Éxodo 23:1-9

1 No admitirás falso rumor. No te concertarás con el impío para ser testigo falso

2 No seguirás a los muchos para mal hacer; ni responderás en pleito inclinándote tras los muchos para hacer agravios

3 ni al pobre honrarás en su causa

4 Si encontrares el buey de tu enemigo o su asno extraviado, vuelve a llevárselo

5 Si vieres el asno del que te aborrece caído debajo de su carga, ¿le dejarás entonces desamparado? Sin falta le ayudarás a levantarlo

6 No pervertirás el derecho de tu mendigo en su pleito

7 De palabra de mentira te alejarás, y no matarás al inocente y justo; porque yo no justificaré al impío

8 No recibirás soborno; porque el soborno ciega a los que ven, y pervierte las palabras de los justos

9 Y no angustiarás al extranjero; pues vosotros sabéis cómo se halla el alma del extranjero, ya que extranjeros fuisteis en la tierra de Egipto

Éxodo 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.