Another interpretation: they are called "others" because they are strangers to their own worshippers. And so it says: "yet one cries to it and it does not answer, nor save him from his distress" (Isaiah 46:7). Rabbi Yose says: why is it said "other gods"? So as not to give the nations of the world an opening to claim, "Had they been called by His name, they would have served a purpose." Behold, they were called by His name and still served no purpose. When were they called by His name? In the days of Enosh son of Seth, as it says, "then men began to call by the name of the LORD" (Genesis 4:26). In that hour the Ocean rose and flooded a third of the world. The Holy One, blessed be He, said: you have done a new thing and called yourselves a divinity, so I too will do a new thing and call Myself the LORD. And so it says, "He who calls to the waters of the sea and pours them upon the face of the earth, the LORD is His name" (Amos 9:6). Rabbi Elazar of Modi'in says: "other gods" means that they keep inventing for themselves a new divinity every day. How so? If a man had one of gold and needed the gold, he makes it of silver. If he needs that, he makes it of copper, and so iron, and tin, and lead, as it says, "new ones lately come" (Deuteronomy 32:17). Rabbi Yitzhak said: if we came to expound every name of idols, all the hides in the world would not suffice for them. Rabbi Hanina ben Antigonus says: come and see the language the Torah seized regarding the Molech: anything you make king over yourself, even a single splinter. Rabbi [Yehudah HaNasi] says: "other gods" means they are last [acharonim] to whoever is last in deeds; and who is last in deeds? This is the one who calls them a divinity. Why is "before Me" (Exodus 20:3) said? So as not to give Israel an opening to claim, "Only the one who went out from Egypt was commanded about idolatry." Therefore it says "before Me," to tell you: just as I am living and enduring forever and to all eternity, so you, neither your child nor your child's child, shall not serve idols until the end of all the generations.
Why Idols Are Called Others and the Flood in the Days of Enosh
Yalkut Shimoni on Torah 286:15
דָּבָר אַחֵר שֶׁהֵן אֲחֵרִים לְעוֹבְדֵיהֶם, וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר ("הֵן) [אַף] יִצְעַק אֵלָיו וְלֹא יַעֲנֵה(וּ) (וּ)מִצָּרָתוֹ לֹא (יוֹשִׁיעוֹ) [יוֹשִׁיעֶנּוּ"]. רַבִּי יוֹסֵי אוֹמֵר, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר, שֶׁלֹּא לִיתֵּן פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְאֻמּוֹת הָעוֹלָם לוֹמַר אִלּוּ נִקְרְאוּ בִּשְׁמוֹ כְּבָר הָיָה בָּהֵן צֹרֶךְ, הֲרֵי נִקְרְאוּ בִּשְׁמוֹ וְאֵין בָּהֵן צֹרֶךְ. אֵימָתַי נִקְרְאוּ בִּשְׁמוֹ, בִּימֵי אֱנוֹשׁ בֶּן שֵׁת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר "אָז הוּחַל לִקְרֹא בְשֵׁם ה'", בְּאוֹתָהּ שָׁעָה עָלָה אוֹקְיָנוֹס וְהֵצִיף שְׁלִישׁוֹ שֶׁל עוֹלָם, אָמַר הַקָּדוֹשׁ בָּרוּךְ הוּא, אַתֶּם עֲשִׂיתֶם מַעֲשֶׂה חָדָשׁ וּקְרָאתֶם עַצְמְכֶם אֱלָהוּת, אַף אֲנִי אֶעֱשֶׂה מַעֲשֶׂה חָדָשׁ וְאֶקְרָא עַצְמִי ה', וְכֵן הוּא אוֹמֵר (עמוס ט, ו) "הַקֹּרֵא לְמֵי הַיָּם וַיִּשְׁפְּכֵם עַל פְּנֵי הָאָרֶץ ה' שְׁמוֹ". רַבִּי אֶלְעָזָר הַמּוֹדָעִי אוֹמֵר, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁהֵם מְחַדְּשִׁים לָהֶם אֱלוֹהוּת בְּכָל יוֹם. הָא כֵּיצַד הָיָה לוֹ שֶׁל זָהָב וְנִצְרָךְ לוֹ, עוֹשֵׂהוּ שֶׁל כֶּסֶף. נִצְרָךְ לוֹ עוֹשֵׂהוּ שֶׁל נְחֹשֶׁת. וְכֵן בַּרְזֶל, וְשֶׁל בְּדִיל, וְשֶׁל עֹפֶרֶת, שֶׁנֶּאֱמַר (דברים לב, יז) "חֲדָשִׁים מִקָּרֹב בָּאוּ". רַבִּי יִצְחָק אָמַר, אִלּוּ בָּאנוּ לְפָרֵשׁ כָּל שֵׁם אֱלִילִים לֹא הָיָה מַסְפִּיק לָהֶן כָּל עוֹרוֹת שֶׁבָּעוֹלָם. רַבִּי חֲנִינָא בֶּן אַנְטִיגְנוֹס אוֹמֵר, בֹּא וּרְאֵה לָשׁוֹן שֶׁתָּפְסָה תּוֹרָה לַמֹּלֶךְ, כָּל שֶׁתַּמְלִיכֶנּוּ עָלֶיךָ אֲפִילוּ קֵיסָם אֶחָד. רַבִּי אוֹמֵר, אֱלֹהִים אֲחֵרִים, שֶׁהֵן אַחֲרוֹנִים לְמִי שֶׁהוּא אַחֲרוֹן בְּמַעֲשִׂים, וּמִי אַחֲרוֹן שֶׁבְּמַעֲשִׂים, זֶה הַקּוֹרֵא אוֹתָן אֱלוֹהוּת. עַל פָּנַי לָמָּה נֶאֱמַר, שֶׁלֹּא לִיתֵּן פִּתְחוֹן פֶּה לְיִשְׂרָאֵל לוֹמַר לֹא נִצְטַוָּה עַל עֲבוֹדַת אֱלִילִים אֶלָּא מִי שֶׁיָּצָא מִמִּצְרַיִם, לְכָךְ נֶאֱמַר עַל פָּנַי, לוֹמַר לְךָ מָה אֲנִי חַי וְקַיָּם לְעוֹלָם וּלְעוֹלְמֵי עוֹלָמִים, אַף אַתָּה לֹא בִּנְךָ וְלֹא בֶּן בִּנְךָ לֹא תַּעֲבֹד עֲבוֹדַת אֱלִילִים עַד סוֹף כָּל הַדּוֹרוֹת.