Esodo 23:1-9

1 NON levare un falso grido; non metter mano con l’empio per esser testimonio falso.

2 Non andar dietro a’ grandi per far male; e non dar sentenza in una lite, inchinando a favorire i grandi, per far torto.

3 Non avere altresì rispetto al povero nella sua lite.

4 Se tu incontri il bue del tuo nemico, o l’asino suo smarrito, del tutto riconduciglielo

5 Se tu vedi l’asino di colui che ti odia giacer sotto il suo carico, mentre tu ti rimani di aiutarlo a farglielo andare oltre, del tutto fa’ con lui sì che possa andare oltre.

6 Non far torto al tuo bisognoso nella sua lite.

7 Allontanati dal parlar falso; e non far morir l’innocente nè il giusto; perciocchè io non assolverò l’empio.

8 E non prender presenti; perciocchè il presente accieca coloro che hanno chiara vista, e sovverte le parole de’ giusti.

9 E non oppressare il forestiere; perciocchè voi sapete in quale stato è l’anima del forestiere, essendo stati forestieri nel paese di Egitto.

Esodo 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.