Exodus 22:16-31

Sundry Laws

16 "¹If a man seduces a virgin who is not engaged, and lies with her, he must pay a dowry for her to be his wife.

17 "If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, he shall pay money equal to the ²dowry for virgins.

18 "You shall not allow a ³sorceress to live.

19 "⁴Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.

20 "⁵He who sacrifices to any god, other than to the LORD alone, shall be utterly destroyed.

21 "⁶You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 "⁷You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.

23 "If you afflict him at all, and ⁸if he does cry out to Me, ⁹I will surely hear his cry;

24 and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, ¹⁰and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

25 "¹¹If you lend money to My people, to the poor among you, you are not to act as a creditor to him; you shall not charge * him ¹²interest.

26 "If you ever take your neighbor's cloak ¹³as a pledge, you are to return it to him before the sun sets,

27 for that is his only covering; it is his cloak for his body. What else shall he sleep in? And it shall come about that ¹⁴when he cries out to Me, I will hear him, for ¹⁵I am gracious.

28 "You shall not ¹⁶curse God, ¹⁷nor curse a ruler of your people.

29 "¹⁸You shall not delay the offering from your harvest and your vintage. ¹⁹The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me.

30 "²⁰You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother seven days; ²¹on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

31 "²²You shall be holy men to Me, therefore ²³you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

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Exodus 22:16-31 Meaning and Commentary

INTRODUCTION TO EXODUS 22

This chapter contains various laws concerning theft, Ex 22:1-4, concerning damage done to fields and vineyards by beasts, and to corn in stacks or standing, by fire, Ex 22:5,6, concerning anything or creature deposited in the hands of a neighbour, and they be stolen or lost by one means or another, Ex 22:7-13, concerning anything borrowed, and it comes to any damage, Ex 22:14,15, concerning fornication, Ex 22:16,17 concerning witchcraft, bestiality, and idolatry, Ex 22:18-20 concerning oppression, and affliction of the stranger, fatherless, and widow, Ex 22:21-24 concerning taking usury and pledges, Ex 22:25-27, concerning irreverence to magistrates, Ex 22:28, concerning the offering of firstfruits to God, Ex 22:29,30 and the chapter is concluded with a prohibition of eating anything torn by beasts, Ex 22:31.

Taken from John Gill's Exposition of the Bible

Cross References 23

1. Deuteronomy 22:28, 29
2. Genesis 34:12; 1 Samuel 18:25
3. Leviticus 19:31; Leviticus 20:6, 27; Deuteronomy 18:10, 11; 1 Samuel 28:3; Jeremiah 27:9, 10
4. Leviticus 18:23; Leviticus 20:15, 16; Deuteronomy 27:21
5. Exodus 32:8; Exodus 34:15; Leviticus 17:7; Numbers 25:2; Deut 17:2, 3, 5; 1 Kings 18:40; 2 Kings 10:25
6. Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:33, 34; Leviticus 25:35; Deuteronomy 1:16; Deuteronomy 10:19; Deuteronomy 27:19; Zechariah 7:10
7. Deuteronomy 24:17, 18; Proverbs 23:10, 11; Jeremiah 7:6, 7
8. Deuteronomy 15:9; Job 35:9; Luke 18:7
9. Deuteronomy 10:18; Job 34:28; Ps 10:14, 17, 18; Psalms 18:6; Psalms 68:5; James 5:4
10. Psalms 109:2, 9
11. Leviticus 25:35-37; Deuteronomy 15:7-11
12. Deuteronomy 23:19, 20; Nehemiah 5:7; Psalms 15:5; Ezekiel 18:8
13. Deut 24:6, 10-13; Job 24:3; Proverbs 20:16; Amos 2:8
14. Exodus 22:23
15. Exodus 34:6
16. Leviticus 24:15, 16
17. Ecclesiastes 10:20; Acts 23:5
18. Exodus 23:16, 19; Deuteronomy 26:2-11; Proverbs 3:9
19. Exodus 13:2, 12
20. Deuteronomy 15:19; Leviticus 22:27
21. Genesis 17:12; Leviticus 12:3
22. Exodus 19:6; Leviticus 11:44; Leviticus 19:2
23. Leviticus 7:24; Leviticus 17:15; Ezekiel 4:14

Footnotes 9

[a]. Lit "weigh out silver"
[b]. Lit "the gods"
[c]. Lit "put under the ban"
[d]. Lit "with"
[e]. Lit "be"
[f]. Lit "lay upon"
[g]. Lit "skin"
[h]. Or "revile"
[i]. Lit "your fullness and your tears"