# 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](../kt/god.md), [asherim](../other/asherim.md), [baal](../other/baal.md), [molech](../other/molech.md), [idol](../other/idol.md), [demon](../kt/demon.md), [image](../other/image.md))

## Bible References: ##

* [Acts 07:43](https://door43.org/en/bible/notes/act/07/43)
* [Acts 19:26-27](https://door43.org/en/bible/notes/act/19/26)
* [Galatians 04:8-9](https://door43.org/en/bible/notes/gal/04/08)
* [Genesis 35:1-3](https://door43.org/en/bible/notes/gen/35/01)
* [Isaiah 44:20](https://door43.org/en/bible/notes/isa/44/20)
* [Psalms 081:8-10](https://door43.org/en/bible/notes/psa/081/008)

## Examples from the Bible stories: ##

* __[10-02](https://door43.org/en/obs/notes/frames/10-02)__ Through these plagues, God showed Pharaoh that he is more powerful than Pharaoh and all of Egypt's __gods__.
* __[13-04](https://door43.org/en/obs/notes/frames/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](https://door43.org/en/obs/notes/frames/14-02)__ They (Canaanites) worshiped false __gods__  and did many evil things.
* __[16-01](https://door43.org/en/obs/notes/frames/16-01)__ The Israelites began to worship the Canaanite __gods__  instead of Yahweh, the true God.
* __[18-13](https://door43.org/en/obs/notes/frames/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__.