The author now critiques statues representing humans. We can organize this passage as follows: 1. Central idea (12-14): Following the biblical tradition of linking idolatry with infidelity (Ex 34:16; Dt 31:16; Hos 2; Dan 3:1-7), the author states that idols are of human origin and cause many evils. 2. Examples (15-21): veneration of dead children (15f), as practiced in Egypt, and deification of kings (17-21). The freshness of some biblical texts is often striking. Here we see a new example of how a composition from two thousand years ago, criticizing the idolatry of images, can still apply directly to many aspects of our lives, including religion. Can God be confined to a human creation? Aren’t the people around us the best reflection of God?