Exodus 20:3

World English Bible (2000)

"You shall 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 "You shall have no other gods before me.
• Deut 6:5 : 5 and you shall love Yahweh your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might.
• Deut 6:14 : 14 You shall not go after other gods, of the gods of the peoples who are around you;
• Ps 81:9 : 9 There shall be no strange god in you, neither shall you worship any foreign god.
• Jer 25:6 : 6 and don't go after other gods to serve them or worship them, and don't provoke me to anger with the work of your hands; and I will do you no harm.
• Jer 35:15 : 15 I have sent also to you all my servants the prophets, rising up early and sending them, saying, Return now every man from his evil way, and amend your doings, and don't go after other gods to serve them, and you shall dwell in the land which I have given to you and to your fathers: but you have not inclined your ear, nor listened to me.
• Matt 4:10 : 10 Then Jesus said to him, "Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.'"
• 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 Who do I have in heaven? There is no one on earth who I desire besides you.
• Isa 44:8 : 8 Don't fear, neither be afraid. Haven't I declared it to you long ago, and shown it? You are my witnesses. Is there a God besides me? Indeed, there is not. I don't know any other Rock."
• Isa 26:4 : 4 Trust in Yahweh forever; for in Yah, Yahweh, is an everlasting Rock.
• Exod 15:11 : 11 Who is like you, Yahweh, among the gods? Who is like you, glorious in holiness, fearful in praises, doing wonders?
• Eph 5:5 : 5 Know this for sure, that no sexually immoral person, nor unclean person, nor covetous man, who is an idolater, has any inheritance in the Kingdom of Christ and God.
• 1 John 5:20-21 : 20 We know that the Son of God has come, and has given us an understanding, that we know him who is true, and we are in him who is true, in his Son Jesus Christ. This is the true God, and eternal life. 21 Little children, keep yourselves from idols.
• Rev 19:10 : 10 I fell down before his feet to worship him. He said to me, "Look! Don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers who hold the testimony of Jesus. Worship God, for the testimony of Jesus is the Spirit of Prophecy."
• Rev 22:9 : 9 He said to me, "See you don't do it! I am a fellow bondservant with you and with your brothers, the prophets, and with those who keep the words of this book. Worship God."
• Phil 3:19 : 19 whose end is destruction, whose god is the belly, and whose glory is in their shame, who think about earthly things.
• Col 2:18 : 18 Let no one rob you of your prize by a voluntary humility and worshipping of the angels, dwelling in the things which he has not seen, vainly puffed up by his fleshly mind,
• 1 Cor 8:6 : 6 yet to us there is one God, the Father, of whom are all things, and we for him; and one Lord, Jesus Christ, through whom are all things, and we live through him.
• Exod 20:23 : 23 You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves.
• Isa 43:10 : 10 "You are my witnesses," says Yahweh, "With my servant whom I have chosen; that you may know and believe me, and understand that I am he. Before me there was no God formed, neither will there be after me.
• Josh 24:18-24 : 18 Yahweh drove out from before us all the peoples, even the Amorites who lived in the land. Therefore we also will serve Yahweh; for he is our God." 19 Joshua said to the people, "You can't serve Yahweh; for he is a holy God. He is a jealous God. He will not forgive your disobedience nor your sins. 20 If you forsake Yahweh, and serve foreign gods, then he will turn and do you evil, and consume you, after he has done you good." 21 The people said to Joshua, "No; but we will serve Yahweh." 22 Joshua said to the people, "You are witnesses against yourselves that you have chosen Yahweh yourselves, to serve him." They said, "We are witnesses." 23 "Now therefore put away the foreign gods which are among you, and incline your heart to Yahweh, the God of Israel." 24 The people said to Joshua, "We will serve Yahweh our God, and we will listen to his voice."
• 2 Kgs 17:29-35 : 29 However 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 in which they lived. 30 The men of Babylon made Succoth Benoth, and the men of Cuth made Nergal, and the men of Hamath made Ashima, 31 and the Avvites made Nibhaz and Tartak; and the Sepharvites burnt their children in the fire to Adrammelech and Anammelech, the gods of Sepharvaim. 32 So they feared Yahweh, and made to them from among themselves priests of the high places, who sacrificed for them in the houses of the high places. 33 They feared Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the ways of the nations from among whom they had been carried away. 34 To this day they do what they did before: they don't fear Yahweh, neither do they follow their statutes, or their ordinances, or the law or the commandment which Yahweh commanded the children of Jacob, whom he named Israel; 35 with whom Yahweh had made a covenant, and commanded them, saying, "You shall not fear other gods, nor bow yourselves to them, nor serve them, nor sacrifice to them;
• Ps 29:2 : 2 Ascribe to Yahweh the glory due to his name. Worship Yahweh in holy array.
• Isa 45:21-22 : 21 Declare and present it. Yes, let them take counsel together. Who has shown this from ancient time? Who has declared it of old? Haven't I, Yahweh? There is no other God besides me, a just God and a Savior; There is no one besides me. 22 "Look to me, and be saved, all the ends of the earth; for I am God, and there is no other.
• 1 Cor 8:4 : 4 Therefore concerning the eating of things sacrificed to idols, we know that no idol is anything in the world, and that there is no other God but one.