Bible Verses About False Idols

"Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 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."

"Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen."

"They that make a graven image are all of them vanity; and their delectable things shall not profit; and they are their own witnesses; they see not, nor know; that they may be ashamed."

"Their idols are silver and gold, the work of men's hands. They have mouths, but they speak not: eyes have they, but they see not: They have ears, but they hear not: noses have they, but they smell not: They have hands, but they handle not: feet have they, but they walk not: neither speak they through their throat. They that make them are like unto them; so is every one that trusteth in them."

"Mortify therefore your members which are upon the earth; fornication, uncleanness, inordinate affection, evil concupiscence, and covetousness, which is idolatry."

"Every man is brutish in his knowledge: every founder is confounded by the graven image: for his molten image is falsehood, and there is no breath in them."

"Forasmuch then as we are the offspring 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."

"Therefore say unto the house of Israel, Thus saith the Lord GOD; Repent, and turn yourselves from your idols; and turn away your faces from all your abominations."

"Take heed to yourselves, that your heart be not deceived, and ye turn aside, and serve other gods, and worship them."

"No man can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon."

What does the Bible say about false idols?

Idolatry is not limited to carved statues. Anything that takes God's rightful place in our hearts — money, success, relationships, self — can become a false idol. Key King James Version passages include Exodus 20:3-4, 1 John 5:21, Isaiah 44:9. This page collects 10 KJV verses about false idols, each quoted in full.

What counts as an idol today?

An idol is anything that takes the place of God in your life — money, career, a relationship, social media, comfort, or even self-image. If it demands more of your devotion than God does, it has become an idol.

How can I identify idols in my own life?

Ask yourself: What do I think about most? What do I turn to for comfort instead of God? What would I be unwilling to give up if God asked? The answers often reveal hidden idols.