Exodus 22:20

_HE THAT SACRIFICETH UNTO ANY GOD, SAVE UNTO THE LORD ONLY, HE SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED._ He that sacrificeth unto any god, save unto the Lord only. Yahweh being the sole object of religious adoration, sacrifice, which constituted a prime element in the ritual of the Israelites, was to be rendered exclusively to His Divine Majesty; and whosoever violated this fundamental principle of the true religion, which was established by covenant with that nation, should be "utterly destroyed" х_ YAACHAARAAM_ (H2763), shall be devoted to God-from _ CHAARAM_ (H2763), to consecrate, to devote a thing, so that it cannot be redeemed: hence, in the Hoph. conj., to be placed under a ban, to be put to death (cf. Leviticus 27:29)]....

Verse Exodus 22:20. _UTTERLY DESTROYED._] The word חרם _cherem_ denotes a thing utterly and finally separated from God and devoted to destruction, without the possibility of redemption....

This was probably an old formula, the sense of which, on its ethical side, is comprised in the first and second commandments. SHALL BE UTTERLY DESTROYED - The Hebrew word here used is חרם _châram_ (i. e. devoted). See Leviticus 27:28....

EXPOSITION II. LAWS CONNECTED WITH RIGHTS OF PROPERTY (verses 33-36). From the consideration of injuries to the person, the legislator proceeds to treat of injuries to property, and, as he has been speaking of cattle under the one head, places cattle in the fore-front of the other. In this chapter two enactments only are made—one providing compensation in the case of a man' s cattle being killed by falling into the pit, or well, of a neighbour (verses 33, 34); and the other making provision for the case of one man' s cattle killing the cattle of another (verses 35, 36) EXODUS 21:33 IF A MAN SHALL OPEN A PIT. Rather, "If a man shall uncover a cistern." Cisterns, very necessary in Palestine, were usually closed by a

HE THAT SACRIFICETH UNTO [ANY] GOD,.... To Elohim, to strange gods, to the idols of the people, as the Targum of Jonathan; to the Egyptian deities, to the gods of the Moabites, Amorites, Edomites, Canaanites, Philistines, or any other: Aben Ezra says the word Elohim comprehends angels; and by the exceptive clause it is plain it takes in all that had been, were, or ever would be the objects of idolatrous worship, especially the sun, moon, and stars, the principal objects of worship in those days: SAVE UNTO THE LORD ONLY; the true and living God; Jehovah, the self-existent, immutable, and eternal Being; the Creator of all things, the possessor of heaven and earth, the most high God, and the only one: sacrificing takes in all the acts of service performed to an idol as to the true God, as offering incense, pouring out a libation, as well as slaying and burning an animal as Jarchi observes:...

CHAPTER 22 FURTHER JUDGMENTS _ 1. Concerning theft (Exodus 22:1)_ 2. Concerning neglect in case of fire (Exodus 22:6) 3. Concerning dishonesty (Exodus 22:7) 4. Concerning immoralities and forbidden things (Exodus 22:16) 5. Concerning oppression (Exodus 22:21) 6. Concerning offerings to God (Exodus 22:29) These laws need no further comment; they are good and just. The wisdom of them is the wisdom from above. We call atte

EXODUS 22:18 E. VARIOUS ORDINANCES. From this point up to Exodus 23:9 we have to do with miscellaneous laws, differing in the main both in form and substance from the Judgments, and therefore here regarded as belonging to the Book of the Covenant. But they may have come independently of either code. The death penalty for a sorceress (Exodus 22:18) sounds unduly severe, and this law may be taken as a classical instance of the progressive nature of revelation. Conditions change, and conscience gains light: hence Hebrew laws must not, it is at last perceived, bind Christian men, unless ratified afresh by the conscience. For lack of this perception witches were executed up to...

SACRIFLEETH. Hebrew. _cabach._ App-43....

Exodus 20:22 to Exodus 23:33 _The Book of the Covenant_ The -Book of the Covenant" (see Exodus 24:7 in explanation of the name) is the oldest piece of Hebrew legislation that we possess. The laws contained in it are spoken of in Exodus 24:3 as consisting of two elements, the WORDS (or commands) and the JUDGEMENTS: the JUDGEMENTS (see on Exodus 21:1) are the provisions relating to civil and criminal law, prescribing what is to be done when particular cases arise, and comprised in...

HE THAT SACRIFICETH— A particular species of worship is here used to express worship in general: it means, he that payeth any religious honour,—_shall be utterly destroyed;_ delivered to death, Deuteronomy 13:15; Deuteronomy 17:2. Houbigant observes here, that the Samaritan reading is the best: _he that sacrificeth to strange gods, shall be devoted to death._...