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Exodus 20:23

Old Testament Law (Torah) ASV (1901)

What does Exodus 20:23 say?

The American Standard Version records this verse as: “Ye shall not make [other gods] with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you.” Read the surrounding verses and the named sources below before drawing broader conclusions.

The verse

Ye shall not make [other gods] with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you.
Exodus 20:23 — American Standard Version

Context — Exodus 20

American Standard Version (1901) — public domain. Click any verse for its study page.
20And Moses said unto the people, Fear not: for God is come to prove you, and that his fear may be before you, that ye sin not.
21And the people stood afar off, and Moses drew near unto the thick darkness where God was.
22And Jehovah said unto Moses, Thus thou shalt say unto the children of Israel, Ye yourselves have seen that I have talked with you from heaven.
23Ye shall not make [other gods] with me; gods of silver, or gods of gold, ye shall not make unto you.
24An altar of earth thou shalt make unto me, and shalt sacrifice thereon thy burnt-offerings, and thy peace-offerings, thy sheep, and thine oxen: in every place where I record my name I will come unto thee and I will bless thee.
25And if thou make me an altar of stone, thou shalt not build it of hewn stones; for if thou lift up thy tool upon it, thou hast polluted it.
26Neither shalt thou go up by steps unto mine altar, that thy nakedness be not uncovered thereon.
← Exodus 20:22Exodus 20:24 →
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What do historical commentaries say?

John Gill's Exposition
John Gill (1697–1771) · Exposition of the Old and New Testament · 18th-century historical commentary
“Ye shall not make with me, etc.] This is a proposition of itself, as appears by the accent Athnach placed at the end of it, which divides it from the following, and therefore “gods of silver” belong to the next clause or proposition; something seems to be wanting to complete the sense, which the Talmudists f621 and Jarchi after them supply thus, “ye shall not make with me as the likeness of my ministers which minister before me on high;” as the seraphim, ministering angels, etc. as the sun, moon, and stars; and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases the words, “ye shall not make, to worship, the likeness of the sun, and of the moon, and of the stars, and of the planets, and of the angels that…”
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Barnes' Notes
Albert Barnes (1798–1870) · Notes on the Whole Bible · 19th-century historical commentary
“Nothing could be more appropriate as the commencement of the book of the covenant than these regulations for public worship. The rules for the building of altars must have been old and accepted, and are not inconsistent with the directions for the construction of the altar of the court of the tabernacle, Exodus 27:1-8 (compare Joshua 22:26-28). return to 'Top of Page' Footnotes: Copyright Statement These files are public domain. Bibliographical Information Barnes, Albert. "Commentary on Exodus 20". "Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible". https://www.studylight.org/commentaries/eng/bnb/exodus-20.html. 1870. StudyLight.org © 2001-2026 Powered by Lightspeed Technology”
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Treasury of Scriptural Knowledge
R. A. Torrey and contributors · The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · Cross-reference reference work
“Exo 20:3-5, Exo 32:1-4; Sa1 5:4, Sa1 5:5; Kg2 17:33, Kg2 17:41; Eze 20:39, Eze 43:8; Dan 5:4, Dan 5:23; Zep 1:5; Co1 10:21, Co1 10:22; Co2 6:14-16; Col 2:18, Col 2:19; Jo1 5:20, Jo1 5:21; Rev 22:15 Exodus 20:24”
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Related study paths

Read Exodus 20 in contextBrowse Hebrew word studiesOpen this verse in the study reader

Sources and verification