Exodus 20:3
“Thou shalt have no other gods before me.”
King James Version (KJV)
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Read Full Chapter →Context
At Sinai, God speaks the Ten Commandments to Israel, beginning with the call to worship Him alone.
What Does Exodus 20:3 Mean?
This verse means that God is to hold the first and uncontested place in His people's lives, with no rival allowed beside Him. As the first of the commandments given at Sinai, it sets the foundation for all the rest. Before God speaks of how His people should treat one another, He claims their wholehearted loyalty for Himself. The people had just been delivered from a land crowded with gods; now their Redeemer asks for undivided devotion.
The phrase "before me" carries the sense of "in my presence" or "in my sight" -- nothing is to stand in God's place or compete for the trust that belongs to Him alone. This is not the demand of a petty rival but the claim of the only true God, who alone can hold a human heart. Idols need not be carved statues; anything we love, fear, or trust more than God can take His place. The first commandment guards the most important relationship a person can have, calling us back again and again to worship the One who made and rescued us.
In the Original Language
The word "gods" is the Hebrew elohim; the phrase "before me" is ʿal panay, literally "upon my face" or "in my presence."
Cross References
“And thou shalt love the LORD thy God with all thine heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy might.”
- Deuteronomy 6:5
“Jesus said unto him, Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind.”
- Matthew 22:37
“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.”
- Matthew 4:10
Application
Examine what holds first place in your heart, and return your highest love and trust to God alone.