In the 10 commandments, did God say to worship him, or simly to stop worshipping other so-called Gods?

Answer 1

Was there something said about not to worship false idols? People had begun to worship monuments or statues they had created of other gods and God was telling them not to do that.

I haven't looked at the ten commandments since I was in grade school - but that's what comes to mind.

Answer 2

The 10 commandments are a summary of all the commandments of the Bible. Thus when we examine each one we need to compare scripture with like commandments found throughout the Bible. In summary the first commandment requires that we know and acknowledge God to be the only true God, and our God and to give worship and glory to Him alone.

Deuteronomy 26:17. Thou hast avouched the LORD this day to be thy God, and to walk in his ways, and to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his judgments, and to hearken unto his voice.

Matthew 4:10. Then saith Jesus unto him, Get thee hence, Satan: for it is written, Thou shalt worship the Lord thy God, and him only shalt thou serve.

Answer 3

The first four commandments are about our relationship with God. Yes, I would say He wants our worship


(1) “You shall have no other gods before me.” This command is against worshipping any god other than the one true God. All other gods are false gods.

(2) “You shall not make for yourself an idol in the form of anything in heaven above or on the earth beneath or in the waters below. You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, punishing the children for the sin of the fathers to the third and fourth generation of those who hate me, but showing love to a thousand generations of those who love me and keep my commandments.” This command is against making a idol, a visible representation of God. There is no image we can create that can accurately portray God. To make an idol represent God is to worship a false god.

(3) “You shall not misuse the name of the LORD your God, for the LORD will not hold anyone guiltless who misuses His name.” This is a command against taking the name of the Lord in vain. We are not to treat God’s name lightly. We are to show reverence to God by only mentioning Him in respectful and honoring ways.

(4) “Remember the Sabbath day by keeping it holy. Six days you shall labor and do all your work, but the seventh day is a Sabbath to the LORD your God. On it you shall not do any work, neither you, nor your son or daughter, nor your manservant or maidservant, nor your animals, nor the alien within your gates. For in six days the LORD made the heavens and the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on the seventh day. Therefore the LORD blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy.” This is a command to set aside the Sabbath (Saturday, the last day of the week) as a day of rest dedicated to the Lord.

Answer 4

The fine print...

"...you shall not bow down to them nor serve them. For I, YHWH your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children to the third and fourth generations of those who hate Me, but showing mercy to thousands, to those who love Me and keep My commandments."

Brian - Very good answer. Confirmation can be found in Luke 4:8
"And Jesus answered and said... ‘You shall worship the LORD your God, and Him only you shall serve.’”

Answer 5

"I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. I am the Lord thy God, thou shalt have no other gods before. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image..."

God alone. No others.

Answer 6

Actually it is written "You shall have no gods before me".
Does that mean the biblical god believes in other gods?
It would seem so.

Answer 7

I am the LORD thy God, which brought thee out of the land of Egypt, from the house of bondage.

7 Thou shalt have none other gods before me.

8 Thou shalt not make thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the waters beneath the earth:

9 Thou shalt not bow down thyself unto them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me,

10 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me and keep my commandments.

11 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain: for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.

12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

14 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, nor thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thine ox, nor thine ***, nor any of thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates; that thy manservant and thy maidservant may rest as well as thou.

15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and that the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

16 Honour thy father and thy mother, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee; that thy days may be prolonged, and that it may go well with thee, in the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.

17 Thou shalt not kill.

18Neither shalt thou commit adultery.

19Neither shalt thou steal.

20Neither shalt thou bear false witness against thy neighbour.

21Neither shalt thou desire thy neighbour's wife, neither shalt thou covet thy neighbour's house, his field, or his manservant, or his maidservant, his ox, or his ***, or any thing that is thy neighbour's.

The above is from the KJV version of the Bible. The King James Version of the Ten Commandments is on of the better known versions.

Answer 8

don't need the old testermant to answer this, the new testament reveals the true answers.