Deuteronomy 5:7 · Bible study
Deuteronomy 5:7 Commentary: The First Commandment's Core Prohibition
Hebrew · 5 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
What does 'before me' mean in the first commandment? Explore the Hebrew phrase, debate on other gods' existence, and its call for exclusive loyalty to Yahweh.
Research Summary
- Meaning: Israel must not acknowledge or serve any god other than Yahweh, and must not set anything in competition with Him.
- Key words: לֹא (lo, 'not'), יִהְיֶה (yihyeh, 'will belong'), אֱלֹהִים ('elohim, 'gods'), אֲחֵרִים ('acherem, 'other'), עַל־פָּנָי ('al panai, 'upon my face').
- Main debate: Whether 'before me' implies the real existence of other gods (a polytheistic backdrop) or is solely about rivalry and affront before the one true God.
- Theological theme: Exclusive covenant loyalty to the God who redeems; monotheism as the ground of worship.
- Best use: Foundational text for teaching the first of the Ten Commandments and the call to wholehearted love of God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You shall have no other gods before Me.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You shall have no other gods before me.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou shalt have none other gods before me.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`Thou hast no other gods in My presence.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou shalt have no othergods before me.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt not have strange gods in my sight.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No tendrás dioses extraños delante de mí.
Não terás deuses estranhos diante de mim.
Tu n’ auras point d’ autres dieux devant ma face.
Du sollst keine andern Götter haben vor mir.
Gij zult geen andere goden voor Mijn aangezicht hebben.
Non avere altri dèi nel mio cospetto.
Nie będziesz miał bogów innych przede mną.
да не будет у тебя других богов перед лицем Моим.
「『除了 我以外，你 不可 有 別 的神。
You are to have no other gods but me.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Deuteronomy 5:7
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse prohibits any other god in rivalry to Yahweh, but they differ on whether the phrase 'before me' (עַל־פָּנָי) implies the real existence of other deities. The Cambridge Bible for Schools notes that the expression is a strong one, literally 'over against my face,' and suggests an idea of affront or provocation. Calvin, cited there, argues that 'in preference to' is too weak and that God will not have companions thrust upon Him. Lange adds that the prohibition covers both substitution (gross idolatry) and co-ordination (refined idolatry), and that for Israel no other god can exist alongside the self-existent Yahweh. All agree the command forbids putting anything in competition with God, whether or not one grants that other gods have any real existence.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Polytheistic background: The wording 'other gods' and 'before me' could imply that other gods exist but must not be worshiped in Yahweh's presence; some read this as henotheism.
- Monotheistic denial: Lange argues that heathenism is apostasy from primitive monotheism; the verse denies reality to other gods by calling them non‑entities.
- Rivalry prohibition: Calvin and the Cambridge Bible focus on the affront of having any rival in God's presence, regardless of the rival's real existence. The point is exclusive loyalty, not ontology.
What is clear: The command requires exclusive allegiance to Yahweh; no other object or being may be placed in competition with Him, and any such act is a direct offense in His presence.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Existence of other gods | The command prohibits worship of any other god, regardless of whether such gods have real existence. | Some commentators (e.g., some critical scholars) see the phrase 'other gods' as evidence that ancient Israelite religion was originally polytheistic or henotheistic, while others (e.g., Calvin, Lange) hold that the command presupposes no real existence for other gods, treating them as non‑entities or apostate inventions. |
| Meaning of 'before me' | The phrase indicates that any rival god would be set up in God's own presence, a direct act of defiance. | Exact force is debated: Calvin says 'in preference to' is too weak; the Cambridge Bible suggests an affront or provocation (like daring God to His face). Lange emphasizes that the phrase points to the revelation of God's face (Deuteronomy 5:4), any other god contradicts that revelation. |
| Scope of the command | The command originally applied to Israel at Sinai as part of the covenant. | Christians have varied on how the command applies under the New Covenant: some read it as directly binding (via Matthew 4:10 and 1 John 5:21), while others focus on the spiritual principle of 'no idols in the heart' without requiring Israel's civil penalties. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse stands at the head of the Ten Commandments, given at Sinai as the foundation of the covenant between Yahweh and Israel. The immediate context is redemptive: verse 6 declares, 'I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.' The command is therefore not a bare demand but flows from God's saving act. Moses, as mediator, had already warned the people of God's presence on the mountain (v.5), and the covenant was made with those alive that day (v.3).
Israel was called out from nations steeped in polytheism. Egypt, especially, was a land of many gods and images. The prohibition form (' lo yihyeh leka', 'there will not belong to you') is absolute. Lange notes that the form of a prohibition arises because 'the apostate heathen world comes into view over against Israel,' and the command addresses the human heart's inclination to go astray. The phrase 'before me' (עַל־פָּנָי, literally 'upon my face') carries the sense of 'in my presence' or, as the Cambridge Bible suggests, 'as if to dare me to my face.' It implies that nothing can be hidden from God's gaze, and any rival god would be an act of open defiance.
History shows that Israel repeatedly struggled with this command, turning to Canaanite Baals, Moabite Chemosh, and later Assyrian and Babylonian deities. The first commandment thus establishes the covenant's fundamental requirement: absolute loyalty to the One who had already proved His faithfulness.
Textual Notes
The supplied sources note no significant textual variants for Deuteronomy 5:7. The Masoretic Text is consistent, and the verse is essentially identical to its parallel in Exodus 20:3. A few witnesses (the Samaritan Pentateuch) show minor spelling differences (e.g., 'other' spelled defectively), but these do not affect the meaning. The consensus is that the text is stable.
Reception History
This verse, as the first commandment, has been central to both Jewish and Christian teaching on exclusive worship. Jewish liturgy includes it in the Shema's context (Deuteronomy 6:4); rabbinic tradition sees it as the foundation of monotheism. In the early church, it was used to argue against pagan worship and to affirm the uniqueness of Christ (John 5:23). The Heidelberg Catechism (1563) references it in Question 95, explaining that idolatry is 'having or inventing something in which to put our trust instead of, or alongside of, the only true God.' Reformers like Calvin and Luther emphasized that the command reaches interior loyalties, not just external rites. In modern preaching, the verse remains a starting point for calls to wholehearted discipleship and warnings against subtle forms of idolatry.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The Foundation: God's redeeming identity. Before the command comes the declaration: 'I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out.' Worship flows from deliverance, not duty alone.
- The Prohibition: No rivals in God's presence. 'Before me' means with full knowledge and to God's face. No rival, real or imagined, may occupy the place that belongs to Yahweh.
- The Call: Wholehearted allegiance. The command is negative in form but positive in aim: to love and serve God alone, as Jesus quotes in Matthew 4:10.
Five-point outline
- God's right to command. He is the self-existent Lord, the Redeemer of Israel.
- The exclusivity of worship. 'No other gods' is categorical, not just many gods but one God alone.
- What counts as 'other gods.' Anything that displaces God from supremacy: power, money, relationships, self.
- The severity of the phrase 'before me.' God sees what we set up in His place; nothing is hidden from His face.
- The invitation hidden in the prohibition. To have no other gods is to enjoy God as our only God, which is the path to ultimate freedom and joy.
Illustration hooks
- A child tries to hide a forbidden snack from a parent who sees everything. The phrase 'before me' reminds us that God sees every hidden loyalty.
- A marriage vow says 'forsaking all others.' The first commandment is a vow of exclusive love to God.
- We act as if we have 'gods' when we get anxious about money, obsess over reputation, or sacrifice integrity for success, anything that sits on the throne of our hearts.
Questions your congregation is asking
- What does it mean to have an 'other god' in today's world if we don't bow to statues?
- How does the first commandment apply to Christians who already worship Jesus as Lord?
- How can I recognize when something has become a rival god in my life?
Leading a Discussion
This study invites your group to see the first commandment not as an ancient rule for Israel but as a call to undivided hearts. The verse does not assume there are other gods that are real; it simply demands that nothing take the place that belongs to God alone.
Discussion questions
- Read Deuteronomy 5:6, 7. Why does God begin with His identity and His rescue of Israel before giving the command?
- The phrase 'before me' can mean 'in my presence' or 'to my face.' How does that image change the way you think about idolatry?
- What are some 'other gods' that people in your community (or you) struggle with? Be specific.
- How does the first commandment connect to the second (v.8, 10) on making images?
- Jesus applies the first commandment when he says, 'You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only' (Matthew 4:10). How does this shape Christian discipleship?
- Describe the difference between having a priority (God first) and having exclusive loyalty (God only).
- How does knowing that God sees everything ('before me') bring both warning and comfort?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 20:3 | “You shall have no other gods before me. |
| Matthew 4:10 | Then Jesus said to him, “Get behind me, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and you shall serve him only.’” |
| John 5:23 | that all may honor the Son, even as they honor the Father. He who doesn’t honor the Son doesn’t honor the Father who sent him. |
| I John 5:21 | Little children, keep yourselves from idols. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
5 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The Cambridge commentary focuses on the Hebrew phrase "before me," arguing it implies more than preference—it suggests a rival deliberately placed where God can see it, almost as an affront. The strongest form of the phrase was chosen to convey the idea of provoking God to His face. The commandment itself does not address whether other gods exist; it simply forbids Israel from having them.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
Thou shalt haue none other gods before my face.
Lange's Commentary Reformed 1857
Lange stresses that the covenant at Horeb was made directly with the living generation, not with the patriarchs. He sees this as a deliberate shift: the law now takes center stage as a national code, preparing Israel for its role in bringing salvation to all nations.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry reads the Ten Commandments here as a covenant of grace, not just a legal code. He stresses that God first identifies Himself as Israel's Redeemer before giving any commands. The Sabbath command in Deuteronomy, he notes, is uniquely tied to remembering their deliverance from Egyptian slavery.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley turns the first commandment into a personal, searching examination. Through a series of pointed questions, he presses the reader to test whether God alone is truly worshipped, loved, and desired as the soul's only happiness, or whether other things have taken His place.