New Living Translation
Psalms 81:9
9You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god.
Psalms 81:9 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)There shall no strange god be in thee; neither shalt thou worship any strange god.
- New International Version (NIV)You shall have no foreign god among you; you shall not worship any god other than me.
- English Standard Version (ESV)There shall be no strange god among you; you shall not bow down to a foreign god.
- New King James Version (NKJV)There shall be no foreign god among you; Nor shall you worship any foreign god.
Context of Psalms 81:9
7You cried to me in trouble, and I saved you; I answered out of the thundercloud and tested your faith when there was no water at Meribah. Interlude 8“Listen to me, O my people, while I give you stern warnings. O Israel, if you would only listen to me! You must never have a foreign god; you must not bow down before a false god. 10For it was I, the Lord your God, who rescued you from the land of Egypt. Open your mouth wide, and I will fill it with good things. 11“But no, my people wouldn’t listen. Israel did not want me around.
Read all of Psalms 81Psalms 81:9 word by word
לֹֽא־יִהְיֶ֣ה בְ֭ךָ אֵ֣ל זָ֑ר וְלֹ֥א תִ֝שְׁתַּחֲוֶ֗ה לְאֵ֣ל נֵכָֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Psalms 81:9
- Exodus 20:3“You must not have any other god but me.
- 1 Corinthians 8:5There may be so-called gods both in heaven and on earth, and some people actually worship many gods and many lords.
- Deuteronomy 6:14“You must not worship any of the gods of neighboring nations,
- Deuteronomy 32:12The Lord alone guided them; they followed no foreign gods.
- Isaiah 43:12First I predicted your rescue, then I saved you and proclaimed it to the world. No foreign god has ever done this. You are witnesses that I am the only God,” says the Lord.
- Malachi 2:11Judah has been unfaithful, and a detestable thing has been done in Israel and in Jerusalem. The men of Judah have defiled the Lord’s beloved sanctuary by marrying women who worship idols.
Commentaries on Psalms 81:9
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 9There shall no strange god be in thee - Worshipped by thee; or recognized and regarded as a god. This was a condition of his favor and friendship. Compare Deuteronomy 32:12; Isaiah 43:12. The word here rendered “strange” - זר zār - has reference to one of a foreign nation; and the meaning is, that they were not to worship or adore the gods that were worshipped by foreigners. This was a fundamental law of the Hebrew commonwealth. Neither shalt thou…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-16Verses 8-16 We cannot look for too little from the creature, nor too much from the Creator. We may have enough from God, if we pray for it in faith. All the wickedness of the world is owing to man's wilfulness. People are not religious, because they will not be so. God is not the Author of their sin, he leaves them to the lusts of their own hearts, and the counsels of their own heads; if they do not well, the blame must be upon themselves. The Lord is…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 8-10God pleads with his people to remember the covenant and the Ten Commandments.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-161. our strength--(Psa 38:7).Read the comment
Topics related to Psalms 81:9
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Psalms 81
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- The Treasury of David
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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