Focused Passage

Exodus 23:1-9

Justice, Sabbath Mercy, Festivals, and Covenant Faithfulness

The chapter moves from commands about truthful justice and impartial courts, to mercy toward enemies and vulnerable workers, to Sabbath and sabbatical rest, to Israel’s festival calendar, to worship instructions, and finally to covenant promises and warnings concerning the angel of the LORD, conquest, idolatry, and life in the promised land.

Berean Standard Bible, Public Domain - Translation notes - Reference sources

1“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.

2You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.

3And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

4If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

5If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

6You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.

7Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.

8Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

9Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Study Helps

References and Original Words

Verse 1

Original words

You shall notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particlespreadתִשָּׂ֖אH5375Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singulara falseשָׁ֑וְאH7723Noun - masculine singularreportשֵׁ֣מַעH8088Noun - masculine singular constructDo notאַל־H408Adverbjoinתָּ֤שֶׁתH7896Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular. . .יָֽדְךָ֙H3027Noun - feminine singular construct | second person masculine singular. . .עִם־H5973Prepositionthe wickedרָשָׁ֔עH7563Adjective - masculine singularby beingלִהְיֹ֖תH1961Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructa maliciousחָמָֽס׃סH2555Noun - masculine singularwitnessעֵ֥דH5707Noun - masculine singular construct
Verse 2

Original words

You shall notלֹֽא־H3808Adverb - Negative particlefollowתִהְיֶ֥הH1961Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular. . .אַחֲרֵֽי־H310Prepositionthe crowdרַבִּ֖יםH7227Adjective - masculine pluralin wrongdoingלְרָעֹ֑תH7451Preposition-l | Noun - feminine pluralWhen you testifyתַעֲנֶ֣הH6030Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularinעַל־H5921Prepositiona lawsuitרִ֗בH7379Noun - masculine singulardo notוְלֹא־H3808Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particlepervert justiceלְהַטֹּֽת׃H5186Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive constructby sidingלִנְטֹ֛תH5186Preposition-l | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructwithאַחֲרֵ֥יH310Prepositionthe crowdרַבִּ֖יםH7227Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 3

Original words

And do notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particleshow favoritismתֶהְדַּ֖רH1921Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularto a poor manוְדָ֕לH1800Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singular constructin his lawsuitבְּרִיבֽוֹ׃סH7379Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 4

Original words

Ifכִּ֣יH3588Conjunctionyou encounterתִפְגַּ֞עH6293Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularyour enemy’sאֹֽיִבְךָ֛H341Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularstrayתֹּעֶ֑הH8582Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularoxשׁ֧וֹרH7794Noun - masculine singular constructorא֥וֹH176Conjunctiondonkeyחֲמֹר֖וֹH2543Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singularyou must return itהָשֵׁ֥בH7725Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute. . .תְּשִׁיבֶ֖נּוּH7725Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singularto himלֽוֹ׃סPreposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 5

Original words

Ifכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionyou seeתִרְאֶ֞הH7200Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularthe donkeyחֲמ֣וֹרH2543Noun - masculine singular constructof one who hates youשֹׂנַאֲךָ֗H8130Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularfallenרֹבֵץ֙H7257Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singularunderתַּ֣חַתH8478Prepositionits loadמַשָּׂא֔וֹH4853Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singulardo notוְחָדַלְתָּ֖H2308Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singularleaveמֵעֲזֹ֣בH5800Preposition-m | Verb - Qal - Infinitive constructit thereל֑וֹPreposition | third person masculine singularyou must help himעָזֹ֥בH5800Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute. . .תַּעֲזֹ֖בH5800Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularwith itעִמּֽוֹ׃סH5973Preposition | third person masculine singular
Verse 6

Original words

You shall notלֹ֥אH3808Adverb - Negative particledenyתַטֶּ֛הH5186Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singularjusticeמִשְׁפַּ֥טH4941Noun - masculine singular constructto the poorאֶבְיֹנְךָ֖H34Adjective - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singularin their lawsuitsבְּרִיבֽוֹ׃H7379Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Verse 7

Original words

Stay far awayתִּרְחָ֑קH7368Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularfrom a falseשֶׁ֖קֶרH8267Noun - masculine singularaccusationמִדְּבַר־H1697Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular constructDo notאַֽל־H408Adverbkillתַּהֲרֹ֔גH2026Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singularthe innocentוְנָקִ֤יH5355Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularor the justוְצַדִּיק֙H6662Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine singularforכִּ֥יH3588ConjunctionI will notלֹא־H3808Adverb - Negative particleacquitאַצְדִּ֖יקH6663Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singularthe guiltyרָשָֽׁע׃H7563Adjective - masculine singular
Verse 8

Original words

Do notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleacceptתִקָּ֑חH3947Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singulara bribeוְשֹׁ֖חַדH7810Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularforכִּ֤יH3588Conjunctiona bribeהַשֹּׁ֙חַד֙H7810Article | Noun - masculine singularblindsיְעַוֵּ֣רH5786Verb - Piel - Imperfect - third person masculine singularthose who seeפִּקְחִ֔יםH6493Adjective - masculine pluraland twistsוִֽיסַלֵּ֖ףH5557Conjunctive waw | Verb - Piel - Conjunctive imperfect - third person masculine singularthe wordsדִּבְרֵ֥יH1697Noun - masculine plural constructof the righteousצַדִּיקִֽים׃H6662Adjective - masculine plural
Verse 9

Original words

Do notלֹ֣אH3808Adverb - Negative particleoppressתִלְחָ֑ץH3905Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singulara foreign residentוְגֵ֖רH1616Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singularsince youוְאַתֶּ֗םH859Conjunctive waw | Pronoun - second person masculine pluralyourselves knowיְדַעְתֶּם֙H3045Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural-אֶת־H853Direct object marker-נֶ֣פֶשׁH5315Noun - feminine singular constructhow it feels to be foreignersהַגֵּ֔רH1616Article | Noun - masculine singularforכִּֽי־H3588Conjunctionyou wereהֱיִיתֶ֖םH1961Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine pluralforeignersגֵרִ֥יםH1616Noun - masculine pluralin the landבְּאֶ֥רֶץH776Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular constructof Egyptמִצְרָֽיִם׃H4714Noun - proper - feminine singular

Berean Standard Bible (BSB): CC0 Public Domain Scripture text. Focused passages are drawn from the same reader contract as the full chapter. Reference sources explains external study-link sources.