Exodus 20:23

Webster's Bible (1833)

You shall most certainly not make alongside of me gods of silver, or gods of gold for yourselves.

📖 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 You shall have no other gods before me. 4 "You shall not make for yourselves an idol, nor any image of anything that is in the heavens above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth: 5 you shall not bow yourself down to them, nor serve them, for I, Yahweh your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children, on the third and on the fourth generation of those who hate me,
• Ezek 20:39 : 39 As for you, house of Israel, thus says the Lord Yahweh: Go you, serve everyone his idols, and hereafter also, if you will not listen to me; but my holy name shall you no more profane with your gifts, and with your idols.
• Zeph 1:5 : 5 those who worship the host of the sky on the housetops, those who worship and swear by Yahweh and also swear by Malcam,
• 2 Kgs 17:33 : 33 They feared Yahweh, and served their own gods, after the manner of the nations from among whom they had been carried away.
• 2 Kgs 17:41 : 41 So these nations feared Yahweh, and served their engraved images; their children likewise, and their children's children, as did their fathers, so do they to this day.
• 1 Cor 10:21-22 : 21 You can't both drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of demons. You can't both partake of the table of the Lord, and of the table of demons. 22 Or do we provoke the Lord to jealousy? Are we stronger than he?
• 2 Cor 6:14-16 : 14 Don't be unequally yoked with unbelievers, for what fellowship have righteousness and iniquity? Or what communion has light with darkness? 15 What agreement has Christ with Belial? Or what portion has a believer with an unbeliever? 16 What agreement has a temple of God with idols? For you are a temple of the living God. Even as God said, "I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they will be my people."
• Col 2:18-19 : 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, 19 and not holding firmly to the Head, from whom all the body, being supplied and knit together through the joints and ligaments, grows with God's growth.
• 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 22:15 : 15 Outside are the dogs, the sorcerers, the sexually immoral, the murderers, the idolaters, and everyone who loves and practices falsehood.
• Ezek 43:8 : 8 in their setting of their threshold by my threshold, and their door-post beside my door-post, and there was [but] the wall between me and them; and they have defiled my holy name by their abominations which they have committed: therefore I have consumed them in my 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 have lifted up yourself against the Lord of heaven; and they have brought the vessels of his house before you, and you and your lords, your wives and your concubines, have drunk wine from them; and you have praised the gods of silver and gold, of brass, iron, wood, and stone, which don't see, nor hear, nor know; and the God in whose hand your breath is, and whose are all your ways, you have not glorified.
• Exod 32:1-4 : 1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered themselves together to Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make us gods, which shall go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we don't know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Take off the golden rings, which are in the ears of your wives, of your sons, and of your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 All the people took off the golden rings which were in their ears, and brought them to Aaron. 4 He received what they handed him, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf; and they said, "These are your gods, Israel, which brought you up out of the land of Egypt."
• Exod 32:31 : 31 Moses returned to Yahweh, and said, "Oh, this people have sinned a great sin, and have made themselves gods of gold.
• 1 Sam 5:4-5 : 4 When they arose early on the next day morning, behold, Dagon was fallen on his face to the ground before the ark of Yahweh; and the head of Dagon and both the palms of his hands [lay] cut off on the threshold; only [the stump of] Dagon was left to him. 5 Therefore neither the priests of Dagon, nor any who come into Dagon's house, tread on the threshold of Dagon in Ashdod, to this day.