2 Thou shalt not follow H310 a multitude H7227 to do evil; H7451 neither shalt thou speak H6030 in a cause H7379 to decline H5186 after H310 many H7227 to wrest H5186 judgment:
Thou shalt not wrest H5186 the judgment H4941 of thy poor H34 in his cause. H7379 Keep thee far H7368 from a false H8267 matter; H1697 and the innocent H5355 and righteous H6662 slay H2026 thou not: for I will not justify H6663 the wicked. H7563
And when the people H5971 saw H7200 that Moses H4872 delayed H954 to come down H3381 out of the mount, H2022 the people H5971 gathered themselves together H6950 unto Aaron, H175 and said H559 unto him, Up, H6965 make H6213 us gods, H430 which shall go H3212 before H6440 us; for as for this Moses, H4872 the man H376 that brought H5927 us up out of the land H776 of Egypt, H4714 we wot H3045 not what is become of him. And Aaron H175 said H559 unto them, Break off H6561 the golden H2091 earrings, H5141 which are in the ears H241 of your wives, H802 of your sons, H1121 and of your daughters, H1323 and bring H935 them unto me. And all the people H5971 brake off H6561 the golden H2091 earrings H5141 which were in their ears, H241 and brought H935 them unto Aaron. H175 And he received H3947 them at their hand, H3027 and fashioned H6696 it with a graving tool, H2747 after he had made H6213 it a molten H4541 calf: H5695 and they said, H559 These be thy gods, H430 O Israel, H3478 which brought H5927 thee up out of the land H776 of Egypt. H4714 And when Aaron H175 saw H7200 it, he built H1129 an altar H4196 before H6440 it; and Aaron H175 made proclamation, H7121 and said, H559 To morrow H4279 is a feast H2282 to the LORD. H3068
When G1161 Pilate G4091 saw G1492 that G3754 he could prevail G5623 nothing, G3762 but G235 that rather G3123 a tumult G2351 was made, G1096 he took G2983 water, G5204 and washed G633 his hands G5495 before G561 the multitude, G3793 saying, G3004 I am G1510 innocent G121 of G575 the blood G129 of this G5127 just person: G1342 see G3700 ye G5210 to it. Then G2532 answered G611 all G3956 the people, G2992 and said, G2036 His G846 blood G129 be on G1909 us, G2248 and G2532 on G1909 our G2257 children. G5043 Then G5119 released he G630 Barabbas G912 unto them: G846 and G1161 when he had scourged G5417 Jesus, G2424 he delivered G3860 him to G2443 be crucified. G4717
But G1161 when G3753 Peter G4074 was come G2064 to G1519 Antioch, G490 I withstood G436 him G846 to G2596 the face, G4383 because G3754 he was G2258 to be blamed. G2607 For G1063 before G4253 that certain G5100 came G2064 from G575 James, G2385 he did eat G4906 with G3326 the Gentiles: G1484 but G1161 when G3753 they were come, G2064 he withdrew G5288 and G2532 separated G873 himself, G1438 fearing G5399 them which were of G1537 the circumcision. G4061 And G2532 the other G3062 Jews G2453 dissembled G4942 likewise G2532 with him; G846 insomuch G5620 that Barnabas G921 also G2532 was carried away G4879 with their G846 dissimulation. G5272
Nicodemus G3530 saith G3004 unto G4314 them, G846 (he that came G2064 to Jesus G846 by G4314 night, G3571 being G5607 one G1520 of G1537 them,) G846 Doth G2919 our G2257 law G3551 judge G2919 G3361 any man, G444 before G4386 G3362 it hear G191 G3844 him, G846 and G2532 know G1097 what G5101 he doeth? G4160
And G1161 they were instant G1945 with loud G3173 voices, G5456 requiring G154 that he G846 might be crucified. G4717 And G2532 the voices G5456 of them G846 and G2532 of the chief priests G749 prevailed. G2729 And G1161 Pilate G4091 gave sentence G1948 that it should be as G1096 they G846 required. G155
And said, H559 I pray you, brethren, H251 do not so wickedly. H7489 Behold now, I have two H8147 daughters H1323 which have not known H3045 man; H376 let me, I pray you, bring them out H3318 unto you, and do H6213 ye to them as is good H2896 in your eyes: H5869 only unto these H411 men H582 do H6213 nothing; H408 H1697 for therefore came H935 they under the shadow H6738 of my roof. H6982 And they said, H559 Stand H5066 back. H1973 And they said H559 again, This one H259 fellow came in H935 to sojourn, H1481 and he will needs H8199 be a judge: H8199 now will we deal worse H7489 with thee, than with them. And they pressed H6484 sore H3966 upon the man, H376 even Lot, H3876 and came near H5066 to break H7665 the door. H1817
And all the congregation H5712 lifted up H5375 their voice, H6963 and cried; H5414 and the people H5971 wept H1058 that night. H3915 And all the children H1121 of Israel H3478 murmured H3885 against Moses H4872 and against Aaron: H175 and the whole congregation H5712 said H559 unto them, Would God H3863 that we had died H4191 in the land H776 of Egypt! H4714 or would God H3863 we had died H4191 in this wilderness! H4057 And wherefore hath the LORD H3068 brought H935 us unto this land, H776 to fall H5307 by the sword, H2719 that our wives H802 and our children H2945 should be a prey? H957 were it not better H2896 for us to return H7725 into Egypt? H4714 And they said H559 one H376 to another, H251 Let us make H5414 a captain, H7218 and let us return H7725 into Egypt. H4714 Then Moses H4872 and Aaron H175 fell H5307 on their faces H6440 before H6440 all the assembly H6951 of the congregation H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel. H3478 And Joshua H3091 the son H1121 of Nun, H5126 and Caleb H3612 the son H1121 of Jephunneh, H3312 which were of them that searched H8446 the land, H776 rent H7167 their clothes: H899 And they spake H559 unto all the company H5712 of the children H1121 of Israel, H3478 saying, H559 The land, H776 which we passed H5674 through to search H8446 it, is an exceeding H3966 H3966 good H2896 land. H776 If the LORD H3068 delight H2654 in us, then he will bring H935 us into this land, H776 and give H5414 it us; a land H776 which floweth H2100 with milk H2461 and honey. H1706 Only rebel H4775 not ye against the LORD, H3068 neither fear H3372 ye the people H5971 of the land; H776 for they are bread H3899 for us: their defence H6738 is departed H5493 from them, and the LORD H3068 is with us: fear H3372 them not. But all the congregation H5712 bade H559 stone H7275 them with stones. H68 And the glory H3519 of the LORD H3068 appeared H7200 in the tabernacle H168 of the congregation H4150 before all the children H1121 of Israel. H3478
Then Zedekiah H6667 the king H4428 said, H559 Behold, he is in your hand: H3027 for the king H4428 is not he that can H3201 do any thing H1697 against you. Then took H3947 they Jeremiah, H3414 and cast H7993 him into the dungeon H953 of Malchiah H4441 the son H1121 of Hammelech, H4428 that was in the court H2691 of the prison: H4307 and they let down H7971 Jeremiah H3414 with cords. H2256 And in the dungeon H953 there was no water, H4325 but mire: H2916 so Jeremiah H3414 sunk H2883 in the mire. H2916
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.