Jon Collins

I mean, it's the next sentence.

And that's what we're going to talk about today.

Closely related.

So, right after, there will not be for you any other Elohim before me.

You will not make for yourself an idol or any likeness of what is in the skies above or on the land beneath or in the waters underneath the land.

You will not worship them.

You will not serve them.

because I, Yahweh your Elohim, am a passionate Elohim, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the threes and the fours for those who hate me, but showing loyal love to thousands for those who love me and keep my commands.

So we're looking at my translation and the opening words of the Ten Commands are, I am Yahweh your Elohim.

What's interesting is these two commands are bundled together.

There will not be any other Elohim.

You will not make for yourself an idol.

So two negatives.

Then you get a list of what the idols might represent, skies above, land beneath, waters in the land.

Then you get two more negatives.

You will not worship them.

You will not serve them.

Then you get, because I, Yahweh, your Elohim, am a passionate Elohim.

And then you're back to this description of Yahweh Elohim, and you're like, oh, I'm looking at a symmetrical paragraph.

I see.