Exodus 23:28-33

28 ad I will send hornettes before the, and they shall dryue out the Heuites, the Cananites and the Hethites before the.

29 I will not cast them out in one yere, lest the lande growe to a wyldernesse: and the beestes of the felde multiplye apon the.

30 But a litle and a litle I will dryue them out before the, vntill thou be increased that thou mayst enherett the londe.

31 And I will make thi costes fro the red see vnto the see of the Philistenes and from the deserte vnto the ryuer. I will delyuer the inhabiters of the londe in to thine hande, and thou shalt dryue them out before the.

32 And thou shalt make none appoyntment with them nor wyth their goddes.

33 Nether shall they dwell in thi londe, lest they make the synne a gaynst me: for yf thou serue their goddes, it will surely be thy decaye.

Exodus 23:28-33 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.