What does Exodus 20:3 mean?

The first commandment (Exodus 19:5–6; 20:1) is the ultimate foundation of all understanding of the Lord. It is the necessary beginning for all Christian belief and practice. So far in the book of Exodus, God has proven His power (Exodus 3:20; 12:29–31; 14:21–28) and love for Israel (Exodus 15:22–25; 16:13–15). These were practical demonstrations of His absolute authority over all creation (Exodus 20:2). The biblical "fear" of God (Proverbs 1:7) is a reverence which acknowledges God for who and what He is.

Both the Egyptian and Canaanite cultures worshipped many false gods. This command uses the generic Hebrew term for a deity: 'elōhim. This functions much as the English word "god," which can also be used as a reference to the one true "God." In the prior verse, God specifically identified Himself using the term Yahweh, or YHWH. There is no question as to who is meant by this commandment (Exodus 34:13; Daniel 3:29; Deuteronomy 5:7). Since the God of Israel is the only God which exists (Isaiah 45:5), any form of worship of any other deity is offensive to Him. The word translated as "before" (Genesis 17:18; 23:12; Joshua 24:1) in many translations can also be rendered as "besides."

The principle established here grounds every other command from God. This is the initial step in understanding His nature and humanity's relationship to Him. All sins, starting from the first, violate this concept (Genesis 3:10–13) by putting human preferences above the Creator's will. Every act of sin begins with and includes a rejection of the Lord's role as the one and only God. Sin also indicates an inappropriate desire (James 1:14), so the Ten Commandments both begin and end (Exodus 20:17) with mankind's need to know our place in Creation.

Catholicism links this statement with the next, later splitting the tenth commandment. This links the carved images which God prohibits (Exodus 20:4–6) to other deities. In this way, it is easier to claim that icons and statues used for veneration are not prohibited. Keeping God's supremacy and banning of idols separate clarifies that the Lord disapproves any use of objects or images for worship.