Exodus 23:3-13

3 pauperis quoque non misereberis in negotio

4 si occurreris bovi inimici tui aut asino erranti reduc ad eu

5 si videris asinum odientis te iacere sub onere non pertransibis sed sublevabis cum eo

6 non declinabis in iudicio pauperis

7 mendacium fugies insontem et iustum non occides quia aversor impium

8 nec accipias munera quae excaecant etiam prudentes et subvertunt verba iustorum

9 peregrino molestus non eris scitis enim advenarum animas quia et ipsi peregrini fuistis in terra Aegypti

10 sex annis seminabis terram tuam et congregabis fruges eius

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

Exodus 23:3-13 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.