" to be a false image of God, in which men set Him before them in bodily form; and, therefore, it is added, that He hates such statues. But I have preferred translating 444 the relative in the neuter gender, that the sentence might be fuller; i.e., that the erecting of statues is an abomination to the Lord; because in this way His glory is dishonored, when He is transfigured into a body, or when anything corporeal is mixed with His spiritual nature.
Exodus 23
Exodus 23:24
24. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: ...
24. Non adorabis deos eorum, neque coles eos, neque facies secundum opera eorum.
24. Thou shalt not bow down to their gods. Moses repeats what had been before said, that the worship of God must be separated from all the superstitions of the Gentiles; for this error has been everywhere rife, that unbelievers would rather draw down God to themselves on earth, than ascend above to seek for Him. And in this sense we have said that idols are called gods; because it is impossible but that he who would represent God by Deuteronomy 27:2-3. See vol. 1, p. 369.
A.V, image. Margin, statue, or pillar.
C makes the relative refer, not to the image set up, but to the act of setting it up. So also V. and Dathe, though the relative is plural with them.