Misinterpretations often claim this verse permits polytheism by merely requiring God to be 'first' among other deities, whereas it demands total rejection of rivals; others reduce it to banning only physical idols, overlooking the call for exclusive heart allegiance, or misuse it to oppose modern religious freedom, ignoring its context as a covenant law for ancient Israel prohibiting any rival allegiances.
Exodus 20:3
King James Version (1769)
3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
Exodus 20:3, the first of the Ten Commandments, declares God's absolute exclusivity in worship, commanding Israel to recognize Him alone as the one true God after their deliverance from Egypt's polytheistic idolatry, emphasizing undivided loyalty, sovereignty, and covenant relationship that sets the foundation for all moral and spiritual obligations.