The Roman Catholic Church has been falsely accused of removing the “second commandment,” which prohibits the fashioning of images or idols of creatures wrongly viewed and worshiped as divine beings. It is stated that the Catholic Church removed this command in order to hide the fact that it is steeped in idolatry due to all of the images found within it, and the veneration which the Church encourages its adherents to render to them.

In this post I will cite from both the official catechism of the Catholic Church and the various Bibles which the Church has produced and endorsed to show that the Church fully upholds the “second commandment,” and sternly censures those that would violate it. I will prove that this charge against the Catholic Church is nothing more than a slanderous lie foisted by those who are ignorant of what the Church teaches and/or from those who, in their extreme hatred, will do and say anything to condemn Catholicism.   

CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH (CCC)

Article 1

THE FIRST COMMANDMENT

I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. You shall have no other gods before me. You shall not make for yourself a graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth; you shall not bow down to them or serve them.³

It is written: “You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.”⁴

3 Ex 20:2-5; cf. Deut 5:6-9.

4 Mt 4:10. (CCC, Article 1 THE FIRST COMMANDMENT)

IV. “You Shall Not Make For Yourself a Graven Image . . .”

2129 The divine injunction included the prohibition of every representation of God by the hand of man. Deuteronomy explains: “Since you saw no form on the day that the Lord spoke to you at Horeb out of the midst of the fire, beware lest you act corruptly by making a graven image for yourselves, in the form of any figure….”⁶⁶ It is the absolutely transcendent God who revealed himself to Israel. “He is the all,” but at the same time “he is greater than all his works.”⁶⁷ He is “the author of beauty.”⁶⁸

2130 Nevertheless, already in the Old Testament, God ordained or permitted the making of images that pointed symbolically toward salvation by the incarnate Word: so it was with the bronze serpent, the ark of the covenant, and the cherubim.⁶⁹

2131 Basing itself on the mystery of the incarnate Word, the seventh ecumenical council at Nicaea (787) justified against the iconoclasts the veneration of icons – of Christ, but also of the Mother of God, the angels, and all the saints. By becoming incarnate, the Son of God introduced a new “economy” of images.

2132 The Christian veneration of images is not contrary to the first commandment which proscribes idols. Indeed, “the honor rendered to an image passes to its prototype,” and “whoever venerates an image venerates the person portrayed in it.”⁷⁰ The honor paid to sacred images is a “respectful veneration,” not the adoration due to God alone:

Religious worship is not directed to images in themselves, considered as mere things, but under their distinctive aspect as images leading us on to God incarnate. the movement toward the image does not terminate in it as image, but tends toward that whose image it is.⁷¹

66 Deut 4:15-16.

67 Sir 43:27-28.

68 Wis 13:3.

69 Cf. Num 21:4-9; Wis 16:5-14; Jn 3:14-15; Ex 25:10-22; 1 Kings 6:23-28; 7:23-26.

70 St. Basil, De Spiritu Sancto 18, 45: PG 32, 149C; Council of Nicaea II: DS 601; cf. Council of Trent: DS 1821-1825; Vatican Council II: SC 126; LG 67.

71 St. Thomas Aquinas, STh II-II, 81, 3 ad 3. (CCC, IV. “You Shall Not Make For Yourself a Graven Image . . .”)

DOUAY RHEIMS+LATIN VULGATE

EXODUS 20

The ten commandments.

[1] And the Lord spoke all these words:

Locutusque est Dominus cunctos sermones hos:

[2] I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Ego sum Dominus Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra Aegypti, de domo servitutis.

[3] Thou shalt not have strange gods before me.

Non habebis deos alienos coram me.

[4] Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or in the earth beneath, nor of those things that are in the waters under the earth.

Non facies tibi sculptile, neque omnem similitudinem quae est in caelo desuper, et quae in terra deorsum, nec eorum quae sunt in aquis sub terra.

[5] Thou shalt not adore them, nor serve them: I am the Lord thy God, mighty, jealous, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me:

Non adorabis ea, neque coles: ego sum Dominus Deus tuus fortis, zelotes, visitans iniquitatem patrum in filios, in tertiam et quartam generationem eorum qui oderunt me:

[6] And shewing mercy unto thousands to them that love me, and keep my commandments.

et faciens misericordiam in millia his qui diligunt me, et custodiunt praecepta mea.

[7] Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that shall take the name of the Lord his God in vain.

Non assumes nomen Domini Dei tui in vanum: nec enim habebit insontem Dominus eum qui assumpserit nomen Domini Dei sui frustra.

[8] Remember that thou keep holy the sabbath day.

Memento ut diem sabbati sanctifices.

[9] Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works.

Sex diebus operaberis, et facies omnia opera tua.

[10] But on the seventh day is the sabbath of the Lord thy God: thou shalt do no work on it, thou nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy beast, nor the stranger that is within thy gates.

Septimo autem die sabbatum Domini Dei tui est: non facies omne opus in eo, tu, et filius tuus et filia tua, servus tuus et ancilla tua, jumentum tuum, et advena qui est intra portas tuas.

[11] For in six days the Lord made heaven and earth, and the sea, and all things that are in them, and rested on the seventh day: therefore the Lord blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it.

Sex enim diebus fecit Dominus caelum et terram, et mare, et omnia quae in eis sunt, et requievit in die septimo: idcirco benedixit Dominus diei sabbati, et sanctificavit eum.

[12] Honour thy father and thy mother, that thou mayest be longlived upon the land which the Lord thy God will give thee.

Honora patrem tuum et matrem tuam, ut sis longaevus super terram, quam Dominus Deus tuus dabit tibi.

[13] Thou shalt not kill.

Non occides.

[14] Thou shalt not commit adultery.

Non moechaberis.

[15] Thou shalt not steal.

Non furtum facies.

[16] Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.

Non loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.

[17] Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house: neither shalt thou desire his wife, nor his servant, nor his handmaid, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.

Non concupisces domum proximi tui, nec desiderabis uxorem ejus, non servum, non ancillam, non bovem, non asinum, nec omnia quae illius sunt.

DEUTERONOMY 5

The ten commandments are repeated and explained.

[1] And Moses called all Israel, and said to them: Hear, O Israel, the ceremonies and judgments, which I speak in your ears this day: learn them, and fulfill them in work.

Vocavitque Moyses omnem Israelem, et dixit ad eum: Audi, Israel, caeremonias atque judicia, quae ego loquor in auribus vestris hodie: discite ea, et opere complete.

[2] The Lord our God made a covenant with us in Horeb.

Dominus Deus noster pepigit nobiscum foedus in Horeb.

[3] He made not the covenant with our fathers, but with us, who are now present and living.

Non cum patribus nostris iniit pactum, sed nobiscum qui in praesentiarum sumus, et vivimus.

[4] He spoke to us face to face in the mount out of the midst of fire.

Facie ad faciem locutus est nobis in monte de medio ignis.

[5] I was the mediator and stood between the Lord and you at that time, to shew you his words, for you feared the fire, and went not up into the mountain, and he said:

Ego sequester et medius fui inter Dominum et vos in tempore illo, ut annuntiarem vobis verba ejus: timuistis enim ignem, et non ascendistis in montem. Et ait:

[6] I am the Lord thy God, who brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.

Ego Dominus Deus tuus, qui eduxi te de terra Aegypti, de domo servitutis.

[7] Thou shalt not have strange gods in my sight.

Non habebis deos alienos in conspectu meo.

[8] Thou shalt not make to thyself a graven thing, nor the likeness of any things, that are in heaven above, or that are in the earth beneath, or that abide in the waters under the earth.

Non facies tibi sculptile, nec similitudinem omnium, quae in caelo sunt desuper, et quae in terra deorsum, et quae versantur in aquis sub terra.

[9] Thou shalt not adore them, and thou shalt not serve them. For I am the Lord thy God, a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon their children unto the third and fourth generation, to them that hate me,

Non adorabis ea, et non coles. Ego enim sum Dominus Deus tuus: Deus aemulator, reddens iniquitatem patrum super filios in tertiam et quartam generationem his qui oderunt me:

[10] And shewing mercy unto many thousands, to them that love me, and keep my commandments.

et faciens misericordiam in multa millia diligentibus me, et custodientibus praecepta mea.

[11] Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for he shall not be unpunished that taketh his name upon a vain thing.

Non usurpabis nomen Domini Dei tui frustra: quia non erit impunitus qui super re vana nomen ejus assumpserit.

[12] Observe the day of the sabbath, to sanctify it, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee.

Observa diem sabbati, ut sanctifices eum, sicut praecepit tibi Dominus Deus tuus.

[13] Six days shalt thou labour, and shalt do all thy works.

Sex diebus operaberis, et facies omnia opera tua.

[14] The seventh is the day of the sabbath, that is, the rest of the Lord thy God. Thou shalt not do any work therein, thou nor thy son nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant nor thy maidservant, nor thy ox, nor thy ass, nor any of thy beasts, nor the stranger that is within thy gates: that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest, even as thyself.

Septimus dies sabbati est, id est, requies Domini Dei tui. Non facies in eo quidquam operis tu, et filius tuus, et filia, servus et ancilla, et bos, et asinus, et omne jumentum tuum, et peregrinus qui est intra portas tuas: ut requiescat servus tuus, et ancilla tua, sicut et tu.

[15] Remember that thou also didst serve in Egypt, and the Lord thy God brought thee out from thence with a strong hand, and a stretched out arm. Therefore hath he commanded thee that thou shouldst observe the sabbath day.

Memento quod et ipse servieris in Aegypto, et eduxerit te inde Dominus Deus tuus in manu forti, et brachio extento. Idcirco praecepit tibi ut observares diem sabbati.

[16] Honour thy father and mother, as the Lord thy God hath commanded thee, that thou mayst live a long time, and it may be well with thee in the land, which the Lord thy God will give thee.

Honora patrem tuum et matrem, sicut praecepit tibi Dominus Deus tuus, ut longo vivas tempore, et bene sit tibi in terra, quam Dominus Deus tuus daturus est tibi.

[17] Thou shalt not kill.

Non occides,

[18] Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

neque moechaberis,

[19] And thou shalt not steal.

furtumque non facies:

[20] Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

nec loqueris contra proximum tuum falsum testimonium.

[21] Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s wife: nor his house, nor his field, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is his.

Non concupisces uxorem proximi tui: non domum, non agrum, non servum, non ancillam, non bovem, non asinum, et universa quae illius sunt.

NEW JERUSALEM BIBLE

EXODUS 20

¹ Then God spoke all these words. He said,

² ‘I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt, where you lived as slaves.

³ ‘You shall have no other gods to rival me.

⁴ ‘You shall not make yourself a carved image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth.

⁵ ‘You shall not bow down to them or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God and I punish a parent’s fault in the children, the grandchildren, and the great-grandchildren among those who hate me;

⁶ but I act with faithful love towards thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.

⁷ ‘You shall not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who misuses his name.

⁸ ‘Remember the Sabbath day and keep it holy.

⁹ For six days you shall labour and do all your work,

¹⁰ but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You shall do no work that day, neither you nor your son nor your daughter nor your servants, men or women, nor your animals nor the alien living with you.

¹¹ For in six days Yahweh made the heavens, earth and sea and all that these contain, but on the seventh day he rested; that is why Yahweh has blessed the Sabbath day and made it sacred.

¹² ‘Honour your father and your mother so that you may live long in the land that Yahweh your God is giving you.

¹³ ‘You shall not kill.

¹⁴ ‘You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ ‘You shall not steal.

¹⁶ ‘You shall not give false evidence against your neighbour.

¹⁷ ‘You shall not set your heart on your neighbour’s house. You shall not set your heart on your neighbour’s spouse, or servant, man or woman, or ox, or donkey, or any of your neighbour’s possessions.’

DEUTERONOMY 5

¹ Moses called all Israel together and said to them, ‘Listen, Israel, to the laws and customs that I proclaim to you today. Learn them and take care to observe them.

² ‘Yahweh our God made a covenant with us at Horeb.

³ Yahweh made this covenant not with our ancestors, but with us, with all of us alive here today.

⁴ On the mountain, from the heart of the fire, Yahweh spoke to you face to face,

⁵ while I stood between you and Yahweh to let you know what Yahweh was saying, since you were afraid of the fire and had not gone up the mountain. He said:

⁶ ‘ “I am Yahweh your God who brought you out of Egypt, out of the place of slave-labour.

⁷ ‘ “You will have no gods other than me.

⁸ ‘ “You must not make yourselves any image or any likeness of anything in heaven above or on earth beneath or in the waters under the earth;

⁹ you must not bow down to these gods or serve them. For I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God and I punish the parents’ fault in the children, the grandchildren and the great-grandchildren, among those who hate me;

¹⁰ but I show faithful love to thousands, to those who love me and keep my commandments.

¹¹ ‘ “You must not misuse the name of Yahweh your God, for Yahweh will not leave unpunished anyone who uses his name for what is false.

¹² ‘ “Observe the Sabbath day and keep it holy, as Yahweh your God has commanded you.

¹³ Labour for six days, doing all your work,

¹⁴ but the seventh day is a Sabbath for Yahweh your God. You must not do any work that day, neither you, nor your son, nor your daughter, nor your servants — male or female — nor your ox, nor your donkey, nor any of your animals, nor the foreigner who has made his home with you;

¹⁵ so that your servants, male and female, may rest, as you do. Remember that you were once a slave in Egypt, and that Yahweh your God brought you out of there with mighty hand and outstretched arm; this is why Yahweh your God has commanded you to keep the Sabbath day.

¹⁶ ‘ “Honour your father and your mother, as Yahweh your God has commanded you, so that you may have long life and may prosper in the country which Yahweh your God is giving you.

¹⁷ ‘ “You must not kill.

¹⁸ ‘ “You must not commit adultery.

¹⁹ ‘ “You must not steal.

²⁰ ‘ “You must not give false evidence against your fellow.

²¹ ‘ “You must not set your heart on your neighbour’s spouse, you must not set your heart on your neighbour’s house, or field, or servant-man or woman — or ox, or donkey or any of your neighbour’s possessions.”

NEW AMERICAN BIBLE REVISED EDITION (NABRE)

EXODUS

20 Then God spoke all these words, saying,

² “I am the Lord your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

³ “You shall have no other gods before Me.

⁴ “You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. ⁵ You shall not worship them or 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 the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ⁶ but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

⁷ “You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

⁸ “Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. ⁹ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁰ but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter, your male or your female servant or your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you. ¹¹ For in six days the Lord made the heavens and the earth, the sea and all that is in them, and rested on the seventh day; therefore the Lord blessed the sabbath day and made it holy.

¹² “Honor your father and your mother, that your days may be prolonged in the land which the Lord your God gives you.

¹³ “You shall not murder.

¹⁴ “You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁵ “You shall not steal.

¹⁶ “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

¹⁷ “You shall not covet your neighbor’s house; you shall not covet your neighbor’s wife or his male servant or his female servant or his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.”

¹⁸ All the people perceived the thunder and the lightning flashes and the sound of the trumpet and the mountain smoking; and when the people saw it, they trembled and stood at a distance. ¹⁹ Then they said to Moses, “Speak to us yourself and we will listen; but let not God speak to us, or we will die.” ²⁰ Moses said to the people, “Do not be afraid; for God has come in order to test you, and in order that the fear of Him may remain with you, so that you may not sin.” ²¹ So the people stood at a distance, while Moses approached the thick cloud where God was.

²² Then the Lord said to Moses, “Thus you shall say to the sons of Israel, ‘You yourselves have seen that I have spoken to you from heaven. ²³ You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves. ²⁴ You shall make an altar of earth for Me, and you shall sacrifice on it your burnt offerings and your peace offerings, your sheep and your oxen; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered, I will come to you and bless you. ²⁵ If you make an altar of stone for Me, you shall not build it of cut stones, for if you wield your tool on it, you will profane it. ²⁶ And you shall not go up by steps to My altar, so that your nakedness will not be exposed on it.’

DEUTERONOMY 5

5 Then Moses summoned all Israel and said to them:

“Hear, O Israel, the statutes and the ordinances which I am speaking today in your hearing, that you may learn them and observe them carefully. ² The Lord our God made a covenant with us at Horeb. ³ The Lord did not make this covenant with our fathers, but with us, with all those of us alive here today. ⁴ The Lord spoke to you face to face at the mountain from the midst of the fire, ⁵ while I was standing between the Lord and you at that time, to declare to you the word of the Lord; for you were afraid because of the fire and did not go up the mountain. He said,

⁶ ‘I am the Lord your God who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.

⁷ ‘You shall have no other gods before Me.

⁸ ‘You shall not make for yourself an idol, or any likeness of what is in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the water under the earth. ⁹ You shall not worship them or serve them; for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, and on the third and the fourth generations of those who hate Me, ¹⁰ but showing lovingkindness to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments.

¹¹ ‘You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain, for the Lord will not leave him unpunished who takes His name in vain.

¹² ‘Observe the sabbath day to keep it holy, as the Lord your God commanded you. ¹³ Six days you shall labor and do all your work, ¹⁴ but the seventh day is a sabbath of the Lord your God; in it you shall not do any work, you or your son or your daughter or your male servant or your female servant or your ox or your donkey or any of your cattle or your sojourner who stays with you, so that your male servant and your female servant may rest as well as you. ¹⁵ You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and the Lord your God brought you out of there by a mighty hand and by an outstretched arm; therefore the Lord your God commanded you to observe the sabbath day.

¹⁶ ‘Honor your father and your mother, as the Lord your God has commanded you, that your days may be prolonged and that it may go well with you on the land which the Lord your God gives you.

¹⁷ ‘You shall not murder.

¹⁸ ‘You shall not commit adultery.

¹⁹ ‘You shall not steal.

²⁰ ‘You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor.

²¹ ‘You shall not covet your neighbor’s wife, and you shall not desire your neighbor’s house, his field or his male servant or his female servant, his ox or his donkey or anything that belongs to your neighbor.’

The readers can access these various translations and the catechism online by clicking on the following links:

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Douay-Rheims Catholic Bible Online, Search Study Verses.

Bible – Catholic Online

New American Bible (Revised Edition) (NABRE)

FURTHER READING

Veneration of Icons: An Unbiblical Tradition or Biblical Truth?

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