25 And ye shall serve H5647 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and he shall bless H1288 thy bread, H3899 and thy water; H4325 and I will take H5493 sickness H4245 away H5493 from the midst H7130 of thee.
And it shall come to pass, if ye shall hearken H8085 diligently H8085 unto my commandments H4687 which I command H6680 you this day, H3117 to love H157 the LORD H3068 your God, H430 and to serve H5647 him with all your heart H3824 and with all your soul, H5315 That I will give H5414 you the rain H4306 of your land H776 in his due season, H6256 the first rain H3138 and the latter rain, H4456 that thou mayest gather H622 in thy corn, H1715 and thy wine, H8492 and thine oil. H3323
Now therefore fear H3372 the LORD, H3068 and serve H5647 him in sincerity H8549 and in truth: H571 and put away H5493 the gods H430 which your fathers H1 served H5647 on the other side H5676 of the flood, H5104 and in Egypt; H4714 and serve H5647 ye the LORD. H3068 And if it seem evil H7489 unto you H4310 to serve H5647 the LORD, H3068 choose H977 you this day H3117 whom H5869 ye will serve; H5647 whether the gods H430 which your fathers H1 served H5647 that were on the other side H5676 of the flood, H5104 or the gods H430 of the Amorites, H567 in whose land H776 ye dwell: H3427 but as for me and my house, H1004 we will serve H5647 the LORD. H3068
And it shall come to pass, if thou shalt hearken H8085 diligently H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 to observe H8104 and to do H6213 all his commandments H4687 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 that the LORD H3068 thy God H430 will set H5414 thee on high H5945 above all nations H1471 of the earth: H776 And all these blessings H1293 shall come H935 on thee, and overtake H5381 thee, if thou shalt hearken H8085 unto the voice H6963 of the LORD H3068 thy God. H430 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be in the city, H5892 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be in the field. H7704 Blessed H1288 shall be the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 and the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 the increase H7698 of thy kine, H504 and the flocks H6251 of thy sheep. H6629 Blessed H1288 shall be thy basket H2935 and thy store. H4863 Blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou comest in, H935 and blessed H1288 shalt thou be when thou goest out. H3318 The LORD H3068 shall cause H5414 thine enemies H341 that rise up H6965 against thee to be smitten H5062 before thy face: H6440 they shall come out H3318 against thee one H259 way, H1870 and flee H5127 before H6440 thee seven H7651 ways. H1870 The LORD H3068 shall command H6680 the blessing H1293 upon thee in thy storehouses, H618 and in all that thou settest H4916 thine hand H3027 unto; and he shall bless H1288 thee in the land H776 which the LORD H3068 thy God H430 giveth H5414 thee. The LORD H3068 shall establish H6965 thee an holy H6918 people H5971 unto himself, as he hath sworn H7650 unto thee, if thou shalt keep H8104 the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 and walk H1980 in his ways. H1870 And all people H5971 of the earth H776 shall see H7200 that thou art called H7121 by the name H8034 of the LORD; H3068 and they shall be afraid H3372 of thee. And the LORD H3068 shall make thee plenteous H3498 in goods, H2896 in the fruit H6529 of thy body, H990 and in the fruit H6529 of thy cattle, H929 and in the fruit H6529 of thy ground, H127 in the land H127 which the LORD H3068 sware H7650 unto thy fathers H1 to give H5414 thee. The LORD H3068 shall open H6605 unto thee his good H2896 treasure, H214 the heaven H8064 to give H5414 the rain H4306 unto thy land H776 in his season, H6256 and to bless H1288 all the work H4639 of thine hand: H3027 and thou shalt lend H3867 unto many H7227 nations, H1471 and thou shalt not borrow. H3867 And the LORD H3068 shall make H5414 thee the head, H7218 and not the tail; H2180 and thou shalt be above only, H4605 and thou shalt not be beneath; H4295 if that thou hearken H8085 unto the commandments H4687 of the LORD H3068 thy God, H430 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 to observe H8104 and to do H6213 them: And thou shalt not go aside H5493 from any of the words H1697 which I command H6680 thee this day, H3117 to the right hand, H3225 or to the left, H8040 to go H3212 after H310 other H312 gods H430 to serve H5647 them.
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.