◄ Exodus 22:20 ►
If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction.
Study Bible
Whoever sacrifices
The Hebrew word for "sacrifices" is "זֹבֵחַ" (zoveach), which refers to the act of offering something valuable to a deity. In ancient Israel, sacrifices were central to worship and covenantal relationship with God. This phrase underscores the seriousness of worship practices and the exclusive devotion required by the Israelites. Sacrifices were not merely ritualistic but were expressions of allegiance and faith. The act of sacrificing to any other god was seen as a direct violation of the covenant with Yahweh, the one true God.

to any god
The term "god" here is "אֱלֹהִים" (elohim), which can refer to any deity or divine being. In the context of ancient Near Eastern cultures, there were numerous gods worshiped by surrounding nations, each associated with different aspects of life and nature. The Israelites were called to distinguish themselves by worshiping Yahweh alone, rejecting the polytheistic practices of their neighbors. This phrase highlights the temptation and pressure to conform to the religious practices of other cultures, which the Israelites were to resist.

except the LORD alone
The Hebrew name for "the LORD" is "יְהוָה" (Yahweh), the personal and covenantal name of God revealed to Moses. This phrase emphasizes the exclusivity of worship that Yahweh demands. The use of "alone" underscores the monotheistic foundation of Israelite religion, setting it apart from the polytheistic beliefs of surrounding nations. Yahweh's uniqueness and sovereignty are central themes throughout the Bible, and this command reinforces the first of the Ten Commandments, which calls for exclusive worship of Yahweh.

must be utterly destroyed
The phrase "utterly destroyed" translates the Hebrew "חָרַם" (charam), which means to devote to destruction or to ban. This severe consequence reflects the gravity of idolatry and the threat it posed to the covenant community. In the historical context, idolatry was not just a personal sin but a communal threat that could lead the entire nation away from God. The command for destruction serves as a deterrent and a means of preserving the purity and faithfulness of the Israelite community. It underscores the seriousness with which God views idolatry and the lengths to which He will go to protect His people from spiritual corruption.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Israelites
The primary audience of the laws given in Exodus, including this commandment, were the Israelites, God's chosen people, who were being formed into a nation under God's covenant.

2. Moses
The leader of the Israelites who received the laws from God on Mount Sinai and communicated them to the people.

3. Mount Sinai
The place where God delivered the Ten Commandments and other laws to Moses, including the commandment in Exodus 22:20.

4. Pagan Nations
The surrounding nations that worshiped multiple gods, whose practices were forbidden to the Israelites.

5. The LORD (Yahweh)
The one true God who delivered the Israelites from Egypt and established a covenant with them, demanding exclusive worship.
Teaching Points
Exclusive Worship
God demands exclusive worship. This commandment underscores the importance of loyalty and devotion to God alone, rejecting all forms of idolatry.

Holiness and Separation
The Israelites were called to be a holy nation, distinct from the surrounding pagan cultures. This principle applies to Christians today, who are called to live set apart for God.

Consequences of Idolatry
The severe consequence of idolatry in this verse serves as a warning about the spiritual dangers of turning away from God.

Faithfulness in a Pluralistic Society
Just as the Israelites were surrounded by pagan nations, Christians today live in a pluralistic society. This verse challenges believers to remain faithful to God amidst diverse beliefs.

Understanding God's Justice
The command to destroy those who sacrifice to other gods reflects God's justice and the seriousness of sin. It invites believers to reflect on God's holiness and righteousness.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the command in Exodus 22:20 reflect the nature of God's covenant with Israel?

2. In what ways can Christians today guard against modern forms of idolatry?

3. How does the principle of exclusive worship in Exodus 22:20 relate to Jesus' teachings in the New Testament?

4. What are some practical steps believers can take to remain faithful to God in a society with diverse religious beliefs?

5. How does understanding the historical and cultural context of Exodus 22:20 enhance our interpretation and application of this verse today?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 6:13-15
This passage emphasizes the importance of fearing the LORD and serving Him only, warning against following other gods.

1 Kings 18:21
Elijah challenges the Israelites to choose between the LORD and Baal, highlighting the necessity of exclusive worship.

Matthew 4:10
Jesus quotes Deuteronomy, affirming the command to worship the Lord your God and serve Him only, reinforcing the principle from Exodus 22:20.

1 Corinthians 10:20-21
Paul warns against participating in pagan sacrifices, drawing a parallel to the exclusivity of worship commanded in Exodus.
Sermons
AbominationsJ. Orr Exodus 22:16-21
People
Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Alone, Complete, Destroyed, Destruction, Devoted, Except, Gods, Makes, Offerings, Sacrifices, Sacrificeth, Sacrificing, Save, Utterly
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 22:20

     6231   rejection of God
     8799   polytheism

Exodus 22:18-20

     5025   killing

Library
Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Parable of the Importunate Widow.
^C Luke XVIII. 1-8. ^c 1 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man [an utterly abandoned character]: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of [rather, Do justice to me as to] mine adversary. [In Scripture language widowhood is symbolic of defenselessness (Ex. xxii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxvii. 19; Mal. iii. 5; Mark xii. 40), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ciii. Zacchæus. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem.
(Jericho.) ^C Luke XIX. 1-28. ^c 1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. [This was about one week before the crucifixion. Jericho is about seven miles from the Jordan and about seventeen and a half from Jerusalem.] 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. [See p. 76. It is probable that Zacchæus was a sub-contractor under some Roman knight who had bought the privilege of collecting taxes at Jericho, or perhaps the privilege of all …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle Xl. To Mauricius Augustus.
To Mauricius Augustus. Gregory to Mauricius, &c. The Piety of my Lords in their most serene commands, while set on refuting me on certain matters, in sparing me has by no means spared me. For by the use therein of the term simplicity they politely call me silly. It is true indeed that in Holy Scripture, when simplicity is spoken of in a good sense, it is often carefully associated with prudence and uprightness. Hence it is written of the blessed Job, The man was simple and upright (Job i. 1). …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

Epistle xvii. To Felix, Bishop of Messana.
To Felix, Bishop of Messana. To our most reverend brother, the Bishop Felix, Gregory, servant of the servants of God [246] . Our Head, which is Christ, to this end has willed us to be His members, that through His large charity and faithfulness He might make us one body in Himself, to whom it befits us so to cling that, since without Him we can do nothing, through Him we may be enabled to be what we are called. From the citadel of the Head let nothing divide us, lest, if we refuse to be His members, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He Retires to Peræa.
(Jerusalem and Beyond Jordan.) ^D John X. 22-42. ^d 22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: 23; it was winter; and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. [The feast of dedication was one of eight days' duration and began upon the 25th Chisleu, which, according to the calculation of M. Chevannes, fell upon the nineteenth or twentieth of December, a.d. 29. The feast was kept in honor of the renovation and purification of the temple in the year b.c. 164, after it had been desecrated …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A Summary of the Christian Life. Of Self-Denial.
The divisions of the chapter are,--I. The rule which permits us not to go astray in the study of righteousness, requires two things, viz., that man, abandoning his own will, devote himself entirely to the service of God; whence it follows, that we must seek not our own things, but the things of God, sec. 1, 2. II. A description of this renovation or Christian life taken from the Epistle to Titus, and accurately explained under certain special heads, sec. 3 to end. 1. ALTHOUGH the Law of God contains …
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

Links
Exodus 22:20 NIV
Exodus 22:20 NLT
Exodus 22:20 ESV
Exodus 22:20 NASB
Exodus 22:20 KJV

Exodus 22:20 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Exodus 22:19
Top of Page
Top of Page