Exodus 23

THou shalt not raise Heb. not take up, to wit, into thy mouth, as Exod. 20. 7. either by the first raising, or further spreading, of it: or, not bear, or endure, as that word oft signifies; not hear it patiently, delightfully, readily, approvingly, as persons are very apt to do, but rather shalt discourage and reprove the spreader of it, according to Prov. 25. 23. Possibly the holy Ghost might choose a word of such general signification to show that all these things were forbidden. a false report: put not thine hand (i. e.) Not conspire or agree with them, which is signified by joyning hands, Prov. 11. 21. not give them an helping hand in it, not incourage them to it by gifts or promises, not assist them by counsel or interest. Others not swear with them. But swearing is not noted by putting the hand, but by lifting it up. with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Thou shalt not follow a multitude Either their counsel or example. But the Hebrew rabbim both here and in the following clause is by some rendred great men, men in power and authority, whom we are commanded not to follow. And as the word is thus used, Iob 32. 9. Ier. 41. 1. so this sense may seem most probable: 1. because in the last clause he speaks of causes or controversies, as the Hebrew rib signifies and matters of judgment, which were not determined by the multitude, but by great men. 2. because these are opposed to the poor in the next verse. 3. because the examples of such men are most prevalent. to do evil Either in general, or particularly, to work mischief, to oppress or crush another.: neither thou speak Heb. answer, when thou art summoned as a witness in any cause. in a cause, to decline after many, to wrest judgment Or, to turn aside right, or, to pervert thy self, the verb being taken reciprocally, as Hiphil is oft put for Hithpahel, or, which is all one, to do perversly, i. e. unrighteously..

Neither shalt thou countenance Heb. Honour, i. e. respect, or prefer, his cause, when the richer mans cause is more just: The meaning of this and the former verse is, there shall be no respect of persons, whether rich or poor, but an impartial consideration of the cause. See Levit. 19. 15. Psal. 72. 1, 2. a poor man in his cause.

If thou meet thine enemies oxe So far shalt thou be from revenging his injuries, that thou shalt render good to him for them, whereby if thou dost not reconcile him, thou wilst procure peace to thy self, and honour to Religion. or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him; thou shalt surely help with him This translation depends upon this supposition, that the Hebrew verb azab, which is thrice used in this verse, signifies not only to leave, but also to help, or erect, or li... t up or strengthen or restore: which signification of the verb may be proved, 1. from that use of it Nehem 3. 8. and 4. 2. 2. from the parallel place, Deut. 22. 4. where instead of this verb, azab is hakim which is properly to or li... t up. But if the verb did signifie only to leave, it may be thus rendred according to the Hebrew words, then or therefore, or surely, (for all these ways the Hebrew particle Van is used) thou shalt forbear to leave it, to wit, the ass groaning under his burden, or the lifting up of the ass and burden, to him alone: but if thou wilst be leaving, I will appoint thee a better object for it, thou shalt surely leave or lay aside what thou hast against him, i. e. whatsoever controversie thou hast with him, that shall not hinder thee from succouring him or his in any distress. The Hebrew preposition, i..., does oft signifie against, as Gen. 26. 20. Psal. 85. 4. and 94. 16. Hos. 9. 8. And it is a concise or short way of speaking, which is very common in the Hebrew language, against him for, what thou hast against him. Or thus, and wouldest forbear to leave, to wit, thy business which thou art going about, for him, i. e. for the sake of him who is thine enemy, as the Hebrew preposition, lamed, is oft used, as Exod. 14. 25. Numb. 25. 13. Ios. 10. 14. &c. thou shalt repress those malitious desires, and thou shalt surely leave it to be or to tarry or to help with him to lift up the ass. So there is only an Ellipsis of the verb, which is most common in the Hebrew tongue..

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor (i. e.) Of the poor which is among thee, not of the poor Iews only, as some peradventure may conceive, for common right must be done even to the Gentiles. Compare Deut. 27. 19. in his cause.

Keep thee far (i. e.) Abstain from all occasions, degrees, or appearances of it. Compare Iob 22. 23. Prov. 4. 14, 15. from a false matter (i. e.) An unrighteous judgment: for he is speaking to the Judges, as appears both by the foregoing and following verses.: and the innocent and righteous slay thou not Condemn not to death, nor to any other unjust penalty, for the same reason.: for I will not justifie the wicked And therefore not condemn the innocent, one contrary being here understood from the other, as is frequent in the book of the Proverbs, and what I do not, thou who actest in my name and stead shouldest not do. Or rather thus, Know O Judge, for to such he speaks, if thou dost pronounce such a wicked sentence, I will not justifie thee, or hold thee guiltless, i. e. I will severely punish thee, as Exod. 20. 7..

And thou shalt take no gift Namely from such whose causes are depending before thee, because if thou dost not sell Justice for it, yet thou wilt both seem to do so and be tempted to do so. Compare Deut. 16. 19. 1 Sam. 8. 3 Prov. 17. 8, 23. and 19. 6.: for the gift blindeth the w of Or, the open eyed, the quick-sighted, who in this case cannot see, partly because they will not see, and partly because interest and affection do exceedingly corrupt the judgment, and render it very partial., and perverteth the words of the righteous (i. e.) The judgment of the righteous Judges, i. e. of them who before were such and are enclined to be so, and probably would be so, were they not tempted with bribes, or, of them who by their place should be righteous. So they are called righteous to admonish them of their duty to be so, and to aggravate their sin when they are unrighteous, and consequently to aggravate the mischief of gifts, which make those unrighteous whose office obligeth them to be righteous. Or thus, the matters or causes of the righteous, which may be understood not of the Judges, but of the parties pleading, whose righteous cause is by this means perverted by the Judge, and a wrong sentence given..

Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger (i. e.) The disposition, dejection, and distress of his heart, which makes him an object of pity, not of malice or mischief.: seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof.

But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest, and lie still (i. e.) From manuring, plowing, tilling and sowing, and reaping also, by comparing Levit. 25. 3, 4, 5. And this God ordained not only for the reason here mentioned, the more comfortable provision for the poor, and for the cattel, but for other weighty reasons, as 1. that the heart and strength of the land might not be eaten out by continual tillage. 2. that he might both try and exercise and also secure the obedience of the Israelites. 3. that he might keep them in dependance upon himself, and give to them and to all their neighbours a manifest proof of his singular and gracious providence over his people. 4. that by this kind of quit-rent they might be admonished that God alone was the Lord and proprietary of the land, and they were only Tenants at his will. 5. that being freed from their great labours about the land they might have the more leasure to meditate upon Gods works and to attend upon the law, which was to be solemnly read at this time; Deut. 31. 10, &c.: that the poor of thy people may eat Quest. What had the poor to eat? Ans. Not only the fruits of the vines and olives and other fruit-trees, but also all that grew of its own accord, Levit. 25. 5. from those seeds which in the last reaping time were scattered here and there, which were much more numerous now than in other years, because God gave a special blessing to the sixth year, whereby it did bring forth the fruit of 3 years, Lev. 25. 21. and in years of so great plenty men are generally more negligent in their reaping, and therefore the relicks are more.: and what they leave, the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive-yard (i. e.) Thou shalt not prune nor dress them, nor gather and appropriate to thy own use what they shall produce, but shalt leave them to the poor..

Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest This command is here repeated, lest any should think the weekly rest might cease when the whole year was consecrated to rest. There were three sorts of Sabbaths to the Jews, 1. of days. 2. of years, to wit, the seventh year. 3. of weeks of years, to wit the Jubilee, and all these are types of the eternal rest in heaven.: that thine oxe and thy ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid, and the stranger may be refreshed.

And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect: and make no mention of the names of other gods To wit, with honour or delight or without detestation; as fornication is not to be named among Saints, Eph. 5. 3. Or, not mention them in your worship, or in oaths, or, in common discourse, and without special occasion, lest the frequent mention of them might keep up their memory or introduce their worship. Hence the names of Idols and Idolatrous places were ofttimes changed by the Israelites. See Numb. 32. 38. Ios. 23. 7. Compare Psal. 16. 4. Hos. 2. 17. Zech. 13....., neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: thou shalt eat unleavened bread as I have commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib: for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty This may be either 1. a precept, as it is generally understood, that none should ever come at those times without some offering or other, for the support of the Levites and of the worship of God: but the determination of this or what they would give was left to their choice. Or 2. a promise to encourage them to come so oft from their remotest habitations to Ierusalem, because they should never appear before God in vain, i. e. to no purpose, or without some benefit, for so the word, rekam, oft signifies. So it may be parallel to Isa. 45. 19. I said not unto the seed of Iacob, seek ye me in vain: But the former sense is more probable by comparing this with its parallel place, Deut. 16. 16, 17.:

And the feast of harvest (i. e.) Of wheat-harvest: for barley-harvest was before this time. This feast was otherwise called Pentecost. the first-fruits of thy labours How were these the first-fruits, when a sheaf was offered to God in the feast of the Passeover? Ans. That sheaf was generally of barly, which was less considerable than their wheat, but this was the first-fruits of their wheat, which was their principal grain, and they had no bread before this time from the growth of that year., which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of in-gathering To wit, of all the rest of the fruits of earth, as of the vines and olives. This was called also the feast of booths, and of Tabernacles. See Levit. 23. 34. Numb. 29. 12. Deut. 16. 13. All their three feasts had a respect to the harvest, which began in the Passeover, was carried on at Pentecost, and was fully compleated and ended in this feast. which is in the end of the year Of the common or civil year which began in September, as the sacred year began in March., when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field.

Three times in the year all thy males To wit, such as are of competent years and health and strength, and such as were at their own dispose: for that servants were not bound to this may seem probable, because none of these concerned were to appear before the Lord empty or without an offering, but the generality of servants had not any thing to offer. And the care and management of their domestick affairs did require the presence and care of many of their males. shall appear before the LORD God (i. e.) In that place where God shall record his name, Exod. 20. 24. as the Tabernacle or Temple..

Thou shalt not offer the bloud of my sacrifice with leavened bread This and the following clause most understand of the Passeover, by comparing this place with its parallel. Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned. But the words being here universal, by the laws of interpretation they ought to be universally understood, if they can bear that sense, which here they may: for both these clauses agree to other sacrifices. For as every sacrifice had a Minchah or a meat-offering of flour attending upon it and offered with it, so it was expresly cautioned, that no leaven should be in that Minchah, Lev. 2. 11. And the fat of every sacrifice was consecrated to God, Lev. 3. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 14, &c. and was presently to be burnt upon the Altar, Lev. 7. 2, 3. And for Exod. 34. 25. what hinders but what is here more generally prescribed, may be there particularly applied to the Passeover? and that seems more reasonable, than to make that an idle repetition of the same thing. And my sacrifice may be here put for my sacrifices, by the common Enallage. Moreover the two principal things which were offered to God in every sacrifice were blood and fat,... v. 17. 6, 11, &c., neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain untill the morning This if understood of the Passeover may seem superfluous, because nothing of it, neither fat nor lean, was to remain until the morning, Exod. 12. 10. but all of it was to be eaten even the purtenance thereof, ver. 9. and that, for ought I see, without any exception of the fat, as there was in other sacrifices, Lev. 3. 16. And therefore in that parallel place, Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned, there is not a word of the fat, but only it is said in the general, neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passeover beleft until the morning. And in that 2 Chron. 35. 14. where there is mention of the fat, it is manifestly restrained to the burnt-offerings, which are there distinguished from the Passeover, ver. 11, 12..

The first of the first-fruits This seems to be a general rule extending to all the fruits which the earth first produced in every kind of which the very first are here enjoyned to be offered unto God, before they should presume to eat any of them. It may seem to be repeated here where the year of rest is mentioned, to teach them the first-fruits were to be given to God of all that the earth produced, not only by their labour and seed, as might be thought from ver. 16. but also of its own accord, as is here implyed. of thy land, thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mothers milk He names one kind, under which he understands a lamb or a calf, &c. according to the use of Scripture-stile. This law many understand literally, and that it is forbidden to them, because the Idolaters had such a custome; whereof yet there seems to be no sufficient proof: nor, if there were, does it seem to be a rite of that importance or probability to entice the Israelites to imitate it, that there needed a particular law against this more than against an hundred such ridiculous usages which were among the heathen, and are not taken notice of in the book of Gods laws. The words may be rendred thus, Thou shalt not seethe or rost (for the word bashal signifies to rost as well as to boyl, as it is evident from Deut. 16. 7. a kid being or whilest it is (which is to be understood, there being nothing more common than an Ellipsis of the verb substantive) in his mothers milk: which it may be said to be, either 1. whilest it sucks its mothers milk, and so it may admit of a twofold interpretation, 1. that this is to be understood of the Passeover, of which most conceive he had now spoken, v. 18. in which they used either a lamb or a kid, Exod. 12. 5. and then the word bashal must be rendred rost, 2. that this speaks not of sacrifice to God, wherein sucking creatures were allowed, Exod. 22. 30. Levit. 22. 27. 1 Sam. 7. 9. but of mans use, and so God ordained this partly because this was unwholesome food, and principally to restrain cruelty, even towards brute-creatures, and luxury in the use of them. Or rather 2. whilest it is very tender and young, rather of a milky than of a fleshy substance, like that young kid of which Iuvenal thus speaks, Qui plus lactis habit quàm sanguinis, i. e. which has more milk than blood in it. And it may be said to be in its mothers milk, by an usual Hypallage, when its mothers milk is in it, i. e. whilest the milk it sucks as it were remains in it undigested and unconverted into flesh, even as a man is oft said to be in the spirit, when indeed the spirit is in him. And what is here indefinitely prohibited, is elsewhere particularly explained and the time defined, to wit, that it be not offered to God before it was eight days old. And this interpretation may receive light and strength from hence, that the law of the first-fruits, which both here and Exod. 34. 26. goes immediately before this law, does in Exod. 22. 30. immediately go before that law of not offering them before the eighth day, which implies, that both of them speak concerning the same thing, to wit, the first-fruits or first-born of the cattel, which were not to be offered to God, while they were in their mothers milk, says this place, or till they were 8 days old, says that place. And consequently, if they might not be offered to God, they might not be used by men for food..

Behold, I send an Angel To wit, Christ, the Angel of the covenant, as may be gathered both from the following words, because pardon of sin, which is Gods prerogative, Mark 2. 7. is here ascribed to him, and Gods name is in him, and by comparing other Scriptures, as Exod. 32. 34. Acts 7. 38, 39. 1 Cor. 10. 9. See Exod. 13. 21. and 14.... 9. before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions (i. e.) He will severely punish you for them, by a common Meiosis, as Exod. 20. 7. Understand, if you continue obstinate in your sins.: for my Name is in him Heb. Is in his inward parts, i. e. is intimately united to him, according to Ioh. 10. 38. I am in the father and the father in me. It not only signifies, that he acts in his name, and by his power and authority, which even the Apostles did, and other Ministers of the Gospel do, and therefore it is unreasonable to think no more is ascribed to this Angel, but that his divine nature or essence is in him, whence he is called the Lord our righteousness, Ier. 23. 6. and God who will not give his glory to another, Isa. 42. 8. has given it to Christ, that all men should honour the son even as they honour the father, Ioh. 5. 23. which never was nor can be said of any Angel without blasphemy. Add to this, that the word name is oft put for the thing or being, whether it be humane or divine, as is manifest from Deut. 28. 58. Psal. 20. 1. and 115. 1. Isa. 30. 27. Act. 1. 15. Revel. 3. 4. and 11. 13. And so it must be here, because this name is not said to be given to him, as it would be, if it were properly taken, but to be in him, or, in his inwards, which agrees well to the Divine nature or essence, but not to the mere name..

But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak All that I have already commanded, and shall further prescribe by him unto Moses., then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, and the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them (i. e.) Give them neither outward worship with thy body, nor inward with thy mind., Nor do after their works (i. e.) Nor follow their example in the worship of Idols.: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them (i. e.) The people, lest thou be ensnared by their counsel or example., and quite break down their images Or, statues, or pillars, or any thing else erected in honour to their false Gods. See Gen. 28. 18. and 35. 20..

And ye shall serve the LORD your God; and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water (i. e.) Thy meat and thy drink, that they shall be able to nourish thee and gi... e thee comfort which without my blessing they will never be able to do.: and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren Here was a double mercy. God gave them strength both to conceive, and to retain the conception, till the natural and proper time of bringing forth came. in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfill I will preserve thee so as thou shalt live as long as the course of nature and temper of thy body will permit, when evil men shall not live out half their days. Psal. 55. 23..

I will send my fear (i. e.) A great terrour, or a terrour wrought by me. See Exod. 33. 2. Iosh. 24. 12. before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

And I will send Hornets Properly so called, as may be gathered from Ios. 24. 12. Deut. 7. 20. Hornets are of themselves very troublesome and mischievous, but these it is very probable were like those Egyptian flies, Exod. 8. 21. of an extraordinary higness and perniciousness. Nor is it strange that such creatures did drive many of these people from their habitations, for many heathen writers give us instances of some people driven from their seats by frogs, others by mice, others by bees and wasps: of which see Herodotus, Diodorus, Plin. Aelian, Iustin, &c. before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite He names these three people, either for all the rest, because they were the most potent about the time of Israels first entrance into Canaan, and gave them most trouble, or because these three were more infested with Hornets than the other Nations, as being more numerous and dangerous. from before thee.

I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate Void of inhabitants in a great measure, because thy present number is not sufficient to occupy and manage their whole land., and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased and inherit the land.

And I will set thy bounds Compare this place with Gen. 15. 18. Numb. 34. 3. from the Red-sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines (i. e.) The Mediterranean or Mid-land sea, upon whose coast the land of the Philistines lay., and from the desert Of Egypt or Arabia: whereof see Gen. 16. 7. Exod. 15. 22. unto the river To wit, Euphrates, as it is expressed, Deut. 1. 7. and 11. 24. which is oft called the river by way of eminency. All within these bounds were given them by God, but upon conditions, which they manifestly broke, and therefore were for the most part confined to a much narrower compass.: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their gods To worship them; as they made a covenant with Iehovah to worship him. The sense is, Thou shalt not engage thy self either to the people or to their Gods, but shalt root out both.:

They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve Or, for thou wilt serve: this will be the fruit of thy cohabitation with them, thou wilst thereby be drawn to Idolatry. their gods, it will surely Or, and assuredly this will. be a snare An occasion of further sin and utter ruine. unto thee.