Exodus 22:30

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Exodus 22:25-31

Here is, I. A law against extortion in lending. 1. They must not receive use for money from any that borrowed for necessity (Exod. 22:25), as in that case, Neh. 5:5, 7. And such provision the law made for the preservation of estates to their families by the year of jubilee that a people who had little concern in trade could not be supposed to borrow money but for necessity, and therefore it is generally forbidden among themselves; but to a stranger, whom yet they might not oppress, they were... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:30

Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep ,.... That is, with the firstborn, which were to be set apart to the Lord; and so the Targum of Jonathan paraphrases it,"the firstborn of thine oxen, and of thy sheep;'for having spoken of the firstborn of men, the Scripture proceeds to speak of the firstborn of cattle, great and small, the separation of which was enjoined in one and the same precept, Exodus 13:2 , seven days it shall be with his dam ; whether it be a calf or a... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Exodus 22:30

Seven days it shall be with his dam - For the mother's health it was necessary that the young one should suck so long; and prior to this time the process of nutrition in a young animal can scarcely be considered as completely formed. Among the Romans lambs were not considered as pure or clean before the eighth day; nor calves before the thirtieth: Pecoris faetus die octavo purus est, bovis trigesimo - Plin. Hist. Nat., lib. viii. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 22:1-31

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 flat-stone, or a number of planks. To obtain water from them, they had to be uncovered; but it was the duty of the man who uncovered them, to replace the covering when his wants were satisfied. Or dig a pit and not cover it . A man who was making a cistern might neglect to cover it while it was in course of construction, or even... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 22:16-31

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 22:29-30

Law concerning first-fruits . God required as first-fruits from his people, 1 . The first-born of their children; 2 . The firstborn of all their cattle; and 3 . The first of all the produce of their lands, whether wet or dry; wine, oil, grain of all kinds, and fruits. The first-born of their children were to be redeemed by a money payment ( Exodus 13:13 ; Numbers 3:46-48 ); but the rest was to be offered in sacrifice. The phrase, "thou shalt not delay ," implies that... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 22:29-31

Jehovah's dues. These, as part of the law's righteousness, are to be faithfully rendered. Let us not forget, when reflecting on what is due from man to man, to reflect also on what is due from man to God. When inwardly boasting of conscientiousness in rendering to every man his own, let us ask if we have been equally scrupulous in the discharge of our obligations to our Maker. In all spheres of life God claims of our first and best (see on Exodus 13:2 , Exodus 13:12 ). God's highest... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Exodus 22:30

Seven days it shall be with its dam . See Le Exodus 22:27 . The main object is that the darn may have during that time the natural relief derivable from suckling its off-spring. On the eighth day thou shalt give it me . Some analogy may be traced between this proviso and the law of circumcision. Birth was viewed as an unclean process, and nothing was fit for presentation to God excepting after an interval. read more

Albert Barnes

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Whole Bible - Exodus 22:29-30

The offering of firstfruits appears to have been a custom of primitive antiquity and was connected with the earliest acts of sacrifice. See Genesis 4:3-4. The references to it here and in Exodus 23:19 had probably been handed down from patriarchal times. The specific law relating to the firstborn of living creatures was brought out in a strong light in connection with the deliverance from Egypt Exodus 13:2, Exodus 13:12-13; compare Exodus 23:19; Leviticus 22:27; Deuteronomy 26:2-11; Nehemiah... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Exodus 22:18-31

Miscellaneous matters (22:18-23:19)Israelite law prohibited pagan customs and religious practices that threatened the nation’s spiritual life. The penalty for such offences was usually death (18-20). The Israelite people were to remember their own bitter experiences in Egypt and show mercy to the disadvantaged. The law against charging interest on a loan was designed to encourage the rich to help the poor instead of exploiting them (21-27). (For the contrast between lending that is greedy... read more

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