How should the word, before, in Exodus 20:3 be interpreted?

Question

Exodus 20:3 states: "You shall have no other gods before me."

How should one interpret the word "before" here? Would it be possible to have other gods behind Israel's God, for instance?

Answer 1

Here's an answer from an expert in Exodus and Hebrew:

You shall have no Hebrew does not feature a verb “to have” but expresses possession by h-y-h le-, literally “to be to.” Since the idea of possession necessarily involves relationship, the same term is used for entering into the marriage bond and for establishing the covenant between God and Israel.15 This command, therefore, warns against violating the covenant by recognizing in any manner or form what other peoples accept as deities. Israel’s God demands uncompromising and exclusive loyalty. -- Sarna, N. M. (1991). Exodus (p. 109). Jewish Publication Society.

Added Details

"Before me" עַל־פָּנַי meaning is built off the noun פָּנֶה, which means face. Thus, it tends to have the meaning "in my presence" but can have the other meanings of before.

If it meant one could have gods leaser than YHWH, one might expect אֵין־לְךָ֖ as in Proverbs 22:27 "you have nothing[/not/no]"

in spite of Ezr 10:2; עַל־פָּנַי -- Koehler, L., Baumgartner, W., Richardson, M. E. J., & Stamm, J. J. (1994–2000). In The Hebrew and Aramaic lexicon of the Old Testament (electronic ed., p. 826). E.J. Brill.

Reference showing the debate

פָּנֶה ...

—8. עַל־פְּנֵי ... —d. in connection with God: עַל־פָּנָֽי Ex 20:3 Dt 5:7; the exact sense is disputed, see further Stamm ThR 27 (1961) 237f; Childs Exodus 402f; THAT 2:459; the problem is already evident in Sept. and Vulg.: Sept. Ex 20:3 πλὴν ἐμοῦ, Dt 5:7 πρὸ προσώπου μου; Vulg. Ex 20:3 coram me, Dt 5:7 in conspectu meo; Pesh. and Tg. treat the phrase differently: Ex 20:3 Dt 5:7 ləbar men(i) corresponding to bār minni; possible solutions are: 1. next to me (ZürBib.; Zorell Lex. 658a; Beer HAT 3 (1939) 98); 2. except me (Gesenius-B.; cf. Pesh., Tg. and Sept. on Ex 20:3); 3. over me, to my disadvantage (von Rad ATD 8:39; cf. Stamm ThR 27 (1961) 237f); 4. in front of me (Nielsen Die zehn Gebote 78, and Childs Exodus 386); 5. opposite me, before my face (Noth ATD 5:122; Knierim ZAW 77 (1965) 23-27; TOB; cf. Sept. and Vulg. on Dt 5:7); 6. in defiance of me (KBL; Preuss BWANT 92 (1971) 18; similarly Driver in Fschr. Albright (1971) 89); NRSV: no other gods before me, margin: besides me; REB: besides me (see above 2). __ Ibid., pp. 938–944.

However, BDB:

פָּנֶה ...

7. עַל־פְּנֵי ... Gn 11:28; Nu 3:4. (b) before, to the exclusion of another, i.e. in preference to, Dt 21:16, and perhaps (Ew 217 l) Ex 20:3 (Dt 5:7) -- Brown, F., Driver, S. R., & Briggs, C. A. (1977). In Enhanced Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon (p. 818). Clarendon Press.

then on the day when he assigns his possessions as an inheritance to his sons, he may not [לֹ֣א] treat the son of the loved as the firstborn in preference to [עַל־פְּנֵ֥י] the son of the unloved, who is the firstborn, (Deut. 21:16, ESV2016)

If you can read Hebrew, note the similar grammatic structures between Exodus 20:3 and Deut. 21:16 including יִהְיֶ֖ה לֹ֑ו.

וְהָיָ֗ה בְּיֹום֙ הַנְחִילֹ֣ו אֶת־בָּנָ֔יו אֵ֥ת אֲשֶׁר־יִהְיֶ֖ה לֹ֑ו לֹ֣א יוּכַ֗ל לְבַכֵּר֙ אֶת־בֶּן־הָ֣אֲהוּבָ֔ה עַל־פְּנֵ֥י בֶן־הַשְּׂנוּאָ֖ה הַבְּכֹֽר׃ (Deut. 21:16, BHS2003)

לֹֽ֣א יִהְיֶֽה־לְךָ֛֩ אֱלֹהִ֥֨ים אֲחֵרִ֖֜ים ‬עַל־פָּנָֽ֗יַ‬׃ (Exodus 20:3, BHS2003)

The Context makes it very clear:

“You shall not make for yourself a carved image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth. 5 You shall not bow down to them or serve them, for I the LORD your God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and the fourth generation of those who hate me, 6 but showing steadfast love to thousands of those who love me and keep my commandments. (Ex 20:4–6, ESV2016)

Answer 2

The Hebrew word עַל (al) can have many meanings. According to Strong, these include: on, upon, over, against, concerning, because of, by, beside. While the text is normally understood to refer to God's absolute priority (He alone is God) I will suggest another possible meaning, prohibiting the icon of any companion deity or consort to be placed alongside of or in front of God's presence in a temple, shrine or other place of worship, such as a local hilltop altar.

Several biblical texts refer to this custom.

Deut. 16

21 You shall not plant an asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar of the Lord, your God, which you will build; 22 nor shall you erect a sacred pillar, such as the Lord, your God, hates.

Judges 6:25

That same night the Lord said to him (Gideon): Take your father’s bull, the bull fattened for seven years, and pull down your father’s altar to Baal. As for the asherah beside it, cut it down.

2 Kings 17:10

They set up pillars and asherahs for themselves on every high hill and under every green tree.

2 Kings 23:6

From the house of the Lord he (King Josiah) also removed the asherah to the Wadi Kidron, outside Jerusalem; he burned it and beat it to dust..

Conclusion: From the above we can discern that pillars and asherim (meaning either a sacred tree or wooden pillar/statue of a goddess) were sometimes placed beside God's altar, and were even found in the Temple of Jerusalem. That being the case, the command may be understood - in addition to the tradition affirmation of absolute monotheism - to mean that no pillars or statues should be placed "before, in front of" or "next to" God's sacred presence, either in the temple or local places of sacrifice and worship. Any suggestion of God having a wife or companion/guardian deity was forbidden.

Answer 3

Yes, comparing the usage of these two words in Scripture, the way ‘before’ is used in Ex. 20:3, it means 'ahead of' or 'in front of.' He goes on to explain why in verse 2, that He was the one who brought them out of the house of bondage, and, verse 5, He is a jealous God.

For an example of a god or someone possibly being 'behind' Israel's God, would be found in Jesus' words to Satan's offer if Jesus would worship him: "Get thee 'behind' me Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve." (My emphasis.) (Luke 4:7,8)