Psalms 81:9

“There shall no strange god be in thee, etc.] Or in the midst of thee, owned and worshipped as God; or in thine heart, for whatever engrosses the affection, or a man puts his trust and confidence in, that he makes his god, and is a strange one: thus, if any friend or relation, father or mother, wife or children, are loved more than God, they are set up as such in his place; thus the epicure, that seeks the gratification of his carnal lusts, makes his belly his god; and the covetous man his money, in which he trusts, and therefore is called an idolater; and the self-righteous man his righteousness, on which he depends for salvation: hence we read of idols set up in the heart, from which they…”

“There shall no strange god be in thee - Worshipped by thee; or recognized and regarded as a god. This was a condition of his favor and friendship. Compare Deuteronomy 32:12; Isaiah 43:12. The word here rendered “strange” - זר zār - has reference to one of a foreign nation; and the meaning is, that they were not to worship or adore the gods that were worshipped by foreigners. This was a fundamental law of the Hebrew commonwealth. Neither shalt thou worship any strange god - The Hebrew word here is different - נכר nêkâr - but means substantially the same thing. The allusion is to gods worshipped by foreign nations. return to 'Top of Page'”

“There shall: Exo 20:3-5; Co1 8:5, Co1 8:6 strange: Deu 6:14, Deu 32:12; Isa 43:12; Mal 2:11 Psalms 81:10”