Exodus 22:24

24 and my great vengeance shall have indignation on you, and I shall smite you with sword (and I shall strike you down with a sword), and your wives shall be widows, and your sons shall be fatherless.

Exodus 22:24 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 22:24

And my wrath shall wax hot
Against those that afflict them, being so devoid of humanity, compassion, and tenderness, and so guilty of oppression and injustice, which are aggravated by the circumstances of the persons they ill treat, and therefore the more provoking to God:

and I will kill you with the sword;
with the sword of death, says the Targum of Jonathan; it designs one of God's sore judgments, the sword of an enemy; the meaning is, that when such evils should become frequent among them, God would suffer a neighbouring nation to break in upon them in an hostile way, and put them to the sword; hence it follows:

and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless;
be in the same circumstances with those they have injured, and therefore should consider not only the destruction that would come upon themselves, being cutoff by the sword, but the case of their families; and how, could they be sensible of it, they would like to have their wives and children used as they have used the widows and fatherless.

Exodus 22:24 In-Context

22 Ye shall not harm a widow, and a fatherless or a motherless child. (Ye shall not harm a widow, or a fatherless or a motherless child.)

23 If ye hurt them, they shall cry to me, and I shall hear the cry of them,

24 and my great vengeance shall have indignation on you, and I shall smite you with sword (and I shall strike you down with a sword), and your wives shall be widows, and your sons shall be fatherless.

25 If thou givest money to loan to my poor people, that dwelleth with thee, thou shalt not constrain him as an extortioner doeth, neither thou shalt oppress him by usuries. (If thou lendest money to anyone of my poor people, who liveth with thee, thou shalt not compel him like an extortioner doeth, nor shalt thou oppress him with usury.)

26 If thou takest of thy neighbour a cloth to wed (If thou takest a cloak from thy neighbour for a pledge), thou shalt yield it (back) to him before the going down of the sun;