Exodus 22:16-28

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:24

And my wrath shall wax hot ,.... Against those that afflict them, being so devoid of humanity, compassion, and tenderness, and so guilty of oppression and injustice, which are aggravated by the circumstances of the persons they ill treat, and therefore the more provoking to God: and I will kill you with the sword ; with the sword of death, says the Targum of Jonathan; it designs one of God's sore judgments, the sword of an enemy; the meaning is, that when such evils should become... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:25

If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee , Such only need to borrow money, and to whom it should be freely lent, when it may be to the good of the borrower, and not any injury to the lender: this law, according to the Jewish writers, only respects Israelites, and not Gentiles; agreeably to which is Jarchi's note,"if thou lend, that is, not to a Gentile; and to which of my people? the poor, and to which of the poor? that is with thee:" thou shalt not be to him as an... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:26

If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge ,.... So that it seems that the lender, though he might not impose usury on the borrower, or oblige him to pay interest for what he lent him, yet for the security of his money he might take his clothes, either his bed clothes or wearing apparel, or any instruments or goods of his; but when he did, he was bound to what follows: thou shalt deliver it to him by that the sun goeth down ; the reason of which appears in the next verse, with... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:27

For that is his covering only ,.... All that he has to cover him, the only covering he has when he lies down to sleep; and therefore should be restored to him by the time of sunset, at which time he returns from his labour; and after some refreshment retires to his bed for rest, when his covering will be necessary: it is his raiment for his skin ; which is next to his skin, and covers his naked body, as it is when he lies down to sleep; and therefore if not returned, he must lie naked... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:28

Thou shalt not revile the gods ,.... Meaning not the idols of the Gentiles, which they reckon gods, and worship as such; which is the sense of Philo, and some others, particularly Josephus F9 Antiqu. l. 4. c. 8. sect. 10. Contr. Apion. 1. 2. c. 33. , who, to curry favour with the Roman emperors given to idolatry, has from hence inserted the following among the laws given to Moses;"let no man blaspheme the gods, which other cities think are such, nor rob strange sacred places, nor... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 22:16

If a man entice a maid - This was an exceedingly wise and humane law, and must have operated powerfully against seduction and fornication; because the person who might feel inclined to take the advantage of a young woman knew that he must marry her, and give her a dowry, if her parents consented; and if they did not consent that their daughter should wed her seducer, in this case he was obliged to give her the full dowry which could have been demanded had she been still a virgin. According... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 22:18

Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live - If there had been no witches, such a law as this had never been made. The existence of the law, given under the direction of the Spirit of God, proves the existence of the thing. It has been doubted whether מכשפה mecash - shephah , which we translate witch, really means a person who practiced divination or sorcery by spiritual or infernal agency. Whether the persons thus denominated only pretended to have an art which had no existence, or whether... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 22:19

Lieth with a beast - If this most abominable crime had not been common, it never would have been mentioned in a sacred code of laws. It is very likely that it was an Egyptian practice; and it is certain, from an account in Sonnini's Travels, that it is practiced in Egypt to the present day. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - 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. read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 22:21

Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him - This was not only a very humane law, but it was also the offspring of a sound policy: "Do not vex a stranger; remember ye were strangers. Do not oppress a stranger; remember ye were oppressed. Therefore do unto all men as ye would they should do to you." It was the produce of a sound policy: "Let strangers be well treated among you, and many will come to take refuge among you, and thus the strength of your country will be increased. If... read more

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