You shall have
This phrase is a direct command, emphasizing the personal responsibility of each individual. The Hebrew word used here is "lo yihyeh," which translates to "shall not be" or "shall not exist." This indicates a prohibition that is absolute and non-negotiable. It is a call to exclusive loyalty and devotion, underscoring the covenant relationship between God and His people. The command is not merely a suggestion but a divine mandate that requires obedience.

no other gods
The term "other gods" refers to any deity or object of worship that is not the one true God, Yahweh. In the ancient Near Eastern context, polytheism was prevalent, with various cultures worshiping multiple deities. The Hebrew word for "gods" here is "elohim," which can refer to divine beings or idols. This commandment is a clear rejection of polytheism and idolatry, affirming the monotheistic foundation of the Israelite faith. It calls believers to recognize the uniqueness and supremacy of Yahweh as the only true God.

before Me
The phrase "before Me" is translated from the Hebrew "al panay," which literally means "upon my face" or "in my presence." This expression conveys the idea of exclusivity and priority. It is not merely about physical placement but about relational priority and allegiance. God demands that nothing else take precedence over Him in the hearts and lives of His people. This commandment is foundational to the covenant relationship, where God is to be the central focus of worship and devotion. It challenges believers to examine their lives for anything that might rival God's place of preeminence.

(7) Thou shalt have none other gods before me.--Literally, upon my face, in addition to my presence; or, as Rashi says, "in any place where I am, that is, in the whole world." "Whither shall I go from Thy Spirit, or whither shall I flee from Thy face?" Idols are, at the very best, only masks which man puts upon the face of God, insulting to His dignity, and tending to conceal Him from our view.

(8,9) These two verses should be closely connected, according to the idiom of the original, "Thou shalt not make to thyself any of these things for the purpose of bowing down to them or worshipping them."

Verses 7-21. - Repetition of the Ten Commandments. On these, as the basis of the covenant, the whole legislation rests, and therefore a rehearsal of them is a fitting introduction to a repetition and enforcement of the laws of the theocracy. Some differences appear between the statement of the "ten words," as given here and as given in Exodus 20. It is chiefly in the fourth commandment that these are to be found. It begins here with "remember" for "keep;" reference is made to the command of God as sanctioning the Sabbath (ver. 12), which is omitted in Exodus; a fuller description of the animals to be exempted from work on that day is given (ver. 14); the words, "that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou" are added (ver. 14); and in place of a reference to the resting of God after the Creation as the ground of the Sabbath institute, as in Exodus, there is here a reference to the deliverance of the Israelites out of bondage in Egypt as a reason why the Lord commanded them to keep the Sabbath day (ver. 15). In the fifth commandment there are two additions here-the one of the words," as Jehovah thy God hath commanded thee," and the other of the words, "that it may go well with thee" (ver. 16). In the tenth commandment, the first two clauses are transposed, "desire" appears in place of "covet" in relation to "wife," and "field" is added to the specification of objects (ver. 21). These differences are of little moment. The only one demanding notice is that in the fourth commandment, where different reasons are assigned for the ordinance of the Sabbath. The two reasons assigned, however, are perfectly compatible; the one is fundamental and universally applicable, the other is subsidiary and special in its application; the one is a reason why the Sabbath was originally instituted and is for all men, the other is a reason why it was specially and formally instituted in Israel and was especially memorable to that people. In a popular address to them it seems fitting that the latter rather than the former should be the one adduced. As a memorial of their deliverance from Egypt, the Sabbath was all important to them, for by it they were constantly reminded that "they were thereby freed from the dominion of the world to be a peculiar possession of Jehovah, and so amid the toil and trouble of the world had part in the holy rest of their God" (Baumgarten). It was also fitting in a recapitulatory address that special emphasis should be laid on the fact that what the Law enunciated was what "the Lord had commanded." The addition of "field" in the tenth commandment is probably due to the fact that now, the occupation and division of the land having begun, the people were about to have, what they had not before - each his own property in land. In the tenth commandment, also, there is a difference in the two accounts worthy of notice. In Deuteronomy, "field" is added to the enumeration of objects not to be coveted, and the "wife" is put first and apart, while in Exodus the "house" precedes the "wife" and the latter ranks with the rest. In Deuteronomy also this separation of the wife is emphasized by a change of the verb: "Neither shalt thou desire (תַּחְמֹד) thy neighbor's wife, neither shalt thou covet (תִּתְאַוָּה) thy neighbor's house," etc. Verses 7-16. - FIRST TABLE OF THE LAW praecepta pietatis. Verse 7. - In this, the first commandment, the great principle and basis of all true religion is asserted - monotheism, as opposed to polytheism or pantheism There is but one God, and that God is Jehovah, the self-existent and eternal, who yet has personal relations with men.

Parallel Commentaries ...


You shall have
יִהְיֶ֥ה־ (yih·yeh-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

no
לֹ֣א (lō)
Adverb - Negative particle
Strong's 3808: Not, no

other
אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים (’ă·ḥê·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 312: Hinder, next, other

gods
אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים (’ĕ·lō·hîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 430: gods -- the supreme God, magistrates, a superlative

before
עַל־ (‘al-)
Preposition
Strong's 5921: Above, over, upon, against

Me.
פָּנָֽ֗יַ׃ (pā·nā·ya)
Noun - masculine plural construct | first person common singular
Strong's 6440: The face


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OT Law: Deuteronomy 5:7 You shall have no other gods before (Deut. De Du)