4 If thou meet H6293 thine enemy's H341 ox H7794 or his ass H2543 going astray, H8582 thou shalt surely H7725 bring it back H7725 to him again. H7725
Thou shalt not see H7200 thy brother's H251 ox H7794 or his sheep H7716 go astray, H5080 and hide H5956 thyself from them: thou shalt in any case H7725 bring them again H7725 unto thy brother. H251 And if thy brother H251 be not nigh H7138 unto thee, or if thou know H3045 him not, then thou shalt bring H622 it unto H8432 thine own house, H1004 and it shall be with thee until thy brother H251 seek H1875 after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again. H7725 In like manner H3651 shalt thou do H6213 with his ass; H2543 and so shalt thou do H6213 with his raiment; H8071 and with all lost thing H9 of thy brother's, H251 which he hath lost, H6 and thou hast found, H4672 shalt thou do H6213 likewise: thou mayest H3201 not hide H5956 thyself. Thou shalt not see H7200 thy brother's H251 ass H2543 or his ox H7794 fall down H5307 by the way, H1870 and hide H5956 thyself from them: thou shalt surely H6965 help him to lift them up again. H6965
But G235 I say G3004 unto you G5213 which G3588 hear, G191 Love G25 your G5216 enemies, G2190 do G4160 good G2573 to them which G3588 hate G3404 you, G5209 Bless G2127 them that curse G2672 you, G5213 and G2532 pray G4336 for G5228 them which despitefully use G1908 you. G5209
Recompense G591 to no man G3367 evil G2556 for G473 evil. G2556 Provide G4306 things honest G2570 in the sight G1799 of all G3956 men. G444 If G1487 it be possible, G1415 as much as lieth in G1537 you, G5216 live peaceably G1514 with G3326 all G3956 men. G444 Dearly beloved, G27 avenge G1556 not G3361 yourselves, G1438 but G235 rather give G1325 place G5117 unto wrath: G3709 for G1063 it is written, G1125 Vengeance G1557 is mine; G1698 I G1473 will repay, G467 saith G3004 the Lord. G2962 Therefore G3767 if G1437 thine G4675 enemy G2190 hunger, G3983 feed G5595 him; G846 if G1437 he thirst, G1372 give G4222 him G846 drink: G4222 for G1063 in so G5124 doing G4160 thou shalt heap G4987 coals G440 of fire G4442 on G1909 his G846 head. G2776 Be G3528 not G3361 overcome G3528 of G5259 evil, G2556 but G235 overcome G3528 evil G2556 with G1722 good. G18
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.