What is the meaning of Exodus 22:20?

If anyone sacrifices

• God’s law addresses choices of worship, recognizing that people do act on spiritual impulses (Joshua 24:15; Romans 1:25).

• Sacrifice is not merely ritual; it signals allegiance, love, and dependence (Psalm 50:14; Hebrews 13:15).

• The opening “If” stresses personal responsibility—each person is accountable for whom he worships (Galatians 6:7).

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to any god

• Scripture consistently affirms that false gods are not true beings but deceptive constructs (Isaiah 44:9-20; 1 Corinthians 8:4-6).

• Behind idolatry lurks demonic influence seeking to draw hearts away from the Creator (Deuteronomy 32:16-17; 1 Corinthians 10:20).

• God’s people were surrounded by cultures offering sacrifices to fertility, war, and storm deities—temptations that still echo in modern idolatries of wealth, pleasure, and power (Colossians 3:5).

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other than the LORD alone

• The command highlights God’s exclusivity and covenant loyalty (Exodus 20:3-5; Deuteronomy 6:4-5).

• “The LORD” (YHWH) is the personal, covenant name revealed to Moses, underscoring a relational bond rather than mere legal duty (Exodus 3:14-15; Jeremiah 31:33).

• Worship of the LORD “alone” means undivided devotion—He tolerates no rivals because He alone is worthy (Isaiah 42:8; Matthew 4:10).

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he must be set apart for destruction

• The phrase indicates capital punishment, reflecting the seriousness of spiritual treason in Israel’s theocracy (Deuteronomy 13:6-11; Leviticus 24:16).

• Such severity protected the community from contagious idolatry (Deuteronomy 17:2-7).

• While civil penalties differ under New-Covenant conditions (John 18:36; Romans 13:3-4), the spiritual principle endures: unchecked idolatry leads to eternal separation from God (1 Corinthians 6:9-10; Revelation 21:8).

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summary

Exodus 22:20 confronts us with God’s demand for exclusive worship. Sacrificing to any deity besides the LORD is not a harmless alternative but outright rebellion carrying grave consequences. The verse calls believers to wholehearted devotion, recognizing that only the LORD deserves our sacrifices, trust, and love, and warning that idolatry ultimately destroys those who embrace it.