Exodus 23:9

9 Thou shalt not be dis-easeful of a pilgrim, for ye know the souls of comelings, for also ye were pilgrims in the land of Egypt. (Thou shalt not mis-treat a foreigner, for ye know the souls of newcomers, for ye were foreigners in the land of Egypt.)

Exodus 23:9 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:9

Also thou shall not oppress a stranger
As these were not to be vexed and oppressed in a private manner and by private men, see ( Exodus 22:21 ) so neither in a public manner, and in a public court of judicature, or by judges on the bench when their cause was before them, by not doing them justice, showing a partiality to those of their own nation against a stranger; whereas a stranger ought to have equal justice done him as a native, and the utmost care should be taken that he has no injury done him, and the rather because he is a stranger:

for ye know the heart of a stranger;
the fears he is possessed of, the inward distress of his soul, the anxiety of his mind, the tenderness of his heart, the workings of his passions, his grief and sorrow, and dejection of spirit: the Targum of Jonathan is,

``"the groaning of the soul of a stranger": this the Israelitish judges knew, having had a very late experience of it:''

seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt;
where they had been vexed and oppressed, brought into hard bondage, and groaned under it; and therefore it might be reasonably thought and expected that they would have a heart sympathizing with strangers, and use them well, and especially see that justice was done them, and no injury or oppression of any kind.

Exodus 23:9 In-Context

7 Thou shalt flee leasing. Thou shalt not slay an innocent man, and just; for I am adversary to a wicked man. (Thou shalt flee from lies. Thou shalt not kill the innocent, or the just; for I am the adversary to the wicked.)

8 Take thou not gifts, that blind, yea, prudent men, and destroy the words of just men. (Do not take gifts, or bribes, that blind, yea, the prudent, and that destroy the words of the just.)

9 Thou shalt not be dis-easeful of a pilgrim, for ye know the souls of comelings, for also ye were pilgrims in the land of Egypt. (Thou shalt not mis-treat a foreigner, for ye know the souls of newcomers, for ye were foreigners in the land of Egypt.)

10 Six years thou shalt sow thy land, and thou shalt gather [the] fruits thereof;

11 forsooth in the seventh year thou shalt leave it, and make it to rest, that the poor men of thy people eat, and whatever is left ungathered, the beasts of the field eat it; so thou shalt do in thy vinery, and in the place of thine olive trees. (but in the seventh year thou shalt let it be, and allow it to rest, and thy poor people shall get food from it, and whatever is left ungathered, the beasts of the field shall eat it; so shalt thou also do with thy vineyard, and with the place of thy olive trees.)