Matthew Poole and continuators on Exodus 23

1 THou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.

Heb. not take up, to wit, into thy mouth, as Exod. 20. 7. either by the first raising, or further spreading, of it: or, not bear, or endure, as that word oft signifies; not hear it patiently, delightfully, readily, approvingly, as persons are very apt to do, but rather shalt discourage and reprove the spreader of it, according to Prov. 25. 23. Possibly the holy Ghost might chuse a word of such general signification to shew that all these things were forbidden.

(i. e.) Not conspire or agree with them, which is signified by joyning hands, Prov. 11. 21. not give them an helping hand in it, not incourage them to it by gifts or promises, not assist them by counsel or interest. Others not swear with them. But swearing is not noted by putting the hand, but by lifting it up.

Marginal references: Psal. 15. 3.; Or, receive.

2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil : neither [illegible: 1 word] thou speak in a cause, to decline after many, to wrest judgment .

Either their counsel or example. But the Hebrew rabbim both here and in the following clause is by some rendred great men, men in power and authority, whom we are commanded not to follow. And as the word is thus used, Iob 32. 9. Ier. 41. 1. so this sence may seem most probable: 1. because in the last clause he speaks of causes or controversies, as the Hebrew rib signifies and matters of judgment, which were not determined by the multitude, but by great men. 2. because these are opposed to the poor in the next verse. 3. because the examples of such men are most prevalent.

Either in general, or particularly, to work mischief, to oppress or crush another.

Heb. answer, when thou art summoned as a witness in any cause.

Or, to turn aside right, or, to pervert thy self, the verb being taken reciprocally, as Hiphil is oft put for Hithpahel, or, which is all one, to do perversly, i. e. unrighteously.

Marginal references: Lev. 19. 15. Deut. 1. 17.; Heb. answer.

3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

Heb. Honour, i. e. respect, or prefer, his cause, when the richer mans 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 Levit. 19. 15. Psal. 72. 1, 2.

4 If thou meet thine enemies oxe or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.

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 wilst procure peace to thy self, and honour to Religion.

Marginal references: Deut. 22. 1. Job 24. 3. Prov. 24. 17. & 25. 21. Mat. 5. 44. Rom. 12. 20.

5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee, lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him; thou shalt surely help with him .

This translation depends upon this supposition, that the Hebrew verb azab, which is thrice used in this verse, signifies not onely to leave, but also to help, or erect, or li[illegible: 1+ letters]t up or strengthen or restore: which signification of the verb may be proved, 1. from that use of it Nehem▪ 3. 8. and 4. 2. 2. from the parallel place, Deut. 22. 4. where instead of this verb, azab▪ is hakim which is properly to [illegible: 1 word] or li[illegible: 1+ letters]t up. But if the verb did signifie onely to leave, it may be thus rendred according to the Hebrew words, then or therefore, or surely, (for all these ways the Hebrew particle Van is used) thou shalt forbear to leave it, to wit, the ass groaning under his burden, or the lifting up of the ass and burden, to him alone: but if thou wilst be leaving, I will appoint thee a better object for it, thou shalt surely leave or lay aside what thou hast against him, i. e. whatsoever controversie thou hast with him, that shall not hinder thee from succouring him or his in any distress. The Hebrew preposition, i[illegible: 1+ letters], doth oft signifie against, as Gen. 26. 20. Psal. 85. 4. and 94. 16. Hos. 9. 8. And it is a concise or short way of speaking, which is very common in the Hebrew language, against him for, what thou hast against him. Or thus, and wouldest forbear to leave, to wit, thy business which thou art going about, for him, i. e. for the sake of him who is thine enemy, as the Hebrew preposition, lamed, is oft used, as Exod. 14. 25. Numb. 25. 13. Ios. 10. 14. &c. thou shalt repress those malitious desires, and thou shalt surely leave it to be or to tarry or to help with him to lift up the ass. So there is onely an Ellipsis of the verb, which is most common in the Hebrew tongue.

Marginal references: Deut. 22. 4.; Or, wilt thou cease to help him? and wouldest▪ cease to leave thy business for him: thou shalt surely leave it to join with him.

6 Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

(i. e.) Of the poor which is among thee, not of the poor Iews onely, as some peradventure may conceive, for common right must be done even to the Gentiles. Compare Deut. 27. 19.

7 Keep thee far from a false matter : and the innocent and righteous slay thou not : for I will not justifie the wicked .

(i. e.) Abstain from all occasions, degrees, or appearances of it. Compare Iob 22. 23. Prov. 4. 14, 15.

(i. e.) An unrighteous judgment: for he is speaking to the Judges, as appears both by the foregoing and following verses.

Condemn not to death, nor to any other unjust penalty, for the same reason.

And therefore not condemn the innocent, one contrary being here understood from the other, as is frequent in the book of the Proverbs, and what I do not, thou who actest in my name and stead shouldest not do. Or rather thus, Know O Judge, for to such he speaks, if thou dost pronounce such a wicked sentence, I will not justifie thee, or hold thee guiltless, i. e. I will severely punish thee, as Exod. 20. 7.

Marginal references: chap. 34. [illegible: 1+ letters].

8 And thou shalt▪ take no gift : for the gift blindeth the w of , and perverteth the words of the righteous .

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 Deut. 16. 19. 1 Sam. 8. 3▪ Prov. 17. 8, 23. and 19. 6.

Or, the open eyed, the quick-sighted, who in this case cannot see, partly because they will not see, and partly because interest and affection do exceedingly corrupt the judgment, and render it very partial.

(i. e.) The judgment of the righteous Judges, i. e. of them who before were such and are enclined to be so, and probably would be so, were they not tempted with bribes, or, of them who by their place should be righteous. So they are called righteous to admonish them of their duty to be so, and to aggravate their sin when they are unrighteous, and consequently to aggravate the mischief of gifts, which make those unrighteous whose office obligeth them to be righteous. Or thus, the matters or causes of the righteous, which may be understood not of the Judges, but of the parties pleading, whose righteous cause is by this means perverted by the Judge, and a wrong sentence given.

Marginal references: Eccl. 20. 28.; Heb. the seeing.

9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger : seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

(i. e.) The disposition, dejection, and distress of his heart, which makes him an object of pity, not of malice or mischief.

Marginal references: chap. 22. 21.; Heb. soul.

11 But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest, and lie still : that the poor of thy people may eat : and what they leave, the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy olive-yard .

(i. e.) From manuring, plowing, tilling and sowing, and reaping also, by comparing Levit. 25. 3, 4, 5. And this God ordained not onely for the reason here mentioned, the more comfortable provision for the poor, and for the cattel, but for other weighty reasons, as 1. that the heart and strength of the land might not be eaten out by continual tillage. 2. that he might both try and exercise and also secure the obedience of the Israelites. 3. that he might keep them in dependance upon himself, and give to them and to all their neighbours a manifest proof of his singular and gracious providence over his people. 4. that by this kind of quit-rent they might be admonished that God alone was the Lord and proprietary of the land, and they were onely Tenants at his will. 5. that being freed from their great labours about the land they might have the more leasure to meditate upon Gods works and to attend upon the law, which was to be solemnly read at this time; Deut. 31. 10, &c.

Quest. What had the poor to eat? Ans. Not onely the fruits of the vines and olives and other fruit-trees, but also all that grew of its own accord, Levit. 25. 5. from those seeds which in the last reaping time were scattered here and there, which were much more numerous now than in other years, because God gave a special blessing to the sixth year, whereby it did bring forth the fruit of 3 years, Lev. 25. 21. and in years of so great plenty men are generally more negligent in their reaping, and therefore the relicks are more.

(i. e.) Thou shalt not prune nor dress them, nor gather and appropriate to thy own use what they shall produce, but shalt leave them to the poor.

Marginal references: Or, olive trees.

12 Six dayes thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest : that thine oxe and thy ass may rest, and the son of thine handmaid, and the stranger may be refreshed.

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 the eternal rest in heaven.

Marginal references: chap. 20. 8, 9▪ Deut. 5. 13. Luk. 13. 14.

13 And in all things that I have said unto you, be circumspect: and make no mention of the names of other gods , neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.

To wit, with honour or delight or without detestation; as fornication is not to be named among Saints, Eph. 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 memory or introduce their worship. Hence the names of Idols and Idolatrous places were ofttimes changed by the Israelites. See Numb. 32. 38. Ios. 23. 7. Compare Psal. 16. 4. Hos. 2. 17. Zech. 13. [illegible: 1+ letters].

Marginal references: Deut. 12. 3.

15 Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: thou shalt eat unleavened bread as I have commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib: for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty :

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 to encourage them to come so oft from their remotest habitations to Ierusalem, because they should never appear before God in vain, i. e. to no purpose, or without some benefit, for so the word, rekam, oft signifies. So it may be parallel to Isa. 45. 19. I said not unto the seed of Iacob, seek ye me in vain: But the former sence is more probable by comparing this with its parallel place, Deut. 16. 16, 17.

Marginal references: chap. 13. 3. & 34. 18.; Deut. 16. 16. Eccl. 35. 4.

16 And the feast of harvest the first-fruits of thy labours , which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of in-gathering which is in the end of the year , when thou hast gathered in thy labors out of the field.

(i. e.) Of wheat-harvest: for barley-harvest was before this time. This feast was otherwise called Pentecost.

How were these the first-fruits, when a sheaf was offered to God in the feast of the Passeover? Ans. That sheaf was generally of barly, which was less considerable than their wheat, but this was the first-fruits of their wheat, which was their principal grain, and they had no bread before this time from the growth of that year.

To wit, of all the rest of the fruits of earth, as of the vines and olives. This was called also the feast of booths, and of Tabernacles. See Levit. 23. 34. Numb. 29. 12. Deut. 16. 13. All their three feasts had a respect to the harvest, which began in the Passeover, was carried on at Pentecost, and was fully compleated and ended in this feast.

Of the common or civil year which began in September, as the sacred year began in March.

17 Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the LORD God .

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 any thing to offer. And the care and management of their domestick affairs did require the presence and care of many of their males.

(i. e.) In that place where God shall record his name, Exod. 20. 24. as the Tabernacle or Temple.

18 Thou shalt not offer the bloud of my sacrifice with leavened bread , neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain untill the morning .

This and the following clause most understand of the Passeover, by comparing this place with its parallel. Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned. But the words being here universal, by the laws of interpretation they ought to be universally understood, if they can bear that sence, which here they may: for both these clauses agree to other sacrifices. For as every sacrifice had a Minchah or a meat-offering of flour attending upon it and offered with it, so it was expresly cautioned, that no leaven should be in that Minchah, Lev. 2. 11. And the fat of every sacrifice was consecrated to God, Lev. 3. 16. 2 Chron. 35. 14, &c. and was presently to be burnt upon the Altar, Lev. 7. 2, 3. And for Exod. 34. 25. what hinders but what is here more generally prescribed, may be there particularly applied to the Passeover? and that seems more reasonable, than to make that an idle repetition of the same thing. And my sacrifice may be here put for my sacrifices, by the common Enallage. Moreover the two principal things which were offered to God in every sacrifice were blood and fat, [illegible: 1+ letters]v. 17. 6, 11, &c.

This if understood of the Passeover may seem superfluous, because nothing of it, neither fat nor lean, was to remain until the morning, Exod. 12. 10. but all of it was to be eaten even the purtenance thereof, ver. 9. and that, for ought I see, without any exception of the fat, as there was in other sacrifices, Lev. 3. 16. And therefore in that parallel place, Exod. 34. 25. where the Passeover is mentioned, there is not a word of the fat, but onely it is said in the general, neither shall the sacrifice of the feast of the Passeover beleft until the morning. And in that 2 Chron. 35. 14. where there is mention of the fat, it is manifestly restrained to the burnt-offerings, which are there distinguished from the Passeover, ver. 11, 12.

Marginal references: Lev. 2. 11. Deut. 16. 3.; Or, feast.

19 The first of the first-fruits of thy land, thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mothers milk .

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 enjoyned 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 teach them the first-fruits were to be given to God of all that the earth produced, not onely by their labour and seed, as might be thought from ver. 16. but also of its own accord, as is here implyed.

He names one kind, under which he understands a lamb or a calf, &c. according to the use of Scripture-stile. This law many understand literally, and that it is forbidden to them, because the Idolaters had such a custome; whereof yet there seems to be no sufficient proof: nor, if there were, doth it seem to be a rite of that importance or probability to entice the Israelites to imitate it, that there needed a particular law against this more than against an hundred such ridiculous usages which were among the heathen, and are not taken notice of in the book of Gods laws. The words may be rendred thus, Thou shalt not seethe or rost (for the word bashal signifies to rost as well as to boyl, as it is evident from Deut. 16. 7. a kid being or whilest it is (which is to be understood, there being nothing more common than an Ellipsis of the verb substantive) in his mothers milk: which it may be said to be, either 1. whilest it sucks its mothers milk, and so it may admit of a twofold interpretation, 1. that this is to be understood of the Passeover, of which most conceive he had now spoken, v. 18. in which they used either a lamb or a kid, Exod. 12. 5. and then the word bashal must be rendred rost, 2. that this speaks not of sacrifice to God, wherein sucking creatures were allowed, Exod. 22. 30. Levit. 22. 27. 1 Sam. 7. 9. but of mans use, and so God ordained this partly because this was unwholesome food, and principally to restrain cruelty, even towards brute-creatures, and luxury in the use of them. Or rather 2. whilest it is very tender and young, rather of a milky than of a fleshy substance, like that young kid of which Iuvenal thus speaks, Qui plus lactis habit quàm sanguinis, i. e. which hath more milk than blood in it. And it may be said to be in its mothers milk, by an usual Hypallage, when its mothers milk is in it, i. e. whilest the milk it sucks as it were remains in it undigested and unconverted into flesh, even as a man is oft said to be in the spirit, when indeed the spirit is in him. And what is here indefinitely prohibited, is elsewhere particularly explained and the time defined, to wit, that it be not offered to God before it was eight days old. And this interpretation may receive light and strength from hence, that the law of the first-fruits, which both here and Exod. 34. 26. goes immediately before this law, doth in Exod. 22. 30. immediately go before that law of not offering them before the eighth day, which implies, that both of them speak concerning the same thing, to wit, the first-fruits or first-born of the cattel, which were not to be offered to God, while they were in their mothers milk, saith this place, or till they were 8 days old, saith that place. And consequently, if they might not be offered to God, they might not be used by men for food.

Marginal references: Deut. 14. 21.

20 Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.

To wit, Christ, the Angel of the covenant, as may be gathered both from the following words, because pardon of sin, which is Gods prerogative, Mark 2. 7. is here ascribed to him, and Gods name is in him, and by comparing other Scriptures, as Exod. 32. 34. Acts 7. 38, 39. 1 Cor. 10. 9. See Exod. 13. 21. and 14. [illegible: 1+ letters]9.

Marginal references: chap. 33. 2, 14. Num. 20. 16.

21 Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not: for he will not pardon your transgressions : for my Name is in him .

(i. e.) He will severely punish you for them, by a common Meiosis, as Exod. 20. 7. Understand, if you continue obstinate in your sins.

Heb. Is in his inward parts, i. e. is intimately united to him, according to Ioh. 10. 38. I am in the father and the father in me. It not onely signifies, that he acts in his name, and by his power and authority, which even the Apostles did, and other Ministers of the Gospel do, and therefore it is unreasonable to think no more is ascribed to this Angel, but that his divine nature or essence is in him, whence he is called the Lord our righteousness, Ier. 23. 6. and God who will not give his glory to another, Isa. 42. 8. hath given it to Christ, that all men should honour the son even as they honour the father, Ioh. 5. 23. which never was nor can be said of any Angel without blasphemy. Add to this, that the word name is oft put for the thing or being, whether it be humane or divine, as is manifest from Deut. 28. 58. Psal. 20. 1. and 115. 1. Isa. 30. 27. Act. 1. 15. Revel. 3. 4. and 11. 13. And so it must be here, because this name is not said to be given to him, as it would be, if it were properly taken, but to be in him, or, in his inwards, which agrees well to the Divine nature or essence, but not to the meer name.

22 But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak , then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

All that I have already commanded, and shall further prescribe by him unto Moses.

Marginal references: Gen. 12. 3. Deut. 30. 7. Jer. 30. 20.; Or, I will afflict them that afflict thee.

24 Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them , Nor do after their works : but thou shalt utterly overthrow them , and quite break down their images .

(i. e.) Give them neither outward worship with thy body, nor inward with thy mind.

(i. e.) Nor follow their example in the worship of Idols.

(i. e.) The people, lest thou be ensnared by their counsel or example.

Or, statues, or pillars, or any thing else erected in honour to their false Gods. See Gen. 28. 18. and 35. 20.

Marginal references: Lev. 18. 3. Deut. 12. 31.; chap. 34. 13. Num. 33. 52. Deut. 7. 5, 35. & 12. 3.

25 And ye shall serve the LORD your God; and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water : and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.

(i. e.) Thy meat and thy drink, that they shall be able to nourish thee and gi[illegible: 1+ letters]e thee comfort which without my blessing they will never be able to do.

Marginal references: Deut. 28. 5, 8.; chap. 15. 26. Deut. 7. 15.

26 There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren in thy land: the number of thy dayes I will fulfill .

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.

I will preserve thee so as thou shalt live as long as the course of nature and temper of thy body will permit, when evil men shall not live out half their days. Psal. 55. 23.

Marginal references: Deut. 7. 14.

27 I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.

(i. e.) A great terrour, or a terrour wrought by me. See Exod. 33. 2. Iosh. 24. 12.

Marginal references: Heb. necks.

28 And I will send Hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite from before thee.

Properly so called, as may be gathered from Ios. 24. 12. Deut. 7. 20. Hornets are of themselves very troublesome and mischievous, but these it is very probable were like those Egyptian flies, Exod. 8. 21. of an extraordinary higness and perniciousness. Nor is it strange that such creatures did drive many of these people from their habitations, for many heathen writers give us instances of some people driven from their seats by frogs, others by mice, others by bees and wasps: of which see Herodotus, Diodorus, Plin. Aelian, Iustin, &c.

He names these three people, either for all the rest, because they were the most potent about the time of Israels first entrance into Canaan, and gave them most trouble, or because these three were more infested with Hornets than the other Nations, as being more numerous and dangerous.

29 I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate , and the beast of the field multiply against thee.

Void of inhabitants in a great measure, because thy present number is not sufficient to occupy and manage their whole land.

Marginal references: Deut. 7. 22.

31 And I will set thy bounds from the Red-sea, even unto the sea of the Philistines , and from the desert unto the river : for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.

Compare this place with Gen. 15. 18. Numb. 34. 3.

(i. e.) The Mediterranean or Mid-land sea, upon whose coast the land of the Philistines lay.

Of Egypt or Arabia: whereof see Gen. 16. 7. Exod. 15. 22.

To wit, Euphrates, as it is expressed, Deut. 1. 7. and 11. 24. which is oft called the river by way of eminency. All within these bounds were given them by God, but upon conditions, which they manifestly broke, and therefore were for the most part confined to a much narrower compass.

Marginal references: Josh. 1. 4.

32 Thou shalt make no covenant with them nor with their gods :

To worship them; as they made a covenant with Iehovah to worship him. The sence is, Thou shalt not engage thy self either to the people or to their Gods, but shalt root out both.

Marginal references: chap. 34. 15. Deut. 7. 2.

33 They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.

Or, for thou wilt serve: this will be the fruit of thy cohabitation with them, thou wilst thereby be drawn to Idolatry.

Or, and assuredly this will.

An occasion of further sin and utter ruine.

Marginal references: chap. 34. 12. Deut. 7. 16. Josh. 23. 13. Judg. 2. 3. 1 Sam. 18. 21. Psal. 106. 36.