Exodus 22:28

Reverence to be shewn to God, and to those in authority.

revile the word (ḳâlal) usually rendered curse(e.g. Exodus 21:17): here represented by revile, because of the syn. ("ârar) in v.28b.

God The paraphrase judges(RVm.) is not here admissible; for though -to go to God" might mean to go to the judges, as the representatives or spokesmen of God, this would not justify -God" in any connexion being taken to signify judges. LXX. θεούς, Vulg. diis, AV. the gods; and so Jos. Ant.iv. 8, 10, c. Ap.ii. 33, and Philo, Vit. Mos.iii. p. 166, de Mon.i. p. 219 (cited by Kn.), understanding the passage, in a sense agreeable the circumstances of their own time, of heathen gods: but this, rough quite legitimate grammatically, would make the precept one very alien to the spirit of the OT.

a ruler lit. one lifted up, i.e. placed above others in a position of authority. A word very common (see on Exodus 16:12) in P and Ezek., but rare elsewhere. The command is quoted by St Paul in Acts 23:5, almost exactly as it stands in the LXX. Cf. Proverbs 24:21, Rom 13:1, 1 Peter 1:17; 1 Peter 2:13.