Turn to: this implies turning away from the true and living God. Good News Translation brings this out by translating “abandon me and worship….”

Idols: this word comes from a root meaning worthless, inadequate, or nothingness. It is frequently used in the Old Testament to refer to the gods of other groups of people. The Israelites did not consider them of any value. A possible translation may be “worthless gods” or “good-for-nothing idols.”

Molten gods: this refers to images made from metal that has been melted down and formed into particular objects, as opposed to those carved out of wood or stone. Exodus 20.4 and Leviticus 26.1 forbid carved images, but Deuteronomy 27.15 includes both.

I am the LORD your God: see verse 3.

Quoted with permission from Péter-Contesse, René and Ellington, John. A Handbook on Leviticus. (UBS Helps for Translators). New York: UBS, 1990. For this and other handbooks for translators see here .