Exodus 20:23 - Printer Friendly

ESV: You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.

NIV: Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.

NASB: You shall not make other gods besides Me; gods of silver or gods of gold, you shall not make for yourselves.

CSB: Do not make gods of silver to rival me; do not make gods of gold for yourselves.

NLT: Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.

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

NKJV: You shall not make anything to be with Me—gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.

Before moving on to regulations about altars (Exodus 20:24–26), God reiterates the banning of idols (Exodus 20:3–6). God is the only deity Who exists (Isaiah 45:5). He is the One responsible for Israel's existence and survival (Exodus 6:7; 14:21–28; 20:2). Worship is owed only to the Lord; giving it to anything or anyone else is offensive. In the ancient world, most people worshipped a variety of deities. They prayed to carvings and sculptures representing these spirits. God's chosen people (Deuteronomy 14:2) are not to participate in this sin.

The earlier description of idolatry mentioned "carved" images, from a word sometimes translated as "graven." This is related to the English word "engrave" and literally means "sculpted." Many idols were made by carving wood or stone into shapes and covering them with a thin layer of precious metal. In rare cases, they were made of solid gold or silver. Idols can take many forms, but references to gold and silver "gods" represents the entire idea.

One of Israel's worst moments will come while Moses is on Sinai receiving the Law from God. In direct defiance of these ideas, they will create a golden calf and worship it in place of God (Exodus 32).

Exodus 20:22–26 records more details about God's covenant laws. The ones listed here reiterate the prohibition of idolatry and give instructions on how to create a proper altar. The Lord commands that His altars be made of earth or un-worked stones. They must be placed so they can be approached without using stairs. These requirements echo other laws emphasizing God's status as a holy Creator.

At Mount Sinai, God begins declaring the laws of His covenant with Israel. The first of these are the Ten Commandments. These establish core principles intended to guide the Lord's chosen people (Deuteronomy 7:6). Further details will come in other chapters and books. This chapter ends with specifics about altars and idols. The following chapters will address various social and civil issues (Exodus 21—23)

Centuries after being enslaved in Egypt (Exodus 1), Israel has been freed (Exodus 12). God leads the people across the Red Sea (Exodus 14) and into the wilderness of Sinai (Exodus 17—19). Here, He will give them laws which distinguish them from other nations. The first of these are the renowned Ten Commandments. The Lord will continue to provide details and statutes (Exodus 21—23) before confirming the covenant (Exodus 24) and establishing regulations for the tabernacle and priests (Exodus 25—31).

The book of Exodus establishes God's covenant relationship with the full-fledged nation of Israel. The descendants of Abraham prosper after settling in Egypt, only to be enslaved by a fearful, hateful Egyptian Pharaoh. God appoints Moses to lead the people out of this bondage. Moses serves as God's spokesman, as the Lord brings plagues and judgments on Egypt, leading to the release of Israel.