Exodus 20:3

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. This is the first command, and is opposed to the polytheism of the Gentiles, the Egyptians, from whom Israel was just come, and whose gods some of them might

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt have no other gods before me - Heb., Let there not be, or, There shall not be to thee other gods [ `al (H5921) paanaaya (H6440)] over and above me

Heb. There shall not be to thee another god, or other gods, to wit, idols, which others have, esteem, and worship as gods, and therefore Scripture so calls them by way of supposition, ,5; but thou shalt not have them in any such reputation or veneration, but shalt forsake and abhor them, and cleave unto me alone. Before me, i.e. in my presence, in my house or Church, which you are, where I am especially present; and therefore for you to worship any other god is most impudent idolatry, even as when a woman commits adultery before her husband’ s face. He may also intimate, that all the idolatry which any of them shall hereafter commit, though never so cunningly and secretly managed, is manifest to his eyes, ,21. Others translate it with me, or besides me, as it is rendered . He forbids the worship of all others, not only in opposition to him, but also in conjunction with him, or subordination to him. See Exodus 32 Ac 7:41 22:8,9.

Exodus 20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.Ver. 3. Thou shalt have.] This "thou" reacheth every man. Xenophon saith of Cyrus, that when he gave anything in command, he never said, Let some one do this; but, Do thou this. No other gods before me.] But "know" and "serve" me alone "with a perfect heart, and with a willing mind." Hoc primo praecepto reliquorum omnium observantia praecipitur, saith Luther. In this first commandment the keeping of all the other nine is commanded. Hoc tu facias. - Xenophon’ s Cyropaed.

(3) Thou shalt have no other gods before me.—Heb., There shalt be to thee no other god before me. The result is the same, whether we translate Elohim by “god” or “gods;” but the singular verb shows that the plural form of the name is a mere plural of dignity. Before me—literally, before my face—means strictly, “side by side with me”—i.e., “in addition to me.” God does not suppose that the Israelites, after all that He had done for them, would discard Him, and substitute other gods in His place, but fears the syncretism which would unite His worship with that of other deities. All polytheisms were syncretic, and readily enlarged their pantheons, since, when once the principle of unity is departed from, whether the plurality be a little greater or a little less cannot much signify. The Egyptian religion seems to have adopted Ammon at a comparatively late period from Arabia; it took Bar, or Baal, Anta, or Anaïtis, Astaret, or Astarte, Reshpu, or Reseph, &c., from Syria, and it admitted Totuu from Ethiopia. Israel, in after-times, fell into the same error, and, without intending to apostatise from Jehovah, added on the worship of Baal, Ashtoreth, Moloch, Chemosh, Remphan, &c. It is this form of polytheism against which the first commandment is directed. It asserts the sole claim of Jehovah to our religious regards.

Verse 3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me.] אלהים אחרים elohim acherim, no strange gods - none that thou art not acquainted with, none who has not given thee such proofs of his power and godhead as I have done in delivering thee from the Egyptians, dividing the Red Sea, bringing water out of the rock, quails into the desert, manna from heaven to feed thee, and the pillar of cloud to direct, enlighten, and shield thee. By these miracles God had rendered himself familiar to them, they were intimately acquainted with the operation of his hands; and therefore with great propriety he says, Thou shalt have no strange gods before me; על פני al panai, before or in the place of those manifestations which I have made of myself. This commandment prohibits every species of mental idolatry, and all inordinate attachment to earthly and sensible things. As God is the fountain of happiness, and no intelligent creature can be happy but through him, whoever seeks happiness in the creature is necessarily an idolater; as he puts the creature in the place of the Creator, expecting that from the gratification of his passions, in the use or abuse of earthly things, which is to be found in God alone. The very first commandment of the whole series is divinely calculated to prevent man's misery and promote his happiness, by taking him off from all false dependence, and leading him to God himself, the fountain of all good.

3. The first commandment, against polytheism. The fundamental principle of Israel’s faith, presupposed throughout the OT., but specially insisted on when there is any danger of other gods, esp. Canaanite gods, being preferred to Jehovah, or worshipped equally with Him. other gods] so Exodus 23:13; cf. in the singular Exodus 34:14 (àì àúø). Very frequent in Dt. and Deuteronomic writers (compilers of Judges and Kings; and Jer.), as Deuteronomy 6:14; Deuteronomy 7:4; Deuteronomy 8:19 al.; Judges 2:12; Judges 2:17; Judges 2:19; 1 Kings 9:6; 1 Kings 9:9; 1 Kings 11:4; 1 Kings 11:10; Jeremiah 1:16; Jeremiah 7:6; Jeremiah 7:9; Jeremiah 7:18 al. Otherwise first in E (Joshua 24:2; Joshua 24:16), 1 Samuel 26:19, 2 Kings 5:17, Hosea 3:1 (not in other prophets, except Jer., and never in P). before me] or, more distinctly, in front of me,—obliging Me (un-willingly) to behold them, and also giving them a prominence above Me.

THE FIRST , Exodus 20:3. 3. Thou shalt have no other gods before me — The rendering before me follows the Vulgate. The Septuagint has πληνεμου, besides me.