Exodus 20:23 (YLT)

Passage

ye do not make with Me gods of silver, even gods of gold ye do not make to yourselves.

Nearby Context

Exodus 20:21 And the people stand afar off, and Moses hath drawn nigh unto the thick darkness where God <FI>is<Fi> .

Exodus 20:22 And Jehovah saith unto Moses, `Thus dost thou say unto the sons of Israel: Ye--ye have seen that from the heavens I have spoken with you;

Exodus 20:23 ye do not make with Me gods of silver, even gods of gold ye do not make to yourselves.

Exodus 20:24 `An altar of earth thou dost make for Me, and thou hast sacrificed on it thy burnt-offerings and thy peace-offerings, thy flock and thy herd; in every place where I cause My name to be remembered I come in unto thee, and have blessed thee.

Exodus 20:25 `And if an altar of stones thou dost make to Me, thou dost not build them of hewn work; when thy tool thou hast waved over it, then thou dost pollute it;

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "make", "gods", "silver", "even", "gold", and "yourselves". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "make" and "gods", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 22's "And Jehovah saith unto Moses Thus dost..." into verse 24's "An altar of earth thou dost make...", so "make" and "gods" belong inside that flow. In Exodus context, the local focus is covenant, worship, and faithfulness.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "make" and "gods" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.