Graven

by Wayne Blank

The English word graven originated from an old Anglo-Saxon (the Saxons of ancient Europe split into 2 main branches - the "Anglo" Saxons who made their way to what is today Britain and introduced their Germanic language, later known as English, and the continental, or "Old" Saxons that remained in Saxony, in Germany; before that, they were together right from the time that they left Mesopotamia) word meaning to to dig (hence also the origin of the word grave). In the Bible, "graven" is used to refer to things that were engraved.

Graven

The Ten Commandments were graven, or engraved, on the tables of stone, written on both sides (see also What Did The Ten Commandments Look Like?):

"And Moses turned, and went down from the mount [i.e. Mount Sinai], and the two tables of the testimony were in his hand: the tables were written on both their sides; on the one side and on the other were they written."
"And the tables were the work of God, and the writing was the writing of God, graven upon the tables." (Exodus 32:15-16 KJV)

Along with cast or carved idols, The Second Commandment prohibits the making of engraved images for religious purposes:

"Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I The Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate Me; And showing mercy unto thousands of them that love Me, and keep My Commandments." (Exodus 20:4-6 KJV)

Paul stated (what should be) the obvious:

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring [see Spiritual Conception] of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device. And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent: Because He hath appointed a day in the which He will judge the world [see When Will You Be Judged?] in righteousness by that man whom He hath ordained; whereof He hath given assurance unto all men, in that He hath raised Him from the dead." (Acts 17:29-31 KJV)

Fact Finder: Are people who refuse to repent of their use of idols, in all of their various forms, among those headed for the lake of fire?
Revelation 21:8

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