21 Beware H8104 of H6440 him, and obey H8085 his voice, H6963 provoke H4843 him not; for he will not pardon H5375 your transgressions: H6588 for my name H8034 is in him. H7130
And the LORD H3068 descended H3381 in the cloud, H6051 and stood H3320 with him there, and proclaimed H7121 the name H8034 of the LORD. H3068 And the LORD H3068 passed by H5674 before him, H6440 and proclaimed, H7121 The LORD, H3068 The LORD H3068 God, H410 merciful H7349 and gracious, H2587 longsuffering, H750 H639 and abundant H7227 in goodness H2617 and truth, H571 Keeping H5341 mercy H2617 for thousands, H505 forgiving H5375 iniquity H5771 and transgression H6588 and sin, H2403 and that will by no means H5352 clear H5352 the guilty; visiting H6485 the iniquity H5771 of the fathers H1 upon the children, H1121 and upon the children's H1121 children, unto the third H8029 and to the fourth H7256 generation.
For G1063 if we G2257 sin G264 wilfully G1596 after G3326 that we have received G2983 the knowledge G1922 of the truth, G225 there remaineth G620 no more G3765 sacrifice G2378 for G4012 sins, G266 But G1161 a certain G5100 fearful G5398 looking for G1561 of judgment G2920 and G2532 fiery G4442 indignation, G2205 which shall G3195 devour G2068 the adversaries. G5227 He G5100 that despised G114 Moses' G3475 law G3551 died G599 without G5565 mercy G3628 under G1909 two G1417 or G2228 three G5140 witnesses: G3144 Of how much G4214 sorer G5501 punishment, G5098 suppose ye, G1380 shall he be thought worthy, G515 who G3588 hath trodden under foot G2662 the Son G5207 of God, G2316 and G2532 hath counted G2233 the blood G129 of the covenant, G1242 wherewith G3739 G1722 he was sanctified, G37 an unholy thing, G2839 and G2532 hath done despite G1796 unto the Spirit G4151 of grace? G5485
Jesus G2424 saith G3004 unto him, G846 Have I been G1510 so long G5118 time G5550 with G3326 you, G5216 and yet G2532 hast thou G1097 not G3756 known G1097 me, G3165 Philip? G5376 he that hath seen G3708 me G1691 hath seen G3708 the Father; G3962 and G2532 how G4459 sayest G3004 thou G4771 then, Shew G1166 us G2254 the Father? G3962 Believest thou G4100 not G3756 that G3754 I G1473 am G2076 in G1722 the Father, G3962 and G2532 the Father G3962 in G1722 me? G1698 the words G4487 that G3739 I G1473 speak G2980 unto you G5213 I speak G2980 not G3756 of G575 myself: G1683 but G1161 the Father G3962 that dwelleth G3306 in G1722 me, G1698 he G846 doeth G4160 the works. G2041
Wherefore G1352 I was grieved G4360 with that G1565 generation, G1074 and G2532 said, G2036 They do G4105 alway G104 err G4105 in their heart; G2588 and G1161 they G846 have G1097 not G3756 known G1097 my G3450 ways. G3598 So G5613 I sware G3660 in G1722 my G3450 wrath, G3709 They shall G1525 not G1487 enter G1525 into G1519 my G3450 rest.) G2663
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 23
Commentary on Exodus 23 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 23
Ex 23:1-33. Laws concerning Slander, &c.
1. put not thine hand—join not hands.
2. decline—depart, deviate from the straight path of rectitude.
3. countenance—adorn, embellish—thou shalt not varnish the cause even of a poor man to give it a better coloring than it merits.
10. six years thou shalt sow thy land—intermitting the cultivation of the land every seventh year. But it appears that even then there was a spontaneous produce which the poor were permitted freely to gather for their use, and the beasts driven out fed on the remainder, the owners of fields not being allowed to reap or collect the fruits of the vineyard or oliveyard during the course of this sabbatical year. This was a regulation subservient to many excellent purposes; for, besides inculcating the general lesson of dependence on Providence, and of confidence in His faithfulness to His promise respecting the triple increase on the sixth year (Le 25:20, 21), it gave the Israelites a practical proof that they held their properties of the Lord as His tenants, and must conform to His rules on pain of forfeiting the lease of them.
12. Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest—This law is repeated [Ex 20:9] lest any might suppose there was a relaxation of its observance during the sabbatical year.
13. make no mention of the name of other gods, &c.—that is, in common conversation, for a familiar use of them would tend to lessen horror of idolatry.
14-18. Three times … keep a feast … in the year—This was the institution of the great religious festivals—"The feast of unleavened bread," or the passover—"the feast of harvest," or pentecost—"the feast of ingathering," or the feast of tabernacles, which was a memorial of the dwelling in booths in the wilderness, and which was observed in the seventh month (Ex 12:2). All the males were enjoined to repair to the tabernacle and afterwards the temple, and the women frequently went. The institution of this national custom was of the greatest importance in many ways: by keeping up a national sense of religion and a public uniformity in worship, by creating a bond of unity, and also by promoting internal commerce among the people. Though the absence of all the males at these three festivals left the country defenseless, a special promise was given of divine protection, and no incursion of enemies was ever permitted to happen on those occasions.
19. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk—A prohibition against imitating the superstitious rites of the idolaters in Egypt, who, at the end of their harvest, seethed a kid in its mother's milk and sprinkled the broth as a magical charm on their gardens and fields, to render them more productive the following season. [See on De 14:21].
20-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way—The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.
21. my name is in him—This angel is frequently called Jehovah and Elohim, that is, God.
28. I will send hornets before thee, &c. (See on Jos 24:12)—Some instrument of divine judgment, but variously interpreted: as hornets in a literal sense [Bochart]; as a pestilential disease [Rosenmuller]; as a terror of the Lord, an extraordinary dejection [Junius].
29, 30. I will not drive … out … in one year; lest the land become desolate—Many reasons recommend a gradual extirpation of the former inhabitants of Canaan. But only one is here specified—the danger lest, in the unoccupied grounds, wild beasts should inconveniently multiply; a clear proof that the promised land was more than sufficient to contain the actual population of the Israelites.