4 "You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me,
6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments.
The second commandment may seem to be the same as the first, in that a carved image is usually considered a false idol - something else which is worshipped instead of God. That is a part of this commandment, however it is a little more subtle than that.
This commandment is focused on the false representation of God by making a statue or image of a god to have something to worship. God tells us in scripture that he is a spirit, and that he is not made of anything in the way that we are made off matter, and that man-made statues are made of matter. God considers it foolish to worship something which was made by the hands of man - who himself is a created being.
God shows just how strong his hatred of evil is, and how much stronger than that his love of righteousness is. He will curse the several generations for their false worship, which is hatred of God. But, he will bless for thousands of generations those who love and obey him.