31 And I will set H7896 thy bounds H1366 from the Red H5488 sea H3220 even unto the sea H3220 of the Philistines, H6430 and from the desert H4057 unto the river: H5104 for I will deliver H5414 the inhabitants H3427 of the land H776 into your hand; H3027 and thou shalt drive them out H1644 before H6440 thee.
Then your south H5045 quarter H6285 shall be from the wilderness H4057 of Zin H6790 along by the coast H3027 of Edom, H123 and your south H5045 border H1366 shall be the outmost coast H7097 of the salt H4417 sea H3220 eastward: H6924 And your border H1366 shall turn H5437 from the south H5045 to the ascent H4608 of Akrabbim, H4610 and pass on H5674 to Zin: H6790 and the going forth H8444 thereof shall be from the south H5045 to Kadeshbarnea, H6947 and shall go on H3318 to Hazaraddar, H2692 and pass on H5674 to Azmon: H6111 And the border H1366 shall fetch a compass H5437 from Azmon H6111 unto the river H5158 of Egypt, H4714 and the goings out H8444 of it shall be at the sea. H3220 And as for the western H3220 border, H1366 ye shall even have the great H1419 sea H3220 for a border: H1366 this shall be your west H3220 border. H1366 And this shall be your north H6828 border: H1366 from the great H1419 sea H3220 ye shall point out H8376 for you mount H2022 Hor: H2023 From mount H2022 Hor H2023 ye shall point out H8376 your border unto the entrance H935 of Hamath; H2574 and the goings forth H8444 of the border H1366 shall be to Zedad: H6657 And the border H1366 shall go on H3318 to Ziphron, H2202 and the goings out H8444 of it shall be at Hazarenan: H2704 this shall be your north H6828 border. H1366 And ye shall point out H184 your east H6924 border H1366 from Hazarenan H2704 to Shepham: H8221 And the coast H1366 shall go down H3381 from Shepham H8221 to Riblah, H7247 on the east side H6924 of Ain; H5871 and the border H1366 shall descend, H3381 and shall reach H4229 unto the side H3802 of the sea H3220 of Chinnereth H3672 eastward: H6924 And the border H1366 shall go down H3381 to Jordan, H3383 and the goings out H8444 of it shall be at the salt H4417 sea: H3220 this shall be your land H776 with the coasts H1367 thereof round about. H5439 And Moses H4872 commanded H6680 the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 This is the land H776 which ye shall inherit H5157 by lot, H1486 which the LORD H3068 commanded H6680 to give H5414 unto the nine H8672 tribes, H4294 and to the half H2677 tribe: H4294 For the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Reuben H7206 according to the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 and the tribe H4294 of the children H1121 of Gad H1425 according to the house H1004 of their fathers, H1 have received H3947 their inheritance; and half H2677 the tribe H4294 of Manasseh H4519 have received H3947 their inheritance: H5159 The two H8147 tribes H4294 and the half H2677 tribe H4294 have received H3947 their inheritance H5159 on this side H5676 Jordan H3383 near Jericho H3405 eastward, H6924 toward the sunrising. H4217
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 23
Commentary on Exodus 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Ex 23:1-33. Laws concerning Slander, &c.
1. put not thine hand—join not hands.
2. decline—depart, deviate from the straight path of rectitude.
3. countenance—adorn, embellish—thou shalt not varnish the cause even of a poor man to give it a better coloring than it merits.
10. six years thou shalt sow thy land—intermitting the cultivation of the land every seventh year. But it appears that even then there was a spontaneous produce which the poor were permitted freely to gather for their use, and the beasts driven out fed on the remainder, the owners of fields not being allowed to reap or collect the fruits of the vineyard or oliveyard during the course of this sabbatical year. This was a regulation subservient to many excellent purposes; for, besides inculcating the general lesson of dependence on Providence, and of confidence in His faithfulness to His promise respecting the triple increase on the sixth year (Le 25:20, 21), it gave the Israelites a practical proof that they held their properties of the Lord as His tenants, and must conform to His rules on pain of forfeiting the lease of them.
12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest—This law is repeated [Ex 20:9] lest any might suppose there was a relaxation of its observance during the sabbatical year.
13. make no mention of the name of other gods, &c.—that is, in common conversation, for a familiar use of them would tend to lessen horror of idolatry.
14-18. Three times … keep a feast … in the year—This was the institution of the great religious festivals—"The feast of unleavened bread," or the passover—"the feast of harvest," or pentecost—"the feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2). All the males were enjoined to repair to the tabernacle and afterwards the temple, and the women frequently went. The institution of this national custom was of the greatest importance in many ways: by keeping up a national sense of religion and a public uniformity in worship, by creating a bond of unity, and also by promoting internal commerce among the people. Though the absence of all the males at these three festivals left the country defenseless, a special promise was given of divine protection, and no incursion of enemies was ever permitted to happen on those occasions.
19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk—A prohibition against imitating the superstitious rites of the idolaters in Egypt, who, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its mother's milk and sprinkled the broth as a magical charm on their gardens and fields, to render them more productive the following season. [See on De 14:21].
20-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way—The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.
21. my name is in him—This angel is frequently called Jehovah and Elohim, that is, God.
28. I will send hornets before thee, &c. (See on Jos 24:12)—Some instrument of divine judgment, but variously interpreted: as hornets in a literal sense [Bochart]; as a pestilential disease [Rosenmuller]; as a terror of the Lord, an extraordinary dejection [Junius].
29, 30. I will not drive … out … in one year; lest the land become desolate—Many reasons recommend a gradual extirpation of the former inhabitants of Canaan. But only one is here specified—the danger lest, in the unoccupied grounds, wild beasts should inconveniently multiply; a clear proof that the promised land was more than sufficient to contain the actual population of the Israelites.