Exodus 22:20

20 "Anyone who sacrifices to a god other than God alone must be put to death.

Exodus 22:20 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 22:20

He that sacrificeth unto [any] god
To Elohim, to strange gods, to the idols of the people, as the Targum of Jonathan; to the Egyptian deities, to the gods of the Moabites, Amorites, Edomites, Canaanites, Philistines, or any other: Aben Ezra says the word Elohim comprehends angels; and by the exceptive clause it is plain it takes in all that had been, were, or ever would be the objects of idolatrous worship, especially the sun, moon, and stars, the principal objects of worship in those days:

save unto the Lord only;
the true and living God; Jehovah, the self-existent, immutable, and eternal Being; the Creator of all things, the possessor of heaven and earth, the most high God, and the only one: sacrificing takes in all the acts of service performed to an idol as to the true God, as offering incense, pouring out a libation, as well as slaying and burning an animal as Jarchi observes: he shall be utterly destroyed; be accursed, anathematized, devoted to destruction, as the word used signifies: the Targum of Jonathan is,

``he shall be killed with the sword, and his goods consumed,''

not only lose his life but his substance, and so be destroyed in body and estate.

Exodus 22:20 In-Context

18 "Don't let a sorceress live.
19 "Anyone who has sex with an animal gets the death penalty.
20 "Anyone who sacrifices to a god other than God alone must be put to death.
21 "Don't abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.
22 "Don't mistreat widows or orphans.
Published by permission. Originally published by NavPress in English as THE MESSAGE: The Bible in Contemporary Language copyright 2002 by Eugene Peterson. All rights reserved.