Exodus 23:31-33

31 "1I will fix your boundary from the Red * Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the River Euphrates; 2for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand, and you will 3drive them out before you.
32 "4You shall make no covenant with them 5or with their gods.
33 "6They shall not live in your land, because they will make you sin against Me; for if you serve their gods, 7it will surely be a snare to you."

Exodus 23:31-33 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.

Cross References 7

  • 1. Genesis 15:18; Deuteronomy 1:7, 8; Deuteronomy 11:24
  • 2. Deuteronomy 2:36; Joshua 21:44
  • 3. Joshua 24:12, 18
  • 4. Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 7:2
  • 5. Exodus 23:13, 24
  • 6. Deut 7:1-5, 16
  • 7. Exodus 34:12; Deuteronomy 12:30; Joshua 23:13; Judges 2:3; Psalms 106:36

Footnotes 2

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