Exodus 20:3

Authorized King James Version (1611)

Thou shalt have no 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 have none other gods before me.
• Deut 6:5 : 5 And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.
• Deut 6:14 : 14 Ye shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the people which [are] round about you;
• Ps 81:9 : 9 There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
• Jer 25:6 : 6 And go not after other gods to serve them, and to worship them, and provoke me not to anger with the works of your hands; and I will do you no hurt.
• Jer 35:15 : 15 I have sent also unto you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending [them], saying, Return ye now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and go not after other gods to serve them, and ye shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but ye have not inclined your ear, nor hearkened unto me.
• Matt 4:10 : 10 Then saith Jesus unto him, ‹Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.›
• Isa 46:9 : 9 Remember the former things of old: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else; [I am] God, and [there is] none like me,
• Ps 73:25 : 25 Whom have I in heaven [but thee]? and [there is] none upon earth [that] I desire beside thee.
• Isa 44:8 : 8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared [it]? ye [are] even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, [there is] no God; I know not [any].
• Isa 26:4 : 4 Trust ye in the LORD for ever: for in the LORD JEHOVAH [is] everlasting strength:
• Exod 15:11 : 11 Who [is] like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? who [is] like thee, glorious in holiness, fearful [in] praises, doing wonders?
• Eph 5:5 : 5 For this ye know, that no whoremonger, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, hath any inheritance in the kingdom of Christ and 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 19:10 : 10 And I fell at his feet to worship him. And he said unto me, See [thou do it] not: I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren that have the testimony of Jesus: worship God: for the testimony of Jesus is the spirit of prophecy.
• Rev 22:9 : 9 Then saith he unto me, See [thou do it] not: for I am thy fellowservant, and of thy brethren the prophets, and of them which keep the sayings of this book: worship God.
• Phil 3:19 : 19 Whose end [is] destruction, whose God [is their] belly, and [whose] glory [is] in their shame, who mind earthly things.)
• Col 2:18 : 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,
• 1 Cor 8:6 : 6 But to us [there is but] one God, the Father, of whom [are] all things, and we in him; and one Lord Jesus Christ, by whom [are] all things, and we by him.
• Exod 20:23 : 23 Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
• Isa 43:10 : 10 Ye [are] my witnesses, saith the LORD, and my servant whom I have chosen: that ye may know and believe me, and understand that I [am] he: before me there was no God formed, neither shall there be after me.
• Josh 24:18-24 : 18 And the LORD drave out from before us all the people, even the Amorites which dwelt in the land: [therefore] will we also serve the LORD; for he [is] our God. 19 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye cannot serve the LORD: for he [is] an holy God; he [is] a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions nor your sins. 20 If ye forsake the LORD, and serve strange gods, then he will turn and do you hurt, and consume you, after that he hath done you good. 21 And the people said unto Joshua, Nay; but we will serve the LORD. 22 And Joshua said unto the people, Ye [are] witnesses against yourselves that ye have chosen you the LORD, to serve him. And they said, [We are] witnesses. 23 Now therefore put away, [said he], the strange gods which [are] among you, and incline your heart unto the LORD God of Israel. 24 And the people said unto Joshua, The LORD our God will we serve, and his voice will we obey.
• 2 Kgs 17:29-35 : 29 Howbeit every nation made gods of their own, and put [them] in the houses of the high places which the Samaritans had made, every nation in their cities wherein they dwelt. 30 And the men of Babylon made Succothbenoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 And the Avites made Nibhaz and Tartak, and the Sepharvites burnt their children in fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared the LORD, and made unto themselves of the lowest of them priests of the high places, which sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 33 They feared the LORD, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations whom they carried away from thence. 34 Unto this day they do after the former manners: they fear not the LORD, neither do they after their statutes, or after their ordinances, or after the law and commandment which the LORD commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; 35 With whom the LORD had made a covenant, and charged them, saying, Ye shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them:
• Ps 29:2 : 2 Give unto the LORD the glory due unto his name; worship the LORD in the beauty of holiness.
• Isa 45:21-22 : 21 Tell ye, and bring [them] near; yea, let them take counsel together: who hath declared this from ancient time? [who] hath told it from that time? [have] not I the LORD? and [there is] no God else beside me; a just God and a Saviour; [there is] none beside me. 22 Look unto me, and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth: for I [am] God, and [there is] none else.
• 1 Cor 8:4 : 4 ¶ As concerning therefore the eating of those things that are offered in sacrifice unto idols, we know that an idol [is] nothing in the world, and that [there is] none other God but one.