Exodus 23:1-9

1 Du sollst falscher Anklage nicht glauben, daß du einem Gottlosen Beistand tust und ein falscher Zeuge seist.

2 Du sollst nicht folgen der Menge zum Bösen und nicht also verantworten vor Gericht, daß du der Menge nach vom Rechten weichest.

3 Du sollst den Geringen nicht beschönigen in seiner Sache.

4 Wenn du deines Feindes Ochsen oder Esel begegnest, daß er irrt, so sollst du ihm denselben wieder zuführen

5 Wenn du den Esel des, der dich haßt, siehst unter seiner Last liegen, hüte dich, und laß ihn nicht, sondern versäume gerne das Deine um seinetwillen.

6 Du sollst das Recht deines Armen nicht beugen in seiner Sache.

7 Sei ferne von falschen Sachen. Den Unschuldigen und Gerechten sollst du nicht erwürgen; denn ich lasse den Gottlosen nicht Recht haben.

8 Du sollst nicht Geschenke nehmen; denn Geschenke machen die Sehenden blind und verkehren die Sachen der Gerechten.

9 Die Fremdlinge sollt ihr nicht unterdrücken; denn ihr wisset um der Fremdlinge Herz, dieweil ihr auch seid Fremdlinge in Ägyptenland gewesen.

Exodus 23:1-9 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.