24 Thou shalt not bow down H7812 to their gods, H430 nor serve H5647 them, nor do H6213 after their works: H4639 but thou shalt utterly H2040 overthrow H2040 them, and quite H7665 break down H7665 their images. H4676
Thou shalt not bow down H7812 thyself to them, nor serve H5647 them: for I the LORD H3068 thy God H430 am a jealous H7067 God, H410 visiting H6485 the iniquity H5771 of the fathers H1 upon the children H1121 unto the third H8029 and fourth H7256 generation of them that hate H8130 me;
And ye shall overthrow H5422 their altars, H4196 and break H7665 their pillars, H4676 and burn H8313 their groves H842 with fire; H784 and ye shall hew down H1438 the graven images H6456 of their gods, H430 and destroy H6 the names H8034 of them out of that place. H4725
Take heed H8104 to thyself that thou be not snared H5367 by following H310 them, after H310 that they be destroyed H8045 from before H6440 thee; and that thou enquire H1875 not after their gods, H430 saying, H559 How did these nations H1471 serve H5647 their gods? H430 even so will I do H6213 likewise. H1571 Thou shalt not do H6213 so unto the LORD H3068 thy God: H430 for every abomination H8441 to the LORD, H3068 which he hateth, H8130 have they done H6213 unto their gods; H430 for even their sons H1121 and their daughters H1323 they have burnt H8313 in the fire H784 to their gods. H430
And he took H3947 the calf H5695 which they had made, H6213 and burnt H8313 it in the fire, H784 and ground H2912 it to powder, H1854 and strawed H2219 it upon H6440 the water, H4325 and made the children H1121 of Israel H3478 drink H8248 of it.
But ye shall destroy H5422 their altars, H4196 break H7665 their images, H4676 and cut down H3772 their groves: H842 For thou shalt worship H7812 no other H312 god: H410 for the LORD, H3068 whose name H8034 is Jealous, H7067 is a jealous H7067 God: H410
Ye shall therefore keep H8104 my statutes H2708 and my judgments, H4941 and shall not commit H6213 any of these abominations; H8441 neither any of your own nation, H249 nor any stranger H1616 that sojourneth H1481 among H8432 you: (For all these H411 abominations H8441 have the men H582 of the land H776 done, H6213 which were before H6440 you, and the land H776 is defiled;) H2930 That the land H776 spue not you out H6958 also, when ye defile H2930 it, as it spued out H6958 the nations H1471 that were before H6440 you. For whosoever shall commit H6213 any of these abominations, H8441 even the souls H5315 that commit H6213 them shall be cut off H3772 from among H7130 their people. H5971 Therefore shall ye keep H8104 mine ordinance, H4931 that ye commit H6213 not any one of these abominable H8441 customs, H2708 which were committed H6213 before H6440 you, and that ye defile H2930 not yourselves therein: I am the LORD H3068 your God. H430
The graven images H6456 of their gods H430 shall ye burn H8313 with fire: H784 thou shalt not desire H2530 the silver H3701 or gold H2091 that is on them, nor take H3947 it unto thee, lest thou be snared H3369 therein: for it is an abomination H8441 to the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Neither shalt thou bring H935 an abomination H8441 into thine house, H1004 lest thou be a cursed thing H2764 like it: but thou shalt utterly H8262 detest H8262 it, and thou shalt utterly H8581 abhor H8581 it; for it is a cursed thing. H2764
For in the eighth H8083 year H8141 of his reign, H4427 while he was yet young, H5288 he began H2490 to seek H1875 after the God H430 of David H1732 his father: H1 and in the twelfth H8147 H6240 year H8141 he began H2490 to purge H2891 Judah H3063 and Jerusalem H3389 from the high places, H1116 and the groves, H842 and the carved images, H6456 and the molten images. H4541 And they brake down H5422 the altars H4196 of Baalim H1168 in his presence; H6440 and the images, H2553 that were on high above them, H4605 he cut down; H1438 and the groves, H842 and the carved images, H6456 and the molten images, H4541 he brake in pieces, H7665 and made dust H1854 of them, and strowed H2236 it upon H6440 the graves H6913 of them that had sacrificed H2076 unto them. And he burnt H8313 the bones H6106 of the priests H3548 upon their altars, H4196 and cleansed H2891 Judah H3063 and Jerusalem. H3389 And so did he in the cities H5892 of Manasseh, H4519 and Ephraim, H669 and Simeon, H8095 even unto Naphtali, H5321 with their mattocks H2719 round about. H5439 And when he had broken down H5422 the altars H4196 and the groves, H842 and had beaten H3807 the graven images H6456 into powder, H1854 and cut down H1438 all the idols H2553 throughout all the land H776 of Israel, H3478 he returned H7725 to Jerusalem. H3389
I will set H7896 no wicked H1100 thing H1697 before mine eyes: H5869 I hate H8130 the work H6213 of them that turn aside; H7750 it shall not cleave H1692 to me.
But were mingled H6148 among the heathen, H1471 and learned H3925 their works. H4639 And they served H5647 their idols: H6091 which were a snare H4170 unto them. Yea, they sacrificed H2076 their sons H1121 and their daughters H1323 unto devils, H7700 And shed H8210 innocent H5355 blood, H1818 even the blood H1818 of their sons H1121 and of their daughters, H1323 whom they sacrificed H2076 unto the idols H6091 of Canaan: H3667 and the land H776 was polluted H2610 with blood. H1818
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.