Chūāijíjì 23

1 Bùkĕ suí huǒ bù sǎn yáoyán , bùkĕ yǔ è rén lián shǒu wàng zuò jiànzhèng .

2 Bùkĕ suí zhòng xíng è , bùkĕ zaì zhēng sòng de shì shàng suí zhòng piān xíng , zuò jiànzhèng qū wǎng zhèngzhí ,

3 Yĕ bùkĕ zaì zhēng sòng de shì shàng piānhù qióngrén .

4 Ruò yùjiàn nǐ chóudí de niú huò lü shī mí le lù , zǒng yào qiā huí lái jiāo gĕi tā .

5 Ruò kànjian hèn nǐ rén de lü yē wò zaì chóng tuó zhī xià , bùkĕ zǒu kāi , wù yào hé lü zhǔ yītóng tái kāi zhòng tuó .

6 Bùkĕ zaì qióngrén zhēng sòng de shì shàng qū wǎng zhèngzhí .

7 Dàng yuǎn lí xūjiǎ de shì . bùkĕ shā wúgū hé yǒu yì de rén , yīn wǒ bì bú yǐ è rén wéi yì .

8 Bùkĕ shòu huìlù , yīnwei huìlù néng jiào míngyǎnrén biàn xiā le , yòu néng diāndǎo yì rén de huà .

9 Bùkĕ qīyē jìjū de , yīnwei nǐmen zaì Āijí dì zuò guò jìjū de , zhīdào jìjū de xīn .

10 Liù nián nǐ yào gēngzhòng tiándì , shōucáng tǔchǎn ,

11 Zhǐshì dì qī nián yào jiào dì xiēxi , bú gēng bú zhǒng , shǐ nǐ mín zhōng de qióngrén yǒu chī de , tāmen suǒ shèngxia de , yĕshòu kĕyǐ chī . nǐde pútaóyuán hé gǎnlǎn yuán yĕ yào zhàoyàng bànlǐ .

12 Liù rì nǐ yào zuò gōng , dì qī rì yào ānxī , shǐ niú , lü kĕyǐ xiēxi , bìng shǐ nǐ bìnǚ de érzi hé jìjū de dōu kĕyǐ shūchàng .

13 Fán wǒ duì nǐmen shuō de huà , nǐmen yào jǐn shǒu . bié shén de míng , nǐ bùkĕ tí , yĕ bùkĕ cóng nǐ kǒu zhōng chuánshuō .

14 Yī nián sān cì , nǐ yào xiàng wǒ shǒu jié .

15 Nǐ yào shǒu Chújiàojié , zhào wǒ suǒ fēnfu nǐde , zaì yàbǐ yuè neì suǒ déng de rìqī , chī wú jiào bǐng qī tiān . shuí yĕ bùkĕ kòng shǒu chaójiàn wǒ , yīnwei nǐ shì zhè yuè chū le Āijí .

16 Yòu yào shǒu shōugē jié , suǒ shōu de shì nǐ tiánjiān suǒ zhòng , laólù dé lái chū shú zhī wù . bìng zaì niándǐ shōucáng , yào shǒu shōucáng jié .

17 Yīqiè de nán dīng yào yī nián sān cì chaójiàn zhǔ Yēhéhuá .

18 Bùkĕ jiàng wǒ jì shēng de xuè hé yǒu jiào de bǐng yītóng xiànshang , yĕ bùkĕ jiàng wǒ jié shàng jì shēng de zhīyóu liú dào zǎochen .

19 Dì lǐ shǒuxiān chū shú zhī wù yào sòng dào Yēhéhuá nǐ shén de diàn . bùkĕ yòng shānyánggāo mǔ de nǎi zhǔ shānyánggāo .

20 Kàn nǎ , wǒ chāiqiǎn shǐzhĕ zaì nǐ qiánmian , zaì lù shàng bǎohù nǐ , lǐng nǐ dào wǒ suǒ yùbeì de dìfang qù .

21 Tā shì fèng wǒ míng lái de , nǐmen yào zaì tā miànqián jǐnshèn , tīng cóng tāde huà , bùkĕ rĕ ( rĕ huò zuò wéibeì ) tā , yīnwei tā bì bú shèmiǎn nǐmen de guò fàn .

22 Nǐ ruò shízaì tīng cóng tāde huà , zhào zhe wǒ yīqiè suǒ shuō de qù xíng , wǒ jiù xiàng nǐde chóudí zuò chóudí , xiàng nǐde dírén zuò dírén .

23 Wǒde shǐzhĕ yào zaì nǐ qiánmian xíng , lǐng nǐ dào Yàmólìrén , Hèrén , Bǐlìxǐrén , Jiānán rén , Xīwèirén , Yēbùsīrén nàli qù , wǒ bì jiàng tāmen jiǎnchú .

24 Nǐ bùkĕ guìbaì tāmende shén , bùkĕ shìfèng tā , yĕ bùkĕ xiàofǎ tāmende xíngwéi , què yào bǎ shénxiàng jìn xíng chāihuǐ , dá suì tāmende zhù xiàng .

25 Nǐmen yào shìfèng Yēhéhuá nǐmen de shén , tā bì cì fú yǔ nǐde liáng yǔ nǐde shuǐ , yĕ bì cóng nǐmen zhōngjiān chú qù jíbìng .

26 Nǐ jìng neì bì méiyǒu zhuì tāi de , bú shēngchǎn de . wǒ yào shǐ nǐ mǎn le nǐ nián rì de shùmù .

27 Fán nǐ suǒ dào de dìfang , wǒ yào shǐ nàli de zhòng mín zaì nǐ miànqián jīnghaì , rǎoluàn , yòu yào shǐ nǐ yīqiè chóudí zhuàn beì taópǎo .

28 Wǒ yào dǎfa huángfēng fēi zaì nǐ qiánmian , bǎ Xīwèirén , Jiānán rén , Hèrén niǎn chū qù .

29 Wǒ bú zaì yī nián zhī neì jiàng tāmen cóng nǐ miànqián niǎn chū qù , kǒngpà dì chéngwéi huāngliáng , yĕdì de shòu duō qǐlai haì nǐ .

30 Wǒ yào jiànjiàn dì jiàng tāmen cóng nǐ miànqián niǎn chū qù , dĕng dào nǐde rén shǔ jiā duō , chéngshòu nà dì wéi yè .

31 Wǒ yào déng nǐde jìngjiè , cóng Hónghǎi zhídào Fēilìshì hǎi , yòu cóng kuàngyĕ zhídào dà hé . wǒ yào jiàng nà dì de jūmín jiāo zaì nǐ shǒu zhōng , nǐ yào jiàng tāmen cóng nǐ miànqián niǎn chū qù .

32 Bùkĕ hé tāmen bìng tāmende shén lì yuē .

33 Tāmen bùkĕ zhù zaì nǐde dì shàng , kǒngpà tāmen shǐ nǐ de zuì wǒ . nǐ ruò shìfèng tāmende shén , zhè bì chéngwéi nǐde wǎngluó .

Chūāijíjì 23 Commentary

Chapter 23

Laws against falsehood and injustice. (1-9) The year of rest, The sabbath, The three festivals. (10-19) God promises to conduct the Israelites to Canaan. (20-33)

Verses 1-9 In the law of Moses are very plain marks of sound moral feeling, and of true political wisdom. Every thing in it is suited to the desired and avowed object, the worship of one only God, and the separation of Israel from the pagan world. Neither parties, friends, witnesses, nor common opinions, must move us to lessen great faults, to aggravate small ones, excuse offenders, accuse the innocent, or misrepresent any thing.

Verses 10-19 Every seventh year the land was to rest. They must not plough or sow it; what the earth produced of itself, should be eaten, and not laid up. This law seems to have been intended to teach dependence on Providence, and God's faithfulness in sending the larger increase while they kept his appointments. It was also typical of the heavenly rest, when all earthly labours, cares, and interests shall cease for ever. All respect to the gods of the heathen is strictly forbidden. Since idolatry was a sin to which the Israelites leaned, they must blot out the remembrance of the gods of the heathen. Solemn religious attendance on God, in the place which he should choose, is strictly required. They must come together before the Lord. What a good Master do we serve, who has made it our duty to rejoice before him! Let us devote with pleasure to the service of God that portion of our time which he requires, and count his sabbaths and ordinances to be a feast unto our souls. They were not to come empty-handed; so now, we must not come to worship God empty-hearted; our souls must be filled with holy desires toward him, and dedications of ourselves to him; for with such sacrifices God is well pleased.

Verses 20-33 It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; ( 1 Corinthians. 10:9 ) a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the conditions of this promise; that they should serve the only true God; not the gods of the nations, which are no gods at all. How rich are the particulars of this promise! The comfort of their food, the continuance of their health, the increase of their wealth, the prolonging their lives to old age. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is. It is promised that they should subdue their enemies. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God use for chastising his people's enemies. In real kindness to the church, its enemies are subdued by little and little; thus we are kept on our guard, and in continual dependence on God. Corruptions are driven out of the hearts of God's people, not all at once, but by little and little. The precept with this promise is, that they should not make friendship with idolaters. Those that would keep from bad courses, must keep from bad company. It is dangerous to live in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares. Our greatest danger is from those who would make us sin against God.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 23

This chapter contains several laws, chiefly judicial, relating to the civil polity of Israel, as concerning witness borne and judgment made of cases in courts of judicature, without any respect to poor or rich, and without the influence of a bribe, Ex 23:1-3,6-8, concerning doing good to an enemy in case any of his cattle go astray, or fall under their burden, Ex 23:4,5, and of the oppression of a stranger, Ex 23:9, and then follow others concerning the sabbath of the seventh year, and of the seventh day, with a caution against the use of the names of idols, Ex 23:10-13, next are laws concerning the appearance of all their males at the three feasts, Ex 23:14-17, and concerning the slaying of the sacrifice of the passover, and bringing the first of the firstfruits of the land, Ex 23:18,19 and then a promise is made of sending an angel to them to bring them into the land of Canaan, where they should carefully avoid all idolatry, and show a just indignation against it, and serve the Lord, and then it would be well with them, Ex 23:20-26, and particularly it is promised, that the Lord would send his fear, and his hornets, before them, to destroy the inhabitants of the land, and drive out the rest by little and little, until they should possess the utmost borders of it, which are fixed, Ex 23:27-31, and the chapter is concluded with a direction not to make a covenant with these people, or their gods, nor suffer them to dwell among them, lest they should be a snare unto them, Ex 23:32,33.