Exodus 20:23 kjv
Ye shall not make with me gods of silver, neither shall ye make unto you gods of gold.
Exodus 20:23 nkjv
You shall not make anything to be with Me?gods of silver or gods of gold you shall not make for yourselves.
Exodus 20:23 niv
Do not make any gods to be alongside me; do not make for yourselves gods of silver or gods of gold.
Exodus 20:23 esv
You shall not make gods of silver to be with me, nor shall you make for yourselves gods of gold.
Exodus 20:23 nlt
Remember, you must not make any idols of silver or gold to rival me.
Exodus 20 23 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Exo 20:3 | You shall have no other gods before me. | First Commandment, against rival gods |
| Exo 20:4-6 | You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything… for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God… | Second Commandment, prohibition of images |
| Exo 32:4 | He took what they handed him and fashioned it with a tool… saying, "These are your gods, Israel, who brought you up out of Egypt." | Golden Calf incident, making physical gods |
| Exo 34:17 | Do not make any gods of cast metal. | Reiteration of the command |
| Deut 4:15-19 | Since you saw no form of any kind the day the Lord spoke to you… be careful that you do not become corrupt and make for yourselves an idol… | God is formless; warnings against corrupting worship |
| Deut 5:8-9 | You shall not make for yourself an image… of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath… for I, the Lord your God, am a jealous God… | Reinforces the second commandment |
| Deut 6:4 | Hear, O Israel: The Lord our God, the Lord is one. | Monotheism; exclusive worship |
| Deut 7:25 | The images of their gods you are to burn in the fire. Do not covet the silver or gold on them… for that is detestable to the Lord your God. | Destruction of idols; detest material gain |
| Psa 115:4-8 | Their idols are silver and gold, made by human hands. They have mouths, but cannot speak; eyes, but cannot see… | Mockery of powerless, man-made idols |
| Isa 2:8 | Their land is full of idols; they bow down to the work of their hands, to what their fingers have made. | Condemnation of pervasive idolatry |
| Isa 40:18 | To whom, then, will you compare God? Or what image will you use to liken him to? | God's incomparability |
| Isa 42:8 | I am the Lord; that is my name! I will not yield my glory to another or my praise to idols. | God's exclusive claim to glory and praise |
| Isa 44:9-20 | All who make idols are nothing, and the things they delight in are worthless… they cannot see or understand… | Derision of idol-making process and futility |
| Jer 10:3-5 | For the customs of the peoples are worthless… they adorn it with silver and gold; they fasten it with hammer and nails so it will not totter. Such idols are like scarecrows in a cucumber field… | Idols as useless and man-made |
| Hab 2:18-19 | Of what value is an idol carved by a craftsman…? You say to wood, ‘Wake up!’ or to lifeless stone, ‘Arise!’ Can that teach you? | Questioning the worth and power of idols |
| Acts 17:29 | Therefore since we are God's offspring, we should not think that the divine being is like gold or silver or stone—an image made by human design and skill. | NT affirmation: God is not material or man-made |
| Rom 1:22-23 | Although they claimed to be wise, they became fools and exchanged the glory of the immortal God for images made to look like a mortal human being and birds and animals and reptiles. | Worshipping creation over Creator |
| 1 Cor 8:4 | So then, about eating food sacrificed to idols: We know that "An idol is nothing at all in the world" and that "There is no God but one." | Idols are not gods; affirmation of one God |
| 1 Cor 10:14 | Therefore, my dear friends, flee from idolatry. | Call to avoid all forms of idolatry |
| Col 3:5 | Put to death, therefore, whatever belongs to your earthly nature: sexual immorality, impurity, lust, evil desires and greed, which is idolatry. | Greed as spiritual idolatry |
| 1 Pet 4:3 | For you have spent enough time in the past doing what pagans choose to do—living in debauchery, lust, drunkenness, orgies, carousing and detestable idolatry. | Historical reference to detestable idolatry |
| Rev 9:20 | The rest of mankind who were not killed by these plagues still did not repent of the work of their hands; they did not stop worshiping demons, and idols of gold, silver, bronze, stone and wood… | Humanity's refusal to repent from idolatry |
Exodus 20 verses
Exodus 20 23 Meaning
Exodus 20:23 serves as a further elaboration on the second commandment, forbidding the Israelites from crafting images or figures of gods from precious metals like silver or gold. The crucial phrase "with Me" (or "beside Me") prohibits any attempt to associate such human-made idols with the worship of the true God, YHWH. It is an emphatic warning against syncretism—the mixing of genuine worship with the veneration of material deities, even if intended as aids or representations in the worship of YHWH Himself. It asserts God's unique and exclusive nature, declaring that He cannot be represented or complemented by any human-made substitute or partner.
Exodus 20 23 Context
Exodus chapter 20 presents the foundational laws given by God to Israel at Mount Sinai, known as the Ten Commandments. Verses 2-17 enumerate these divine principles. Verse 23 specifically follows the pronouncements against having "other gods" (the first commandment, Exo 20:3) and against making "graven images" for worship (the second commandment, Exo 20:4-6). While the second commandment broadly forbids images, verse 23 narrows the focus to images made of precious metals, explicitly connecting their prohibition to God Himself through the phrase "with Me." This places it immediately before God's instructions for building a simple altar, contrasting human-made idols with divine authorization for worship. Historically, the Israelites were transitioning from Egyptian polytheistic culture, rich in animal-headed deities and elaborate statues, into a covenant with the one, invisible God, making explicit prohibitions against physical representations critical for their distinct identity and worship. This verse served as a polemic against the pervasive idol worship of their surrounding nations and even against tendencies within Israel to revert to such practices, as seen soon after with the golden calf incident.
Exodus 20 23 Word analysis
- You shall not make (לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ - lo ta'asu): A strong, imperative negative command. It is plural, addressing the whole community of Israel. This phrase emphasizes that the responsibility to avoid idol-making lies with the people themselves, reinforcing that their actions constitute sin. The prohibition is against the act of creating such objects.
- with Me (אִתִּי - itti): This short prepositional phrase is exceptionally significant. It denotes proximity, accompaniment, or partnership. Its presence here clarifies that the forbidden idols are not just any idols, but idols made "alongside Me," "in My presence," "to accompany Me," or even "in association with My worship." This prohibits syncretism, attempting to combine the worship of YHWH with idol worship, or presuming to represent God or His attributes through such objects. It underscores God's sole, incomparable, and exclusive nature, declaring that He shares His deity with no material creation or human fabrication. This directly combats any notion that idols could serve as an extension or companion to God.
- gods of silver (אֱלֹהֵי כֶסֶף - elohei késeph): Refers to deities or representations crafted from silver. Silver was a valuable and precious metal, used for wealth, ornamentation, and significant religious artifacts in the ancient world. The emphasis on "silver" highlights that even highly prized and skillfully crafted materials, when used to fashion false gods, are forbidden. It denotes the material and human investment in creating these alternatives to God.
- or gods of gold (וֵאלֹהֵי זָהָב - ve'elohei zahav): Adds gold to silver, specifying an even more precious and sought-after metal. Gold symbolized ultimate wealth, power, and divinity in many ancient cultures, including Egypt. Prohibiting gods of gold emphasizes that no amount of material value or human artistry can elevate an idol to the status of God, nor can it legitimately represent Him. This phrase encompasses the pinnacle of material worship.
- you shall not make for yourselves (לֹא תַעֲשׂוּ לָכֶם - lo ta'asu lachem): This repeated prohibition (identical to the first phrase, but with the added "for yourselves") reinforces the absolute nature of the command and stresses personal accountability. The "for yourselves" implies that such idols serve the desires or misguided needs of the creators, rather than being genuine representations of the divine or legitimate objects of worship. It speaks to the self-serving nature of idolatry, often rooted in human desire for control, tangible deities, or worldly benefit. The repetition acts as an emphatic restatement, leaving no room for misinterpretation about the absolute ban.
Words-group Analysis:The dual structure "gods of silver or gods of gold" systematically covers a range of precious materials, signaling that any highly valued material object crafted for worship is included in the prohibition. The combined phrases "You shall not make with Me gods of silver or gods of gold; you shall not make for yourselves" demonstrate a comprehensive, two-fold warning: first, against mixing the worship of the true God with idol worship ("with Me"), and second, against creating any such material idols for one's own worship or benefit, irrespective of their intended association ("for yourselves"). This emphatic repetition ensures clarity and absolute scope.
Exodus 20 23 Bonus section
- This verse indirectly sets the stage for the simple altar commanded in the verses that follow (Exo 20:24-26). Instead of elaborate, human-crafted idols made of valuable metals, God mandates altars of earth or unhewn stone, signifying simplicity, naturalness, and a contrast to the sophistication and human effort poured into idols. True worship does not require human grandeur or artifice, but genuine devotion and obedience.
- The phrase "with Me" can also be interpreted as "in My presence," implying that such idols are utterly inappropriate in the sanctuary or where God's presence dwells.
- The making of such idols often involved complex metallurgy, signifying human ingenuity and technological prowess. Yet, the verse condemns placing human skill above divine revelation and creating substitutes for God out of such skill.
- The very act of making these idols from silver and gold can be a form of self-worship, as it places human ingenuity, resources, and aesthetic appreciation above the living God who alone is worthy of worship.
Exodus 20 23 Commentary
Exodus 20:23 concisely and powerfully extends the earlier prohibitions against idolatry, focusing on two key dimensions: the material used and the dangerous implications of such practices. By forbidding "gods of silver or gods of gold," God addresses the human tendency to ascribe value and power to material creations, especially those crafted from precious metals that signify wealth, status, and perceived durability. Such idols, no matter how magnificent or costly, fundamentally misrepresent the transcendent, invisible God. The phrase "with Me" is the verse's theological fulcrum. It strikes directly at syncretism, warning against the belief that one can simultaneously worship the unique God of Israel and rely on, or even merely create alongside, physical images as objects of worship. God asserts His solitary and incomparable nature, declaring that His glory cannot be shared with anything man-made. This command reveals God's desire for an exclusive, spiritual, and non-material relationship with His people, free from the distortions of human-conceived images. It challenges us to reflect on anything we might place "with God" in our lives—material possessions, careers, relationships, or even ideas—that competes for His singular position or distracts from true worship.