John Calvin Commentary Deuteronomy 4:12

"And Jehovah spake unto you out of the midst of the fire: ye heard the voice of words, but ye saw no form; only [ye heard] a voice." — Deuteronomy 4:12 (ASV)

And the Lord spoke to you. This is a confirmation of the Second Commandment: that God manifested Himself to the Israelites by a voice and not in a bodily form. From this it follows that those who are not content with His voice, but seek His visible form, substitute imaginations and phantoms in His place.

But here a difficult question arises, for God made Himself known to the patriarchs in other ways besides His voice alone. For example, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob knew Him not only by hearing but also by sight. Moses himself saw Him in the middle of the burning bush, and He also manifested Himself to the Prophets under visible figures. Since it would be superfluous to pile up many citations, let the remarkable vision of Isaiah suffice, which is related in Isaiah 6, and those of Ezekiel, which we read of in Ezekiel 1 and Ezekiel 10.

And yet God was not forgetful of Himself when He thus presented Himself to the sight of His servants. Therefore, this argument—that it is sinful to represent God in a visible image because His voice was once heard without His being seen—does not appear to be valid. On the other hand, it is easy to object that visible forms have often been exhibited in which He testified His presence.

The solution is twofold. First, although God may have invested Himself in certain forms for the purpose of manifesting Himself, this must be regarded as a unique circumstance and not be taken as a general rule. Second, the visions shown to the patriarchs were testimonies of His invisible glory, intended more to elevate human minds to things above than to keep them entangled among earthly elements.

In the promulgation of His Law, God first prescribed what believers must follow, because He saw that this was the best method (compendium) for retaining the minds of His people in true religion and, at the same time, the best remedy for idolatry. Unless we submit to this counsel of God, we shall not only betray a licentious spirit of contention but shall also run directly against God, like butting bulls.

For it was not in vain that Moses laid down this principle: when God gathered a Church for Himself and handed down a certain and inviolable rule for holy living, He had not invested Himself in a bodily shape but had exhibited the living image of His glory in the doctrine itself. Therefore, we may conclude that all those who seek God in a visible figure not only turn away from but actually revolt against the true study of piety.

If anyone should object that God is not inconsistent with Himself—and yet, as has been said, He has more than once taken upon Himself a visible form—the reply is simple and easy: whenever He appeared to the patriarchs in a visible form, He gave a temporary sign, which was by no means contradictory to this commandment.

Isaiah saw the Lord of hosts sitting on His throne; yet he boldly cries out as from the mouth of God, “To whom will you liken me?” (Isaiah 40:25). Nor do I need to repeat how constantly he speaks against idolaters. Certainly, he inveighs more strongly than any of the prophets against the folly—indeed, the madness—of those who make any image of God for themselves, because they thus turn truth into falsehood. Finally, he assumes the same principle as Moses: that the true nature of God is corrupted by tricks and delusions if a corruptible thing is called His image.

But what was His vision itself? The seraphim, who surrounded God’s throne, sufficiently showed by covering their faces with their wings that the sight of Him could not be endured by mortals. As for what Ezekiel relates, no painter could represent it, for God has always appeared distinguished from the shape of any creature by those marks that surpass human apprehension.

This conclusion, therefore, always remains sure: no image is suitable to God, because He chose not to be perceived by His people except through a voice. Furthermore, fire was also a symbol of His presence, yet He testified by it that His glory is incomprehensible, and thus He would prevent people from idol-making.

We have elsewhere explained what it means “to guard themselves as to their souls.”⁹³ But we infer from his anxious exhortations that they should take heed, for the human soul has a great leaning towards idolatry. This is the purpose of that attestation against them, which I have inserted from Deuteronomy 8. For Moses not only threatens them but, as if summoning witnesses according to the custom of solemn trials, denounces that they shall perish, in order to inspire them with greater fear by this earnest mode of address. From this it appears that this insane lust for idolatry is not to be repressed by ordinary means.

With the same objective, he says that they are “corrupted, or corrupt themselves,” who make any likeness of God. Thus Paul also declares that in this way the truth is changed into a lie (Romans 1:25); and Jeremiah and Habakkuk condemn images for their falsehood (Jeremiah 10:14; Habakkuk 2:18). No wonder, then, that an idol should be called the “corruption” of men, since it adulterates the worship of God. It is a most just recompense to those who pollute the pure and perfect knowledge of God that they should, as a result, be infected with a rottenness that consumes their souls.

Hence also, the foolish ignorance of the Papists is refuted, who limit this prohibition to the ancient people, as if it were now permitted to paint or to sculpt (images of God)⁹⁴—as if Paul were addressing Jews when he reasoned from the common origin of our nature: “Forasmuch as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold or silver,” or corruptible matter (Acts 17:29).⁹⁵

There is no necessity for entering into details; but the Spirit declares no less plainly now that we must keep ourselves from idols (1 John 5:21), than He formerly forbade their being made. Moreover, it was an act of diabolical madness to do away with one of the Ten Commandments, so that they might rush into this foul and detestable extravagance with impunity.

They pretend that the Jews were formerly prohibited from idolatry with greater strictness because they were too much disposed to it, as if they themselves were not much worse in this respect. But, setting this aside, who does not see that the vice of superstition, which is natural to the human mind, was corrected by this remedy? Therefore, until human beings have laid aside their nature, we infer that this Commandment is necessary for them.

⁹³ See Lat. of of ver. 15. The explanation to which he alludes is probably that given on . The explanation to which he alludes is probably that given on Deuteronomy 8:11. . Vol. 1 p. 397..

⁹⁴ Added from Fr.

⁹⁵ Addition in Fr., “Or, c’estoit aux Payens qu’il parloit ainsi;” Now, they were heathens whom he thus addressed.;” Now, they were heathens whom he thus addressed.