DMS_GL_my_tw/bible/kt/falsegod.md

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false god, foreign god, god, goddess

Definition:

A false god is something that people worship instead of the one true God. The term "goddess" refers specifically to a female false god.

  • These false gods or goddesses do not exist. Yahweh is the only God.
  • People sometimes make objects into idols to worship as symbols of their false gods.
  • In the Bible, God's people frequently turned away from obeying him in order to worship false gods.
  • Demons often deceive people into believing that the false gods and idols they worship have power.
  • Baal, Dagon, and Molech were three of the many false gods that were worshiped by people in Bible times.
  • Asherah and Artemis (Diana) were two of the goddesses that ancient peoples worshiped.

Translation Suggestions:

  • There may already be a word for "god" or "false god" in the language or in a nearby language.
  • The term "idol" could be used to refer to false gods.
  • In English, a lower case "g" is used to refer to false gods, and upper case "G" is used to refer to the one true God. Other languages also do that.
  • Another option would be to use a completely different word to refer to the false gods.
  • Some languages may add a word to specify whether the false god is described as male or female.

(See also: God, Asherah, Baal, Molech, idol, demon, image)

Bible References:

Examples from the Bible stories:

  • 10:02 Through these plagues, God showed Pharaoh that he is more powerful than Pharaoh and all of Egypt's gods.
  • 13:04 Then God gave them the covenant and said, "I am Yahweh, your God, who saved you from slavery in Egypt. Do not worship other gods."
  • 14:02 They (Canaanites) worshiped false gods and did many evil things.
  • 16:01 The Israelites began to worship the Canaanite gods instead of Yahweh, the true God.
  • 18:13 But most of Judah's kings were evil, corrupt, and they worshiped idols. Some of the kings even sacrificed their children to false gods.