Exodus 22:23

_YE SHALL NOT AFFLICT ANY WIDOW, OR FATHERLESS CHILD._ Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child, х_ LO'_ (H3808) _ Tª`ANUWN_ (H6031)] - ye shall not afflict or humble. The word implies cold neglect as well as bad usage [Septuagint, ou kakoosete] - ye shall not do any ill. The law took particular care of all whom death had deprived of their natural guardians (Deuteronomy 14:28; Deuteronomy 26:12; Isaiah 1:17); and God declared that any cruelty exercised towards such helpless objects would be punished in retributive justice by His own hand as the avenger of their cause ...

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

IF THOU AFFLICT THEM IN ANY WISE,..... In any way, or by any means whatever; their minds, by reproaches, censures, insults, and their bodies by stripes, false imprisonment, c. and in their substance, by withholding from them what belongs to them, taking what they have, or cheating and defrauding them in any respect or, "in afflicting afflict them" e; afflict them much, and continue to do so: AND THEY CRY AT ALL UNTO ME; in prayer, as the Targum of Jonathan; or, "in crying cry" f; cry vehemently, or importunately, and with constancy, or rather, cry ever so little: I WILL SURELY HEAR THEIR CRY; the voice of their prayer, as the same Targum; or, "in hearing I will hear" g; will certainly take notice of their cries, and return an answer to them, by appearing on their side, and avenging their injuries; for God is the Father of the fatherless, and the husband of the widow, and the Judge of t...

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...

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...

THE TEXT OF EXODUS TRANSLATION 22 IF A MAN SHALL STEAL AN OX, OR A SHEEP, AND KILL IT, OR SELL IT; HE SHALL PAY FIVE OXEN FOR AN OX, AND FOUR SHEEP FOR A SHEEP. (2) IF THE THIEF BE FOUND BREAKING IN, AND BE SMITTEN SO THAT HE DIETH, THERE SHALL BE NO BLOODGUILTINESS FOR HIM. (3) IF THE SUN BE RISEN UPON HIM, THERE SHALL BE BLOODGUILTINESS FOR HIM; HE SHALL MAKE RESTITUTION: IF HE HAVE NOTHING, THEN HE SHALL BE SOLD FOR HIS THEFT. (4) IF THE THEFT BE FOUND IN HIS HAND ALIVE, WHETHER IT BE OX, OR ASS, OR SHEEP; HE SHALL PAY DOUBLE. (5) If a man shall cause a field or vineyard to be eaten, and shall let his beast loose, and it feed in another man's field; of the best of his own field, and of the best of his own vineyard, shall he make restitution. (6) If fire break out, and catch in thorns, so that the shocks of grain, or the standing grain, or the field are consumed; he that kindled the f...

THE BOOK OF THE COVENANT (CONTINUED) 1. Four sheep] The larger compensation required in the case of the ox is probably due to the fact that it is an animal used for labour, and of proportionately higher value, therefore, than a sheep: cp. 2 Samuel 12:6....

EXODUS: *ISRAEL BECOMES A NATION GOD’S INSTRUCTIONS TO MOSES EXODUS CHAPTER S 19 TO 40 _HILDA BRIGHT AND KITTY PRIDE_ CHAPTER 22 LAWS ABOUT PROPERTY – VERSES 1-15 V1 The *LORD continued to speak to Moses. ‘Perhaps someone stole a cow or a sheep. Then the thief kills the animal. Or perhaps he sells it. Then he must pay back 5 cows if he stole 1 cow. And he must pay back 4 sheep if he stole 1 sheep.’ V2 ‘Suppose that someone catches a thief. The thief was breaking into his house and the owner hits him. But he hits the thief so hard that the thief dies. If this happens at night, the owner is not guilty. V3 But if it happens during the day, then the owner is guilty.

MISCELLANEOUS LAWS. (16-31) The remainder of the chapter contains laws which it is impossible to bring under any general head or heads, and which can, therefore, only be regarded as miscellaneous. Moses may have recorded them in the order in which they were delivered to him; or have committed them to writing as they afterwards occurred to his memory....