Exodus 22:23

23 If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure I'll take them most seriously;

Exodus 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 22:23

If thou afflict them in any wise
. In any way, or by any means whatever; their minds, by reproaches, censures, insults, and their bodies by stripes, false imprisonment and in their substance, by withholding from them what belongs to them, taking what they have, or cheating and defrauding them in any respect; or, "in afflicting afflict them" ^F5; afflict them much, and continue to do so:

and they cry at all unto me;
in prayer, as the Targum of Jonathan; or, "in crying cry" ^F6; cry vehemently, or importunately, and with constancy, or rather, cry ever so little:

I will surely hear their cry;
the voice of their prayer, as the same Targum; or, "in hearing I will hear" ^F7; will certainly take notice of their cries, and return an answer to them, by appearing on their side, and avenging their injuries; for God is the Father of the fatherless, and the husband of the widow, and the Judge of them both: the manner of speaking or form of expression is the same in all these clauses, the words being doubled.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (hnet hne) "affligendo afflixeris", Pagninus, Piscator, Ainsworth, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius.
F6 (qeuy qeu) "clamando clamaverit", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Ainsworth.
F7 (emva emv) "audiendo audiam", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Ainsworth.

Exodus 22:23 In-Context

21 "Don't abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.

22 "Don't mistreat widows or orphans.

23 If you do and they cry out to me, you can be sure I'll take them most seriously;

24 I'll show my anger and come raging among you with the sword, and your wives will end up widows and your children orphans.

25 "If you lend money to my people, to any of the down-and-out among you, don't come down hard on them and gouge them with interest.