Other Lords besides God? Does this contradict the first commandment?

Question

Isa 26:13 O LORD our God, other lords beside thee have had dominion over us: but by thee only will we make mention of thy name. (H i s b) isa 26:13 אֱלֹהֵ֔ינוּ H430 'e·lo·Hei·nu, our God בְּעָל֥וּנוּ H1166 be·'a·Lu·nu thee have had dominion אֲדֹנִ֖ים H113 'a·do·Nim [other] lords זֽוּלָתֶ֑ךָ H2108 zu·la·Te·cha; beside לְבַד־ H905 le·vad- alone בְּךָ֖ H0 be·Cha נַזְכִּ֥יר H2142 naz·Kir over us [but] by thee only will we make mention שְׁמֶֽךָ׃ H8034 she·Me·cha. of thy name

Against

Isa 43:11 I, even I, am the LORD; and beside me there is no saviour. View more

Isa 44:6 Thus saith the LORD the King of Israel, and his redeemer the LORD of hosts; I am the first, and I am the last; and beside me there is no God. View more

Isa 44:8 Fear ye not, neither be afraid: have not I told thee from that time, and have declared it? ye are even my witnesses. Is there a God beside me? yea, there is no God; I know not any. note View more

Isa 45:5 I am the LORD, and there is none else, there is no God beside me: I girded thee, though thou hast not known me: View more

Isa 45:6 That they may know from the rising of the sun, and from the west, that there is none beside me. I am the LORD, and there is none else.

Any contradiction? Are the lords in Isa 26 human lords?

Answer 1

The words in the Hebrew are quite different words:

• "LORD" is invariable the translation of יְהוָ֣ה or "Jehovah/YHWH/Yahweh"
• "Lord" can translate a number of words but here is translates אֲדֹנִ֖ים (adonim) = lords or masters.

The exclusive statements in the OT about the LORD (ie, Jehovah) being the only one fall into several categories:

• Deut 4:35, 6:4, 32:39, Isa 44:6, 45:5, 6 where YHWH is declared the only God
• Isa 44:24, 45:18 where YHWH is declared the only creator
• Isa 43:3, 11, 45:17, 21 where YHWH is declared the only Savior
• Isa 41:4, 44:6, 48:12 where YHWH is declared the only "First and Last"
• Deut 10:17, Ps 136:3, 26 where YHWH is declared the only "Lord of Lords"
• Deut 10:17, Josh 3:11, 13, Ps 97:5, Zech 4:14, 6:5, Mic 4:13 where YHWH is declared "Lord of All"

... and so forth. Now Isa 26:13 is not suggesting that Jehovah is the only lord or master - we have earthly lords and masters; BUT Jehovah is "Lord of Lords" and ultimate master of everything.

Answer 2

https://biblehub.com/isaiah/26-13.htm

Isaiah 26:13

O LORD [G3068] our God, other lords [G113] besides you have ruled over us, but your name alone do we honor.

Strong's 3068: LORD, Yah·weh, the proper name of the God of Israel

On the other hand, G113 has a wide range of meanings.

https://biblehub.com/hebrew/113.htm

Brown-Driver-Briggs

1 singular lord, master (1) reference to men ...

2 plural lords, kings ...

3 suffix 1 singular (אֲדֹנַי) אֲדֹנִי (1) reference to men: my lord, my master, ...

Are the lords in Isa 26 human lords?

The dictionary meaning suggests that they are. Let's see the context:

13 Lord our God, other lords besides you have ruled over us,
but your name alone do we honor.
14 They are now dead, they live no more;
their spirits do not rise.
You punished them and brought them to ruin;
you wiped out all memory of them.

The context also suggests that they are.

Answer 3

The first commandment:

Thou shalt have no other gods before me. — Exodus 20:3

hardly states that there are no other gods, only that the Israelites must ignore any gods other than their own one true God.

But "other gods" need not be literal spiritual beings. Anything that people give their loyalty to, ahead of God, would be considered another "lord" or "master".

One obvious example of a real "other" god is Satan.

If you accept answers based on the New Testament, it quite explicitly names Satan as the god of this world:

But if our gospel be hid, it is hid to them that are lost: In whom the god of this world hath blinded the minds of them which believe not,… — 2 Corinthians 4:3,4

Similarly, it gives examples of how one can serve only one master:

No servant can serve two masters: for either he will hate the one, and love the other; or else he will hold to the one, and despise the other. Ye cannot serve God and mammon. — Luke 16:13

and in this case "mammon" is simply wealth or money, not a literal god, but a master or lord nevertheless.