Thematic Bible: Idolatrous


Thematic Bible



Then the Israelites again did what was evil in the sight of the Lord; they served the Baals, the Ashtaroth (female deities), the gods of Aram (Syria), the gods of Sidon, the gods of Moab, the gods of the Ammonites, and the gods of the Philistines. They abandoned the Lord and did not serve Him. Verse ConceptsFalse GodsBaal Worship, HistoryPolytheismServing AsherahGod's People Sinning

The king desecrated the high places which were opposite [east of] Jerusalem, which were on the right (south) of the mount of corruption which Solomon the king of Israel had built for Ashtoreth the repulsiveness of the Sidonians, for Chemosh the repulsiveness of Moab, and for Milcom the repulsiveness of the sons (descendants) of Ammon. Verse ConceptsAbominationsFalse GodsHillsAbominations, Idolatry IsPolluting The LandServing Asherah

Then Solomon built a high place for [worshiping] Chemosh the horror (detestable idol) of Moab, on the hill which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the horror (detestable idol) of the sons of Ammon. Verse ConceptsFalse GodsBuild, LiterallyHigh Places

because they have abandoned Me and have worshiped Ashtoreth the goddess of the Sidonians, Chemosh the god of the Moabites, and Milcom the god of the sons of Ammon; and they have not walked in My ways and followed My commandments, doing what is right in My sight and keeping My statutes and My ordinances as did his father David. Verse ConceptsFalse GodsForsaking GodServing Asherah

If it is unacceptable in your sight to serve the Lord, choose for yourselves this day whom you will serve: whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the River, or the gods of the Amorites in whose land you live; but as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.” Verse ConceptsFreedom, Of The WillAge, Glories OfFamily, Worship InChoicesdoubt, results ofFamilies, Examples OfGood Decision Making ExamplesIntentionsHeads Of The FamilyChoosingFaithful, Choose To RemainZeal, ReligiousLife's PurposeEmployers, Good ExamplesChoosing God's WayBehold Me!Encouraged To Serve Foreign godsServing One's Own GodsBeyond The EuphratesServingServing God


“A drought on her waters, and they will dry up!
For it is a land of [worthless] idols,
And they are mad over fearsome idols [those objects of terror in which they foolishly trust].
Verse Conceptsdrought, physicalWaters Drying Up

But even if He does not, let it be known to you, O king, that we are not going to serve your gods or worship the golden image that you have set up!” Verse ConceptsGood Decision Making ExamplesAuthority, of human institutionsHuman Authority, Christian ResponseLeaders, PoliticalServanthood, And Worship Of GodSteadfastness, Examples OfNot Worshipping Idolsimage

and you have seen their detestable acts and their [repulsive] idols of wood and stone, [lifeless images] of silver and gold, which they had with them), Verse ConceptsGoldStones

Now when Moses saw that the people were out of control—for Aaron had let them get out of control to the point of being an object of mockery among their enemies— Verse ConceptsAmusementsdisgraceShameDegradationPeople Stripping PeopleShame Of Bad Conductvulnerability


After Amaziah came back from the slaughter of the Edomites, he brought the gods of the sons of Seir, and set them up to be his gods, bowed before them, and burned incense to them. Verse ConceptsBowingTwelve Beings

But Amaziah would not listen, for it was from God, so that He might hand Judah over to Joash because they had desired the gods of Edom. Verse ConceptsTwelve Beings

and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. Verse ConceptsIncorruptibleImmortality, In NtNations DescribedBirds, Features OfNature DecayingNo DecayPeople Are CorruptibleIdolatryExchanging Good For BadNature Of IdolatryBirdscatsimage

You know that when you were pagans, you were led off after speechless idols; however you were led off [whether by impulse or habit]. Verse ConceptsDumbnessMutenessPagansPolytheismCarrying IdolsDumbdiscriminationstatuesHinduism


Son of man, these men have set up their idols in their hearts and put the stumbling block of their iniquity and guilt before their faces; should I permit Myself to be inquired of at all by them? Therefore speak to them and say to them, Thus says the Lord God: Every man of the house of Israel who takes his idols [of self-will and unsubmissiveness] into his heart and puts the stumbling block of his iniquity [idols of silver and gold] before his face, and yet comes to the prophet [to inquire of him], I the Lord will answer him, answer him according to the multitude of his idols,

and exchanged the glory and majesty and excellence of the immortal God for an image [worthless idols] in the shape of mortal man and birds and four-footed animals and reptiles. Verse ConceptsIncorruptibleImmortality, In NtNations DescribedBirds, Features OfNature DecayingNo DecayPeople Are CorruptibleIdolatryExchanging Good For BadNature Of IdolatryBirdscatsimage



The idols of the nations are silver and gold,
The work of men’s hands.
Verse ConceptsGoldHeathenIdolatry

Then all the people of the land went to the house of Baal and tore it down. They utterly smashed his altar and his images to pieces, and they put Mattan the priest of Baal to death in front of the altars. And [Jehoiada] the priest appointed officers over the house of the Lord. Verse ConceptsFalse GodsDestruction Of Satan's WorksKilling Priests

And Jeroboam also made houses on high places, and he made priests from all people who were not of the sons (descendants) of Levi. Verse ConceptsHigh PlacesPriests, Institution In Ot Times

The man cried out against the [idolatrous] altar by the word of the Lord, “O altar, altar, thus says the Lord: ‘Behold, a son shall be born to the house of David, Josiah by name; and on you shall he sacrifice [the bodies of] the priests of the high places who burn incense on you, and human bones shall be burned on you.’” Verse ConceptsDivine ManifestationsSanctity Of LifeBirths ForetoldDuplicating WordsBonesBurning Idolatrous ThingsMan Of God

All the priests of the high places who were there he slaughtered on the altars, and burned human bones on them [to desecrate the places forever]. Then he returned to Jerusalem. Verse ConceptsCremationHigh PlacesKilling PriestsBones

Now the man Micah had a house of gods (shrine), and he made an ephod and teraphim and dedicated and installed one of his sons, who became his [personal] priest. Verse ConceptsephodsPriests, Institution In Ot TimesShrinesConsecration

This is the reason neither the priests of Dagon nor any who enter Dagon’s house step on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod to this day.

So Jehu killed all who remained of the house of Ahab in Jezreel, and all his great men and his familiar friends and his priests, until he left him without a survivor. Verse ConceptsAbandoning FriendsNo SurvivorsKilling Whole Families

He got rid of the idolatrous priests whom the kings of Judah had ordained to burn incense [to pagan gods] in the high places in Judah’s cities and all around Jerusalem—also those who burned incense to Baal, to the sun, to the moon, to the constellations [of the zodiac], and to all the [starry] host of heaven. Verse ConceptsConstellationsHigh PlacesMoonPriests, Institution In Ot TimesShrinesIncense Offered AmissIdolatrous Worship Of The Moon

The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasury of his god. Verse ConceptsHoly VesselsSacred VesselsGiven Into One's HandsServing One's Own GodsTemple Utensils RemovedKings of judah

And Jeroboam also made houses on high places, and he made priests from all people who were not of the sons (descendants) of Levi. Verse ConceptsHigh PlacesPriests, Institution In Ot Times

Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will be discredited, but also that the [magnificent] temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and that she whom all Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned and lose her glorious magnificence.” Verse ConceptsCovetousness, Example OfAll NationsWorshipping Material ThingsDeposing

They took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it beside [the image of] Dagon [their chief idol]. Verse Conceptsstatues

In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master [the king] goes into the house of [his god] Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this matter [of attending the king when he worships].” Verse ConceptsArmsTemples, HeathenBowing To False GodsGod Forgive!Nervousness

Then Jehu sent throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; there was no one left who did not come. They went to the house (temple) of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. Verse ConceptsTemples, HeathenFilling HousesFollowers Of Baal

Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house (temple) of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple there.

Then Solomon built a high place for [worshiping] Chemosh the horror (detestable idol) of Moab, on the hill which is east of Jerusalem, and for Molech the horror (detestable idol) of the sons of Ammon. Verse ConceptsFalse GodsBuild, LiterallyHigh Places


The Lord has given a command concerning you [O king of Nineveh]:
“Your name will no longer be perpetuated.
I will cut off the carved idols and cast images
From the temple of your gods;
I will prepare your grave,
For you are vile and unworthy.”
Verse ConceptsThe DeadFalse ReligionExile, in assyriaTemples, HeathenDestruction Of Satan's WorksNames Blotted OutAbandoning Idols

Now the Philistine lords gathered together to offer a great sacrifice to Dagon their god, and to celebrate, for they said,

“Our god has given Samson our enemy into our hands!” Verse ConceptsPagan GodsFalse GodsCelebrationsGiven Into One's HandsDagon

They took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it beside [the image of] Dagon [their chief idol]. Verse Conceptsstatues

“Oholah played the prostitute while she was Mine; and she adored and lusted after her lovers (allies), the Assyrians, her neighbors, Verse ConceptsHarlots


“Those who swear [their oaths] by the sin (guilt) of Samaria or Ashimah (a pagan goddess),
Who say, ‘By the life of your god [the golden calf], O Dan!’
And [swear], ‘By the life of the way of [idolatrous] Beersheba,’
They shall fall and not rise again.”
Verse ConceptsThe Insecurity Of The WickedHarlotsLiving ThingsShame Of IdolatrySwearing


All her idols shall be broken in pieces,
All her earnings [from her idolatry] shall be burned with fire,
And all her images I shall make desolate;
For from the earnings of a prostitute she collected them,
And to the earnings of a prostitute they shall return.
Verse ConceptsProstitutionHarlotsDestruction Of Satan's WorksWages Of A ProstituteAbandoning Idols

For Solomon went after Ashtoreth, the [fertility] goddess of the Sidonians, and after Milcom the horror (detestable idol) of the Ammonites. Verse ConceptsAbominationsFalse GodsServing Asherah

And they put Saul’s weapons and armor in the temple of the Ashtaroth (female goddesses), and they fastened his body to the wall of Beth-shan. Verse ConceptsFortificationsFalse GodsWallsServing Asherah

The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasury of his god. Verse ConceptsHoly VesselsSacred VesselsGiven Into One's HandsServing One's Own GodsTemple Utensils RemovedKings of judah

They stripped [Saul] and took his head and his armor, and sent [them] round about in Philistia to carry the news to their idols and to the people. And they put [Saul's] armor in the house of their gods and fastened his head in the temple of Dagon.

The Lord gave Jehoiakim king of Judah into his hand, along with some of the articles of the house of God; and he brought them into the land of Shinar, to the house of his god, and brought the articles into the treasury of his god. Verse ConceptsHoly VesselsSacred VesselsGiven Into One's HandsServing One's Own GodsTemple Utensils RemovedKings of judah

Nebuchadnezzar also brought some of the articles of the house (temple) of the Lord to Babylon and put them in his temple there.

So he went up to the altar which he had made in Bethel on the fifteenth day of the eighth month, in the month which he had devised in his own heart [in defiance of God’s commandments]; and he held a feast for the Israelites and he went up to the altar to burn incense [in defiance of God’s law.] Verse ConceptsNew Year, TheMonth 8Building AltarsIncense Offered Amiss

And Jeroboam also made houses on high places, and he made priests from all people who were not of the sons (descendants) of Levi. Verse ConceptsHigh PlacesPriests, Institution In Ot Times

They also tore down the sacred pillar of Baal and tore down the house of Baal, and made it into a latrine [forever unclean] to this day. Verse ConceptsDefecation

Then Jehu sent throughout Israel, and all the worshipers of Baal came; there was no one left who did not come. They went to the house (temple) of Baal, and the house of Baal was filled from one end to the other. Verse ConceptsTemples, HeathenFilling HousesFollowers Of Baal

Not only is there danger that this trade of ours will be discredited, but also that the [magnificent] temple of the great goddess Artemis will be discredited, and that she whom all Asia and the world worship will even be dethroned and lose her glorious magnificence.” Verse ConceptsCovetousness, Example OfAll NationsWorshipping Material ThingsDeposing

In this matter may the Lord pardon your servant: when my master [the king] goes into the house of [his god] Rimmon to worship there, and he leans on my hand and I bow in the house of Rimmon, when I bow down in the house of Rimmon, may the Lord pardon your servant in this matter [of attending the king when he worships].” Verse ConceptsArmsTemples, HeathenBowing To False GodsGod Forgive!Nervousness

They took the ark of God and brought it into the house of Dagon and set it beside [the image of] Dagon [their chief idol]. Verse Conceptsstatues