Exodus 23

The chapter moves from internal holiness in civil society to sacred rhythm in time, culminating in the national security of the covenant people under God’s direct guardianship.

• God will be an enemy to Israel's enemies and an adversary to their adversaries (v. 22).
• God will bless their bread and water and take sickness away (v. 25).
• God will fulfill the number of their days and ensure their livestock are fruitful (v. 26).
• God will drive out their enemies 'little by little' to prevent the land from becoming desolate (v. 29-30).

• Do not raise a false report or join with the wicked (v. 1).
• Do not follow a multitude to do evil or pervert judgment (v. 2).
• Show mercy to the livestock of an enemy (v. 4-5).
• Do not take a gift (bribe) (v. 8).
• Observe the Sabbath of the land (year 7) and the weekly Sabbath (v. 10-12).
• Appear before the Lord three times a year (v. 17).
• Do not seethe a kid in his mother's milk (v. 19).
• Obey the Angel of the Lord (v. 21-22).
• Make no covenant with the inhabitants of Canaan (v. 32).

• The gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous (v. 8).
• Do not make mention of the name of other gods (v. 13).
• Do not provoke the Angel of the Lord, for he will not pardon transgressions (v. 21).
• Do not let the inhabitants of the land dwell in your land, for they will make you sin against God (v. 33).

• The Israelite society is transitioning from slaves in Egypt to a sovereign nation under God's law.
• The 'Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites' (v. 23) represent the established political powers in Canaan that Israel would confront.

• Ancient Near Eastern legal tradition, such as the Code of Hammurabi, often dealt with property rights and false testimony, but the Mosaic Law is uniquely defined by its moral and religious strictness.
• Matthew Henry observes that the command to 'not seethe a kid in his mother's milk' (v. 19) was likely intended to keep Israel far from pagan idolatrous practices, as this was a custom used in some Canaanite fertility rites.

• This section follows the Book of the Covenant (Exodus 20:22–23:19), acting as a bridge between the moral law and the formalization of the covenant in chapter 24.
• It serves as a thematic pivot point before the people formally pledge their obedience to the Law.

• The 'Angel' mentioned in v. 20-21, who possesses the authority to forgive (or not pardon) and carries the Name of God, is understood by many scholars (and confirmed by 1 Cor 10:9) as a pre-incarnate appearance of Christ.
• The gradual conquest described in v. 29-30 is the historical background for the book of Judges, where the failure to drive out the inhabitants as commanded led to the recurring cycle of idolatry.

• 1 Cor 10:9: Paul identifies the 'Angel' or 'Lord' whom Israel tempted in the wilderness as Christ.
• Deuteronomy 7:22: Echoes the 'little by little' promise concerning the driving out of the nations.

• שָׁוְא [H7723]: Often translated 'vain' or 'false', denoting emptiness, deceit, or idolatry. Its use in v. 1 ('false report') characterizes the report as not just factually incorrect, but spiritually destructive.
• מִשְׁפָּט [H4941]: 'Judgment' or 'justice'. In v. 6, it refers to the judicial verdict, which must be righteous, reflecting God's own character.
• רִיב [H7379]: 'Lawsuit' or 'contest'. It implies a formal contention or case, showing that God is interested in the fairness of legal proceedings.
• נָשָׂא [H5375]: 'Bear' or 'lift'. In v. 1, 'raise' a false report uses this word, suggesting the active, conscious act of carrying or promoting a rumor.
• The KJV 'not' is used frequently, often reflecting the Hebrew particle לֹא [H3808] (absolute negation) or אַל [H408] (deprecative/prohibitive), indicating categorical commands.

• The command to help an enemy (v. 4-5) is a significant moral hurdle that predates the New Testament instruction to love one's enemies, showing God's standard of love has always required active good will.
• The requirement for the 'stranger' to rest (v. 12) demonstrates that God's law had built-in protections for the vulnerable, even foreigners, within the camp.

• There is debate over whether the 'Angel' (v. 20) is an angelic being acting as a messenger or a theophanic presence of God (the Angel of the Lord), given the unique claim that 'my name is in him' (v. 21).
• The exact identification of the 'beast of the field' (v. 29) that would multiply if the land were cleared too quickly is not specified, leaving its identity to various historical interpretations.