EXODUS CHAPTER 23 False witness and report forbidden, EXODUS 23:1. Right must not be wrested, EXODUS 23:2. He commands man to do good to his enemies, EXODUS 23:3. Bribes are forbidden, EXODUS 23:8. The years of sowing appointed, and gathering, EXODUS 23:10. Of the seventh year, which is the year of... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT NOT FOLLOW A MULTITUDE, either their counsel or example. But the Hebrew _rabbin_ both here and in the following clause is by some rendered _great men_, men in power and authority, whom we are commanded not to _follow_. And as the word is thus used JOB 32:9 JEREMIAH 41:1, so this sense may... [ Continue Reading ]
Heb. _honour_, i.e. respect, or prefer his cause when the richer man's cause is more just: the meaning of this and the former verse is, there shall be no respect of persons, whether rich or poor, but an impartial consideration of the cause. See LEVITICUS 19:15 PSALMS 72:1,2.... [ Continue Reading ]
So far shalt thou be from revenging his injuries, that thou shalt render good to him for them, whereby if thou dost not reconcile him, thou wilt procure peace to thyself, and honour to religion.... [ Continue Reading ]
This translation depends upon this supposition, that the Hebrew verb _azab_, which is thrice used in this verse, signifies not only to leave, but also to _help_, or _erect_, or _lift up_, or _strengthen_, or _restore_; which signification of the verb may be proved, 1. From that use of it, NEHEMIAH... [ Continue Reading ]
i.e. Of the poor which is among thee, not of the poor Jews only, as some peradventure may conceive; for common right must be done even to the Gentiles. Compare DEUTERONOMY 27:19.... [ Continue Reading ]
KEEP THEE FAR, i.e. abstain from all occasions, degrees, or appearances of it. Compare JOB 22:23 PROVERBS 4:14,15. A FALSE MATTER, i.e. an unrighteous judgment; for he is speaking to the judges, as appears both by the foregoing and following verses. SLAY THOU NOT; condemn not to death, nor to any ot... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT TAKE NO GIFT, namely, from such whose causes are depending before thee; because if thou dost not sell justice for it, yet thou wilt both seem to do so, and be tempted to do so. Compare DEUTERONOMY 16:19 1 SAMUEL 8:3 PROVERBS 17:8,23 PROVERBS 19:6. THE WISE, or, the _open-eyed_, and quick-... [ Continue Reading ]
Ver. 9: THE HEART OF A STRANGER, i.e. the disposition, dejection, and distress of his heart, which makes him an object of pity, not of malice or mischief.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
THOU SHALT LET IT REST, AND LIE STILL, i.e. from manuring, ploughing, tilling, and sowing, and reaping also, by comparing LEVITICUS 25:3. And this God ordained not only for the reason here mentioned, the more comfortable provision of the poor, and for the cattle, but for other weighty reasons; as,... [ Continue Reading ]
This command is here repeated, lest any should think the weekly rest might cease when the whole year was consecrated to rest. There were three sorts of sabbaths to the Jews: 1. Of days. 2. Of years, to wit; the seventh year. 3. Of weeks of years, to wit, the jubilee; and all these are types of th... [ Continue Reading ]
MAKE NO MENTION, to wit, with honour or delight, or without detestation; as _fornication is not to be named among saints_, EPHESIANS 5:3. Or, _not mention_ them in your worship, or in oaths, or in common discourse, and without special occasion, lest the frequent mention of them might keep up their m... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
This may be either, 1. A precept, as it is generally understood, that none should ever come at those times without some offering or other, for the support of the Levites, and of the worship of God; but the determination of this, or what they would give, was left to their choice. Or, 2. A promise t... [ Continue Reading ]
THE FEAST OF HARVEST, i.e. of wheat harvest, for barley harvest was before this time. This feast was otherwise called pentecost. QUEST. How were these the first-fruits, when a sheaf was offered to God in the feast of the passover? ANSW. That sheaf was generally of barley, which was less considerable... [ Continue Reading ]
To wit, such as are of competent years, and health, and strength, and such as were at their own dispose; for that servants were not bound to this may seem probable, because none of these concerned were to appear before the Lord empty, or without an offering, but the generality of servants had not an... [ Continue Reading ]
These clauses most understand of the passover, by comparing this place with its parallel, EXODUS 34:25, where the passover is mentioned. But the words being here universal, by the laws of interpretation they ought to be universally understood, if they can bear that sense; which here they may, for bo... [ Continue Reading ]
This seems to be a general rule, extending to all the fruits which the earth first produced; in every kind of which the very first are here enjoined to be offered unto God, before they should presume to eat any of them. It may seem to be repeated here, where the year of rest is mentioned to leach th... [ Continue Reading ]
To wit, Christ, the Angel of the covenant, as may be gathered both from the following words, because pardon of sin, which is God's prerogative, MARK 2:7, is here ascribed to him, and God's _name is in him_, and by comparing other scriptures, as EXODUS 32:34 ACTS 7:38,39 1 CORINTHIANS 10:9. See EXODU... [ Continue Reading ]
HE WILL NOT PARDON YOUR TRANSGRESSIONS, i.e. he will severely punish you for them, by a common meiosis, as EXODUS 20:7. Understand, if you continue obstinate in your sins. MY NAME IS IN HIM, Heb. _is in his inward parts_, i.e. is intimately united to him, according to 1 THESSALONIANS 14:11, I AM IN... [ Continue Reading ]
ALL THAT I SPEAK; all that I have already commanded, and shall further prescribe by him unto Moses.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
_ Thou shalt not bow down nor serve them_, i.e. give them neither outward worship with thy body, nor inward with thy mind, nor follow their example in the worship of idols. _Them shalt overthrow them_, i.e. the people, lest thou be insnared by their counsel or example, and quite break down their ima... [ Continue Reading ]
THY BREAD AND THY WATER, i.e. thy meat and thy drink, that they shall be able to nourish thee, and give thee comfort, which without my blessing they will never be able to do.... [ Continue Reading ]
Here was a double mercy. God gave them strength both to conceive, and to retain the conception till the natural and proper time of bringing forth came. THE NUMBER OF THY DAYS I WILL FULFIL; I will preserve thee so as thou shalt live as long as the course of nature and temper of thy body will permit,... [ Continue Reading ]
MY FEAR, i.e. a great terror, or a terror wrought by me. See EXODUS 33:2 JOSHUA 24:12... [ Continue Reading ]
HORNETS, properly so called, as may be gathered from JOSHUA 24:12 DEUTERONOMY 7:20. Hornets are of themselves very troublesome and mischievous; but these it is very probable were like those Egyptian flies, EXODUS 8:21, of an extraordinary bigness and perniciousness. Nor is it strange that such creat... [ Continue Reading ]
DESOLATE, void of inhabitants in a great measure, because thy present number is not sufficient to occupy and manage their whole land.... [ Continue Reading ]
No text from Poole on this verse.... [ Continue Reading ]
Compare this place with GENESIS 15:18 NUMBERS 34:3. The sea of the Philistines, i.e. the Mediterranean or midland sea, upon whose coast the land of the Philistines lay. The desert, of Egypt or Arabia; whereof see GENESIS 16:7 EXODUS 15:22. The river, to wit, Euphrates, as it is expressed DEUTERONOMY... [ Continue Reading ]
To worship them, as they made a covenant with Jehovah to worship him. The sense is, Thou shalt not engage thyself, either to the people or to their gods, but shalt root out both.... [ Continue Reading ]
FOR IF THOU SERVE; or, _for thou wilt serve_; this will be the fruit of thy cohabitation with them, thou wilt thereby be drawn to idolatry. IT WILL SURELY, or, and _assuredly this will be a snare_; an occasion of further sin and utter ruin.... [ Continue Reading ]