Exodus 20:23

King James Version 1611 (Original)

Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּן אִתִּ֑י אֱלֹ֤הֵי כֶ֙סֶף֙ וֵאלֹהֵ֣י זָהָ֔ב לֹ֥א תַעֲשׂ֖וּ לָכֶֽם׃

Transliteration

lōʾ taʿăśûn with me ʾĕlōhê kesep̄ and ʾĕlōhê zāhāb lōʾ taʿăśû for yourselves

Grammar Details

• *lōʾ*: negative particle - not
• *taʿăśûn*: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine plural (paragogic form) - you shall not make
• *ʾittî*: preposition + 1st person singular suffix - with me
• *ʾĕlōhê*: noun construct plural - gods of
• *kesep̄*: noun, masculine singular - silver
• *wə-ʾĕlōhê*: conjunction + noun construct plural - and gods of
• *zāhāb*: noun, masculine singular - gold
• *taʿăśû*: Qal imperfect 2nd masculine plural - you shall make
• *lākem*: preposition + 2nd masculine plural suffix - for yourselves

Word Meanings

• *taʿăśûn*: make/do/fashion
• *ʾĕlōhê*: gods/deities (in construct form)
• *kesep̄*: silver/money
• *zāhāb*: gold/golden material

Referenced Verses

• Exod 20:3-5 : 3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me. 4 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: 5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
• Ezek 20:39 : 39 As for you, O house of Israel, thus saith the Lord GOD; Go ye, serve ye every one his idols, and hereafter also, if ye will not hearken unto me: but pollute ye my holy name no more with your gifts, and with your idols.
• Zeph 1:5 : 5 And them that worship the host of heaven upon the housetops; and them that worship and that swear by the LORD, and that swear by Malcham;
• 2 Kgs 17:33 : 33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence.
• 2 Kgs 17:41 : 41 So these nations feared the LORD, and served their graven images, both their children, and their children's children: as did their fathers, so do they unto this day.
• 1 Cor 10:21-22 : 21 Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord, and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table, and of the table of devils. 22 Do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? are we stronger than he?
• 2 Cor 6:14-16 : 14 Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? 15 And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? 16 And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people.
• Col 2:18-19 : 18 Let no man beguile you of your reward in a voluntary humility and worshipping of angels, intruding into those things which he hath not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind, 19 And not holding the Head, from which all the body by joints and bands having nourishment ministered, and knit together, increaseth with the increase of God.
• 1 John 5:20-21 : 20 And we know that the Son of God is come, and hath given us an understanding, that we may know him that is true, and we are in him that is true, even in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols. Amen.
• Rev 22:15 : 15 For without are dogs, and sorcerers, and whoremongers, and murderers, and idolaters, and whosoever loveth and maketh a lie.
• Ezek 43:8 : 8 In their setting of their threshold by my thresholds, and their post by my posts, and the wall between me and them, they have even defiled my holy name by their abominations that they have committed: wherefore I have consumed them in mine anger.
• Dan 5:4 : 4 They drank wine, and praised the gods of gold, and of silver, of brass, of iron, of wood, and of stone.
• Dan 5:23 : 23 But hast lifted up thyself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before thee, and thou, and thy lords, thy wives, and thy concubines, have drunk wine in them; and thou hast praised the gods of silver, and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which see not, nor hear, nor know: and the God in whose hand thy breath is, and whose are all thy ways, hast thou not glorified:
• Exod 32:1-4 : 1 And when the people saw that Moses delayed to come down out of the mount, the people gathered themselves together unto Aaron, and said unto him, Up, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man that brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we wot not what is become of him. 2 And Aaron said unto them, Break off the golden earrings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them unto me. 3 And all the people brake off the golden earrings which were in their ears, and brought them unto Aaron. 4 And he received them at their hand, and fashioned it with a graving tool, after he had made it a molten calf: and they said, These be thy gods, O Israel, which brought thee up out of the land of Egypt.
• Exod 32:31 : 31 And Moses returned unto the LORD, and said, Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made them gods of gold.
• 1 Sam 5:4-5 : 4 And when they arose early on the morrow morning, behold, Dagon was fallen upon his face to the ground before the ark of the LORD; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands were cut off upon the threshold; only the stump of Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any that come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod unto this day.