Exodus 23:1-10

Sundry Laws

1 "1You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a 2malicious witness.
2 "You shall not follow * the masses in doing evil, nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after a multitude in order to 3pervert justice;
3 4nor shall you be partial to a poor man in his dispute.
4 "5If you meet your enemy's ox or his donkey wandering away, you shall surely return it to him
5 "6If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying helpless under its load, you shall refrain from leaving it to him, you shall surely release it with him.
6 "7You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute.
7 "8Keep far from a false charge, and 9do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for 10I will not acquit the guilty.
8 "11You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of the just.
9 "12You shall not oppress a stranger, since you yourselves know the feelings of a stranger, for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

The Sabbath and Land

10 "13You shall sow your land for six years and gather in its yield,

Exodus 23:1-10 Meaning and Commentary

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.

Cross References 13

  • 1. Exodus 20:16; Leviticus 19:11; Deuteronomy 5:20; Psalms 101:5; Proverbs 10:18
  • 2. Deuteronomy 19:16-21; Psalms 35:11; Proverbs 19:5; Acts 6:11
  • 3. Deuteronomy 16:19; Deuteronomy 24:17
  • 4. Exodus 23:6; Leviticus 19:15; Deuteronomy 1:17; Deuteronomy 16:19
  • 5. Deuteronomy 22:1-4
  • 6. Deuteronomy 22:4
  • 7. Exodus 23:2, 3; Leviticus 19:15
  • 8. Exodus 20:16; Psalms 119:29; Ephesians 4:25
  • 9. Exodus 20:13; Deuteronomy 27:25
  • 10. Exodus 34:7; Deuteronomy 25:1; Romans 1:18
  • 11. Deuteronomy 10:17; Deuteronomy 16:19; Proverbs 15:27; Proverbs 17:8, 23; Isaiah 5:22, 23
  • 12. Exodus 22:21; Leviticus 19:33; Deuteronomy 24:17; Deuteronomy 27:19
  • 13. Leviticus 25:1-7

Footnotes 9

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