Exodus 22:24

24 And I will get angry. I will kill you with a sword. Your wives will become widows. Your children's fathers will die.

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 "Do not take advantage of widows. Do not take advantage of children whose fathers have died.
23 "If you do, they might cry out to me. Then I will certainly hear them.
24 And I will get angry. I will kill you with a sword. Your wives will become widows. Your children's fathers will die.
25 "Suppose you lend money to one of my people among you who is in need. Then do not be like those who lend money and charge interest. Do not charge any interest.
26 "Suppose your neighbor owes you money and gives you a coat as a promise to pay it back. Then return it to him by sunset.
Holy Bible, New International Reader's Version® Copyright © 1995, 1996, 1998 by Biblica.   All rights reserved worldwide.