Exodus 23:17-27

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

22 quod si audieris vocem eius et feceris omnia quae loquor inimicus ero inimicis tuis et adfligam adfligentes te

23 praecedetque te angelus meus et introducet te ad Amorreum et Hettheum et Ferezeum Chananeumque et Eveum et Iebuseum quos ego contribo

24 non adorabis deos eorum nec coles eos non facies opera eorum sed destrues eos et confringes statuas eorum

25 servietisque Domino Deo vestro ut benedicam panibus tuis et aquis et auferam infirmitatem de medio tui

26 non erit infecunda nec sterilis in terra tua numerum dierum tuorum implebo

27 terrorem meum mittam in praecursum tuum et occidam omnem populum ad quem ingredieris cunctorumque inimicorum tuorum coram te terga vertam

Exodus 23:17-27 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.