Exodus 20:3

Geneva Bible (1560)

Thou shalt haue none other Gods before me.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים עַל־פָּנָֽ͏ַ֗י

Transliteration

lōʾ yihyeh-ləḵā ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm ʿal-pānāy

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *yihyeh-ləḵā*: qal imperfect, 3rd masculine singular + preposition with 2nd masculine singular suffix - there shall be to you
• *ʾĕlōhîm*: masculine plural noun - gods
• *ʾăḥērîm*: adjective, masculine plural - other
• *ʿal-pānāy*: preposition + noun construct with 1st singular suffix - before my face/presence

Word Meanings

• *lōʾ yihyeh-ləḵā*: you shall not have/there shall not be to you
• *ʾĕlōhîm ʾăḥērîm*: other gods/foreign deities
• *ʿal-pānāy*: before me/in my presence/in preference to me/against my face

Referenced Verses

• Deut 5:7 : 7 Thou shalt haue none other gods before my face.
• Deut 6:5 : 5 And thou shalt loue the Lorde thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soule, and with all thy might.
• Deut 6:14 : 14 Ye shall not walke after other gods, after any of the gods of the people which are round about you,
• Ps 81:9 : 9 Let there bee no strange god in thee, neither worship thou any strange god.
• Jer 25:6 : 6 And go not after other gods to serue them and to worshippe them, and prouoke me not to anger with the workes of your hands, and I will not punish you.
• Jer 35:15 : 15 I haue sent also vnto you all my seruants the Prophetes, rising vp earely, and sending, them, saying, Returne nowe euery man from his euill way, and amende your workes, and goe not after other gods to serue them, and ye shall dwel in the lande which I haue giuen vnto you, and to your fathers, but ye would not encline your eare, nor obey mee.
• Matt 4:10 : 10 Then sayd Iesus vnto him, Auoyde Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lorde thy God, and him onely shalt thou serue.
• Isa 46:9 : 9 Remember the former things of old: for I am God, and there is none other God, and there is nothing like me,
• Ps 73:25 : 25 Whom haue I in heauen but thee? and I haue desired none in the earth with thee.
• Isa 44:8 : 8 Feare ye not, neither be afraide: haue not I tolde thee of olde, and haue declared it? you are euen my witnesses, whether there be a God beside me, and that there is no God that I knowe not.
• Isa 26:4 : 4 Trust in the Lord for euer: for in the Lord God is strength for euermore.
• Exod 15:11 : 11 Who is like vnto thee, O Lord, among the Gods! Who is like thee so glorious in holinesse, fearefull in prayses, doing wonders!
• Eph 5:5 : 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, neither vncleane person, nor couetous person, which is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdome of Christ, and of God.
• 1 John 5:20-21 : 20 But we know that that Sone of God is come, & hath giue vs a mind to know him, which is true: & we are in him that is true, that is, in that his Sone Iesus Christ: this same is that very God, and that eternal life. 21 Litle children, keepe your selues from idoles, Amen.
• Rev 19:10 : 10 And I fell before his feete, to worship him: but he said vnto me, See thou doe it not: I am thy fellowe seruant, and one of thy brethren, which haue the testimonie of Iesus. Worship God: for the testimonie of Iesus is the Spirit of prophecie.
• Rev 22:9 : 9 But he sayde vnto me, See thou doe it not: for I am thy fellowe seruaunt, and of thy brethren the Prophets, and of them which keepe the woordes of this booke: worship God.
• Phil 3:19 : 19 Whose ende is damnation, whose God is their bellie, and whose glorie is to their shame, which minde earthly things.
• Col 2:18 : 18 Let no man at his pleasure beare rule ouer you by humblenesse of minde, and worshipping of Angels, aduauncing himselfe in those thinges which hee neuer sawe, rashly puft vp with his fleshly minde,
• 1 Cor 8:6 : 6 Yet vnto vs there is but one God, which is that Father, of whome are all things, and we in him: and one Lorde Iesus Christ, by whome are all things, and we by him.
• Exod 20:23 : 23 Ye shall not make therefore with me gods of siluer, nor gods of golde: you shall make you none.
• Isa 43:10 : 10 You are my witnesses, saith the Lord, and my seruant, whom I haue chosen: therefore yee shall knowe and beleeue me and yee shall vnderstand that I am: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
• Josh 24:18-24 : 18 And the Lorde did cast out before vs all the people, euen the Amorites which dwelt in the lande: therefore will we also serue the Lord, for he is our God. 19 And Ioshua saide vnto the people, Ye can not serue the Lorde: for he is an holie God: he is a ielous God: hee will not pardon your iniquitie nor your sinnes. 20 If yee forsake the Lorde and serue strange gods, then he will returne and bring euill vpon you, and consume you, after that hee hath done you good. 21 And the people saide vnto Ioshua, Nay, but we will serue the Lord. 22 And Ioshua saide vnto the people, Yee are witnesses against your selues, that yee haue chosen you the Lord, to serue him: and they sayd, We are witnesses. 23 Then put away nowe, saide he, the strange gods which are among you, and bowe your hearts vnto the Lord God of Israel. 24 And ye people saide vnto Ioshua, The Lord our God wil we serue, & his voyce wil we obey.
• 2 Kgs 17:29-35 : 29 Howbeit euery nation made their gods, & put them in the houses of the hie places, which the Samaritanes had made, euery nation in their cities, wherein they dwelt. 30 For the men of Babel made Succoth-Benoth: and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 And the Auims made Nibhaz, and Tartak: and the Sepharuims burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech, and Anammelech the gods of Sepharuaim. 32 Thus they feared the Lorde, and appoynted out Priestes out of them selues for the hie places, who prepared for them sacrifices in the houses of the hie places. 33 They feared the Lord, but serued their gods after the maner of the nations whome they caryed thence. 34 Vnto this day they doe after the olde maner: they neyther feare God, neyther doe after their ordinances, nor after their customes, nor after the Lawe, nor after the commaundement, which the Lord commanded the children of Iaakob, whom he named Israel, 35 And with whom the Lord had made a couenant, and charged them, saying, Feare none other gods, nor bowe your selues to them, nor serue them, nor sacrifice to them:
• Ps 29:2 : 2 Giue vnto the Lorde glorie due vnto his Name: worship the Lorde in the glorious Sanctuarie.
• Isa 45:21-22 : 21 Tell ye and bring them, and let them take counsell together, who hath declared this from the beginning? or hath tolde it of olde? Haue not I the Lord? and there is none other God beside me, a iust God, and a Sauiour: there is none beside me. 22 Looke vnto me, and ye shall be saued: all the endes of the earth shall be saued: for I am God, and there is none other.
• 1 Cor 8:4 : 4 Concerning therefore the eating of things sacrificed vnto idoles, we knowe that an idole is nothing in the worlde, and that there is none other God but one.