◄ Deuteronomy 5:7 ►
You shall have no other gods before Me.
Study Bible
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.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Moses
The prophet and leader of the Israelites who received the Ten Commandments from God on Mount Sinai and delivered them to the people.

2. Israelites
The chosen people of God, who were delivered from slavery in Egypt and were on their journey to the Promised Land.

3. Mount Sinai
The mountain where God gave Moses the Ten Commandments, including the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:7.

4. God (Yahweh)
The one true God who delivered the Israelites from Egypt and established a covenant with them.

5. Covenant
The agreement between God and the Israelites, which included the Ten Commandments as a central component.
Teaching Points
Exclusive Worship
This commandment emphasizes the exclusivity of worship that is due to God alone. Believers are called to prioritize their relationship with God above all else.

Idolatry in Modern Times
While ancient idols were often physical objects, modern idolatry can take the form of anything that takes precedence over God in our lives, such as money, power, or relationships.

Covenant Faithfulness
Just as the Israelites were called to be faithful to their covenant with God, Christians are called to remain faithful to their relationship with God through Christ.

Heart Examination
Regularly examine your heart to identify any "gods" or idols that may be competing for your devotion and allegiance.

Cultural Pressures
Recognize and resist cultural pressures that encourage the worship of other "gods," such as materialism or secularism.
Bible Study Questions
1. What are some modern-day "gods" or idols that can compete for our attention and devotion?

2. How can we ensure that God remains the central focus of our lives amidst daily distractions?

3. In what ways does the commandment in Deuteronomy 5:7 relate to Jesus' teaching on the greatest commandment in Matthew 22:37-38?

4. How can we apply the principle of exclusive worship in our personal and communal worship practices?

5. Reflect on a time when you felt challenged to choose between God and another "god" or priority. How did you respond, and what did you learn from that experience?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Exodus 20:3
This verse is a parallel to Deuteronomy 5:7, as it is part of the original giving of the Ten Commandments.

Matthew 22:37-38
Jesus emphasizes the greatest commandment, which is to love God with all your heart, soul, and mind, reflecting the exclusivity of worship due to God alone.

1 Corinthians 8:4-6
Paul discusses the reality of one God, reinforcing the idea that no other gods exist besides Him.

Isaiah 45:5
God declares that there is no other god besides Him, affirming His unique and singular divinity.

Joshua 24:14-15
Joshua challenges the Israelites to serve the Lord exclusively, rejecting other gods.
Sermons
Duties Required in the First CommandmentThomas Ridglet, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
Having GodJ. H. Vincent, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
Lord, Thou Alone Art GodK. H. Caspari.Deuteronomy 5:7
No Excuse for Idolatry NowG. Campbell Morgan.Deuteronomy 5:7
On the Idolatry of the HebrewsJohn Mackenzie, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
Our Duty Towards GodT. Dwight, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
Possessing GodJ. P. Newman, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
Renouncing IdolatryEgerton Young.Deuteronomy 5:7
Sins Forbidden in the First CommandmentThomas Ridglet, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
The First CommandmentEdwards, JonathanDeuteronomy 5:7
The First CommandmentG. S. Barrett, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
The First CommandmentR. Wardlaw, D. D.Deuteronomy 5:7
The Only True GodJames Owen.Deuteronomy 5:7
The DecalogueR.M. Edgar Deuteronomy 5:1-21
Reminiscences of HorebJ. Orr Deuteronomy 5:1-33
The Divine Plan for the Conduct of Our Life on EarthD. Davies Deuteronomy 5:6-21
People
Moses
Places
Beth-baal-peor, Egypt, Horeb
Topics
Gods, Hast, None, Presence
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Deuteronomy 5:7

     5811   compromise
     7525   exclusiveness
     8623   worship, of God
     8831   syncretism

Deuteronomy 5:6-7

     1165   God, unique
     8402   claims

Deuteronomy 5:6-21

     1443   revelation, OT
     7263   theocracy
     8412   decisions

Deuteronomy 5:7-8

     8315   orthodoxy, in OT
     8771   idolatry, objections

Deuteronomy 5:7-9

     8138   monotheism
     8799   polytheism

Deuteronomy 5:7-10

     5211   art

Library
Prayer and Obedience
"An obedience discovered itself in Fletcher of Madeley, which I wish I could describe or imitate. It produced in him a ready mind to embrace every cross with alacrity and pleasure. He had a singular love for the lambs of the flock, and applied himself with the greatest diligence to their instruction, for which he had a peculiar gift. . . . All his intercourse with me was so mingled with prayer and praise, that every employment, and every meal was, as it were, perfumed therewith." -- JOHN WESLEY. …
Edward M. Bounds—The Necessity of Prayer

The Old Testament Canon from Its Beginning to Its Close.
The first important part of the Old Testament put together as a whole was the Pentateuch, or rather, the five books of Moses and Joshua. This was preceded by smaller documents, which one or more redactors embodied in it. The earliest things committed to writing were probably the ten words proceeding from Moses himself, afterwards enlarged into the ten commandments which exist at present in two recensions (Exod. xx., Deut. v.) It is true that we have the oldest form of the decalogue from the Jehovist …
Samuel Davidson—The Canon of the Bible

Questions About the Nature and Perpetuity of the Seventh-Day Sabbath.
AND PROOF, THAT THE FIRST DAY OF THE WEEK IS THE TRUE CHRISTIAN SABBATH. BY JOHN BUNYAN. 'The Son of man is lord also of the Sabbath day.' London: Printed for Nath, Ponder, at the Peacock in the Poultry, 1685. EDITOR'S ADVERTISEMENT. All our inquiries into divine commands are required to be made personally, solemnly, prayerful. To 'prove all things,' and 'hold fast' and obey 'that which is good,' is a precept, equally binding upon the clown, as it is upon the philosopher. Satisfied from our observations …
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

"They have Corrupted Themselves; their Spot is not the Spot of his Children; they are a Perverse and Crooked Generation. "
Deut. xxxii. 5.--"They have corrupted themselves; their spot is not the spot of his children; they are a perverse and crooked generation." We doubt this people would take well with such a description of themselves as Moses gives. It might seem strange to us, that God should have chosen such a people out of all the nations of the earth, and they to be so rebellious and perverse, if our own experience did not teach us how free his choice is, and how long-suffering he is, and constant in his choice. …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The True Manner of Keeping Holy the Lord's Day.
Now the sanctifying of the Sabbath consists in two things--First, In resting from all servile and common business pertaining to our natural life; Secondly, In consecrating that rest wholly to the service of God, and the use of those holy means which belong to our spiritual life. For the First. 1. The servile and common works from which we are to cease are, generally, all civil works, from the least to the greatest (Exod. xxxi. 12, 13, 15, &c.) More particularly-- First, From all the works of our …
Lewis Bayly—The Practice of Piety

The Everlasting Covenant of the Spirit
"They shall be My people, and l will be their God. And I will make an everlasting covenant with them, that I will not turn away from them, to do them good; but I will put My fear in their hearts, that they shall not depart from Me."--JER. xxxii. 38, 40. "A new heart also will I give you, and a new spirit will I put within you: and I will take the stony heart out of your flesh, and I will give you an heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in My statutes, and ye …
Andrew Murray—The Two Covenants

Jesus Fails to Attend the Third Passover.
Scribes Reproach Him for Disregarding Tradition. (Galilee, Probably Capernaum, Spring a.d. 29.) ^A Matt. XV. 1-20; ^B Mark VII. 1-23; ^D John VII. 1. ^d 1 And after these things Jesus walked in Galilee: for he would not walk in Judæa, because the Jews sought to kill him. [John told us in his last chapter that the passover was near at hand. He here makes a general statement which shows that Jesus did not attend this passover. The reason for his absence is given at John v. 18.] ^a 1 Then there …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Angel of the Lord in the Pentateuch, and the Book of Joshua.
The New Testament distinguishes between the hidden God and the revealed God--the Son or Logos--who is connected with the former by oneness of nature, and who from everlasting, and even at the creation itself, filled up the immeasurable distance between the Creator and the creation;--who has been the Mediator in all God's relations to the world;--who at all times, and even before He became man in Christ, has been the light of [Pg 116] the world,--and to whom, specially, was committed the direction …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

Mount Zion.
"For ye are not come unto a mount that might be touched, and that burned with fire, and unto blackness, and darkness, and tempest, and the sound of a trumpet, and the voice of words; which voice they that heard entreated that no word more should be spoken unto them: for they could not endure that which was enjoined, If even a beast touch the mountain, it shall be stoned; and so fearful was the appearance, that Moses said, I exceedingly fear and quake: but ye are come unto Mount Zion, and unto …
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

The Foundations of Good Citizenship.
THE TEN COMMANDMENTS.--Ex. 20:1-17. Parallel Readings. Hist. Bible I, 194-198. Prin. of Politics, Chap. II. Lowell, Essay on "Democracy." Thou shalt have no other gods before me. Thou shalt not make unto thee a graven image. Thou shalt not take the name of Jehovah thy God in vain. Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy. Honor thy father and thy mother. Thou shalt not kill. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Thou shalt not steal. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. Thou …
Charles Foster Kent—The Making of a Nation

Deuteronomy
Owing to the comparatively loose nature of the connection between consecutive passages in the legislative section, it is difficult to present an adequate summary of the book of Deuteronomy. In the first section, i.-iv. 40, Moses, after reviewing the recent history of the people, and showing how it reveals Jehovah's love for Israel, earnestly urges upon them the duty of keeping His laws, reminding them of His spirituality and absoluteness. Then follows the appointment, iv. 41-43--here irrelevant (cf. …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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