Exodus 23:11-21

11 anno autem septimo dimittes eam et requiescere facies ut comedant pauperes populi tui et quicquid reliqui fuerit edant bestiae agri ita facies in vinea et in oliveto tuo
12 sex diebus operaberis septima die cessabis ut requiescat bos et asinus tuus et refrigeretur filius ancillae tuae et advena
13 omnia quae dixi vobis custodite et per nomen externorum deorum non iurabitis neque audietur ex ore vestro
14 tribus vicibus per singulos annos mihi festa celebrabiti
15 sollemnitatem azymorum custodies septem diebus comedes azyma sicut praecepi tibi tempore mensis novorum quando egressus es de Aegypto non apparebis in conspectu meo vacuus
16 et sollemnitatem messis primitivorum operis tui quaecumque serueris in agro sollemnitatem quoque in exitu anni quando congregaveris omnes fruges tuas de agro
17 ter in anno apparebit omne masculinum tuum coram Domino Deo
18 non immolabis super fermento sanguinem victimae meae nec remanebit adeps sollemnitatis meae usque mane
19 primitias frugum terrae tuae deferes in domum Domini Dei tui nec coques hedum in lacte matris sua
20 ecce ego mittam angelum meum qui praecedat te et custodiat in via et introducat ad locum quem paravi
21 observa eum et audi vocem eius nec contemnendum putes quia non dimittet cum peccaveritis et est nomen meum in ill

Exodus 23:11-21 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.

The Latin Vulgate is in the public domain.