Exodus 23

King James Version

Full text for Exodus Chapter 23

1¶ Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

2Thou shalt not follow a multitude to [do] evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest [judgment]:

3Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

4If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

5If 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.

6Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.

8And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

9Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

10¶ And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:

11But the seventh [year] thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, [and] with thy oliveyard.

12Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.

13And in all [things] that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

14Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.

15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I 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:)

16And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, [which is] in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.

17Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD.

18Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.

19The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother's milk.

20¶ Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

21Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name [is] in him.

22But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

23For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.

24Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.

25And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

26There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.

27I will send my fear 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.

28And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.

29I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

30By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.

31And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

32Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.

33They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

AI Analysis

AI Summaries

Short Summary

Exodus 23 outlines various civil and religious laws for Israel. It emphasizes justice, compassion, and the observance of Sabbaths and three annual feasts. The chapter concludes with God's promise to send an Angel to guide Israel into the Promised Land, assuring victory and blessings contingent upon their obedience and avoidance of idolatry.

Medium Summary

Exodus 23 presents a collection of statutes concerning righteous conduct and worship. It begins with principles of justice, forbidding false reports, partiality, and bribery, while commanding compassion even towards enemies and strangers. The chapter then establishes the Sabbatical year for the land and the weekly Sabbath for rest, including for servants and animals. Instructions are given for three annual feasts—the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest, and the Feast of Ingathering—requiring all males to appear before the Lord. Finally, God promises to send an Angel to lead Israel into Canaan, driving out the inhabitants gradually. This divine assistance and blessing, including protection from sickness and barrenness, are conditional upon Israel's strict obedience to God's commands and their complete rejection and destruction of the pagan gods and practices of the land.

Long Summary

Exodus 23 details a series of divine ordinances covering legal, social, and religious aspects of Israelite life. It commences with injunctions against spreading false reports, joining the wicked in testimony, and perverting justice, emphasizing impartiality even for the poor. Compassion is extended even to enemies, requiring assistance for their distressed animals, and the oppression of strangers is forbidden, recalling Israel's own experience in Egypt. The chapter then shifts to agricultural and weekly observances, instituting the Sabbatical year where the land rests every seventh year for the benefit of the poor and beasts, and reiterating the weekly Sabbath for rest for all, including servants and animals. Strict adherence to these commands and the avoidance of mentioning other gods are underscored. Further religious statutes include the command to observe three annual feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, commemorating the exodus; the Feast of Harvest, celebrating the firstfruits; and the Feast of Ingathering, marking the end of the agricultural year. Specific rules for sacrifices, such as not offering blood with leavened bread and bringing firstfruits to the Lord, are also given. The latter part of the chapter contains significant promises and warnings regarding the conquest of Canaan. God pledges to send an Angel to guide and protect Israel, promising to be an adversary to their enemies and to drive out the native inhabitants. This divine aid is contingent upon Israel's obedience to the Angel's voice and God's commands, including the complete destruction of pagan gods and their images. Blessings of provision, health, and fertility are assured, alongside a gradual conquest of the land. However, Israel is strictly warned against making covenants with the inhabitants or their gods, lest they be ensnared into idolatry and sin against the Lord.

Core Concepts

  • Impartial JusticeThe chapter emphasizes fair and unbiased judgment, forbidding false reports, bribery, and showing partiality to any party, whether rich or poor, in legal matters.
  • Sabbatical ObservancesCommands are given for the weekly Sabbath, providing rest for all, and the Sabbatical year, where the land is to lie fallow every seventh year for the benefit of the poor and wild animals.
  • Three Annual FeastsIsrael is commanded to observe three specific annual feasts: the Feast of Unleavened Bread, the Feast of Harvest (Firstfruits), and the Feast of Ingathering, requiring all males to appear before the Lord.
  • Divine Guidance and ProtectionGod promises to send an Angel before Israel to keep them in the way and bring them into the promised land, assuring victory over their enemies.
  • Rejection of IdolatryA strict command is given to utterly overthrow and break down the images of other gods, forbidding any worship, service, or covenant with them or their adherents.
  • Conditional BlessingsGod's blessings, including provision, health, fertility, and victory, are explicitly tied to Israel's obedience to His voice and commands, particularly regarding the Angel and the destruction of idolatry.
  • Gradual ConquestGod declares that the inhabitants of the land will be driven out gradually, not in one year, to prevent the land from becoming desolate and overrun by wild beasts.