Exodus 22:22-24 - Exposition

Law against oppressing widows and orphans . With the stranger are naturally placed the widow and orphan; like him, weak and defenceless; like him, special objects of God's care. The negative precept here given was followed up by numerous positive enactments in favour of the widow and the orphan, which much ameliorated their sad lot. (See Exodus 23:11 ; Le Exodus 19:9 , Exodus 19:10 ; Deuteronomy 14:29 ; Deuteronomy 16:11 , Deuteronomy 16:14 ; Deuteronomy 24:19-21 ; Deuteronomy 26:12 , Deuteronomy 26:13 .) On the whole, these laws appear to have been fairly well observed by the Israelites; but there were times when, in spite of them, poor widows suffered much oppression. (See Psalms 94:6 ; Isaiah 1:23 ; Isaiah 10:2 ; Jeremiah 7:3-6 ; Jeremiah 22:3 ; Zechariah 7:10 ; Malachi 3:5 ; Matthew 23:14 .) The prophets denounce this backsliding in the strongest terms.