Exodus 23:1-10

1 Thou shalt not accepte a vayne tale, nether shalt put thine hande with the wiked to be an vnrightous witnesse:

2 Thou shalt not folowe a multitude to do euell: nether answere in a mater of plee that thou woldest to folow many turne a syde from the trueth,

3 nether shalt thou paynte a porre mans cause.

4 whe thou metest thine enimies oxe or asse goynge a straye, thou shalt brynge the to him agayne

5 Yf thou se thine enimies asse synke vnder his burthen, thou shalt not passe by and let him alone: but shalt helpe him to lyfte him vp agayne.

6 Thou shalt not hynder the righte of the poore that are amonge you in their sute.

7 Kepe the ferre from a false mater, and the Innocent and righteous se thou sley not, for I will not iustifye the weked.

8 Thou shalt take no giftes, for giftes blynde the seynge and peruerte the wordes of the righteous.

9 Thou shalt not oppresse a straunger, for I knowe the herte of straunger, because ye were straungers in Egipte.

10 Sixe yeres thou shalt sowe thi londe ad gather in the frutes theroff:

Exodus 23:1-10 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.