Exodus 22:23

23 And if ye should afflict them by ill-treatment, and they should cry aloud to me, I will surely hear their voice.

Exodus 22:23 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 22:23

If thou afflict them in any wise
. In any way, or by any means whatever; their minds, by reproaches, censures, insults, and their bodies by stripes, false imprisonment and in their substance, by withholding from them what belongs to them, taking what they have, or cheating and defrauding them in any respect; or, "in afflicting afflict them" ^F5; afflict them much, and continue to do so:

and they cry at all unto me;
in prayer, as the Targum of Jonathan; or, "in crying cry" ^F6; cry vehemently, or importunately, and with constancy, or rather, cry ever so little:

I will surely hear their cry;
the voice of their prayer, as the same Targum; or, "in hearing I will hear" ^F7; will certainly take notice of their cries, and return an answer to them, by appearing on their side, and avenging their injuries; for God is the Father of the fatherless, and the husband of the widow, and the Judge of them both: the manner of speaking or form of expression is the same in all these clauses, the words being doubled.

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FOOTNOTES:

F5 (hnet hne) "affligendo afflixeris", Pagninus, Piscator, Ainsworth, Montanus, Junius & Tremellius.
F6 (qeuy qeu) "clamando clamaverit", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Ainsworth.
F7 (emva emv) "audiendo audiam", Pagninus, Montanus, Piscator, Ainsworth.

Exodus 22:23 In-Context

21 And ye shall not hurt a stranger, nor afflict him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

22 Ye shall hurt no widow or orphan.

23 And if ye should afflict them by ill-treatment, and they should cry aloud to me, I will surely hear their voice.

24 And I will be very angry, and will slay you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows and your children orphans.

25 And if thou shouldest lend money to thy poor brother who is by thee, thou shalt not be hard upon him thou shalt not exact usury of him.