Éxodo 23:1-9

Leyes de justicia y de misericordia

1 »No divulgues informes falsos.»No te hagas cómplice del malvado ni apoyes los testimonios del violento.

2 »No imites la maldad de las mayorías.»No te dejes llevar por la mayoría en un proceso legal.»No perviertas la justicia tomando partido con la mayoría.

3 »No seas parcial con el pobre en sus demandas legales.

4 »Si encuentras un toro o un asno perdido, devuélvelo, aunque sea de tu enemigo.

5 »Si ves un asno caído bajo el peso de su carga, no lo dejes así; ayúdalo, aunque sea de tu enemigo.

6 »No tuerzas la justicia contra los pobres de tu pueblo en sus demandas legales.

7 »Manténte al margen de cuestiones fraudulentas.»No le quites la vida al que es inocente y honrado, porque yo no absuelvo al malvado.

8 »No aceptes soborno, porque nubla la vista y tuerce las sentencias justas.

9 »No opriman al extranjero, pues ya lo han experimentado en carne propia: ustedes mismos fueron extranjeros en Egipto.

Éxodo 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.