Chapter 23

1 Of slander and false witness. 3, 6 Of justice. 4 Of charitableness. 10 Of the year of rest. 12 Of the sabbath. 13 Of idolatry. 14 Of the three feasts. 18 Of the blood and the fat of the sacrifice. 20 An Angel is promised, with a blessing, if they obey him.

1. A false report. This is an expansion of the ninth commandment, which forbids calumny and slander. The last half of the verse prohibits joining with others in spreading this mischief. Though the word “witness” implies that the law is concerned primarily with conduct in court, it is not confined to that.

2. Not follow a multitude. Omitting the word “do” in this first clause, which is not in the original Hebrew, this prohibition covers not only evil in deed but also in word and thought. Remembering the words of Jesus, we are not to take the manner of life of the many as our example (Matt. 7:13, 14). One of the chief dangers facing professed Christians is that of pliant willingness to follow the crowd, notwithstanding the Scriptural admonition against such a tendency.

To decline. That is, to turn aside. A better translation of the last half of this verse would be: “Neither shalt thou bear witness in a case by going aside after a multitude to pervert justice.” In connection with the next verse this may be taken as referring to one of the judges, who is not to follow the other judges in deciding a case but to have his own opinion and hold to it.

3. Countenance a poor man. That is, to be partial to him. This seems surprising, considering the many precepts that favor the poor. However, it simply supports impartial justice, which must regard neither the rich nor the poor. To lean either way would be a perversion of justice (Lev. 19:15).

4. Thine enemy’s ox. This refers to a private enemy, not to a public one as in Deut. 23:3–6. It anticipates the true spirit of Christianity as laid down by Christ in His rebuke of the rabbinical distortions of the Mosaic law (Matt. 23:4).

5. Wouldest forbear to help. The overburdened ass of an enemy must not be left without offering to help the enemy get the animal back on its feet, so it may continue on its way. This joint merciful participation would bring the two men into friendly contact and thus invite a possible reconciliation.

6. Not wrest the judgment. While v. 3 warns against favoring the poor, out of compassion for them, this prohibits discriminating against the poor because of his poverty, a far more common wrong. Prejudice is to be avoided in order that strict justice may be done. A court of law is not the place for sentiment.

7. Slay thou not. Countenancing a false accusation against an “innocent and righteous” man might cause his death, and so draw the vengeance of Him who does “not justify the wicked.”

8. Take no gift. The acceptance of a bribe from one of the parties in a suit, and the shaping of justice accordingly, has ever been one of the most common and reprehensible sins of judges in the East. Bribery defeats the whole purpose for which the administration of justice exists, for its weight in the scales of justice tips them the wrong way. For this reason it has generally carried the death penalty. While the Mosaic code fixes no penalty for this evil (Deut. 16:18–20), Josephus affirms that the Jews put the offender to death (Against Apion ii. 28). Nevertheless, whatever the penalty was it must have been ignored (1 Sam. 8:3; Ps. 26:10; Prov. 17:23; Isa. 1:23; Micah 3:9–11).

9. Not oppress a stranger. This repeats the injunction of ch. 22:21, and probably applies to courts of justice. The word “heart” denotes the mind, the feelings. In other words, sympathy should be extended to the “stranger.”

11. The seventh year. Though other nations had their days of rest at regular or irregular intervals, entire years of rest were observed by the Israelites. This may have exposed them to the rebuke of idleness by other nations. Since agriculture was primitive, crop rotation unknown, and artificial fertilizers were not used, it is probable that no financial loss resulted from the program. However, the desire for gain made the enforcement of the provision difficult. The “seventy years” captivity was intended to make up for the failure to observe the sabbatical years (2 Chron. 36:17–21).

The primary purpose of the law as here stated was to provide for the poor (see Lev. 25:1–7). What the land produced of itself without cultivation belonged to all as a common possession, even to the “beasts of the field.” It was no doubt intended also that this sabbatical year should be one of increased religious observance, in which the solemn reading of the law at the Feast of Tabernacles in “the year of release” (Deut. 31:10, 11) played a part. This reading was preceded by a period of religious preparation (Neh. 8). This sabbatical year must have been a solemn season, one which led to self-examination, the formation of holy habits, and brought spiritual uplift to the people. Since grain, wine, and oil were the important products of Palestine, it is apparent that the whole land was to rest.

12. The seventh day. To bring out further its merciful character, the fourth commandment is here repeated. Most of the foreign population of the Holy Land were engaged in hard labor (see 2 Chron. 2:17, 18), a fact that explains why the “stranger” is particularly mentioned here.

13. The name of other gods. As a protection against idolatry, God’s people were not even to mention the names of heathen deities. This prohibition was based on the principle that familiarity with evil often leads to participation in it. Had this injunction been carried out, the danger of idolatry would have been wholly removed. It is significant that Moses himself rarely spoke the names of heathen gods. Later Bible writers and prophets were compelled to do so either as a record of the actual history of Israel or by way of denouncing idolatry. Modern advertisers know the value of the repetition of trade names, and deliberately plan to keep the name of their product before the public in one way or another. It would be well for everyone who desires to keep himself pure and holy to remember that expression deepens impression.

14. Three times. Verses 14–17 record the law of sacred festivals. All the ancient heathen religions had annual festive seasons commemorating the supposed beneficence of their gods. Assembling together in large gatherings, the people inspired and cheered one another to greater devotion and heartier thanksgiving than at other times. Such festivals were frequent in Egypt and held an important place in religious life.

Abraham’s family probably celebrated occasions of this kind in Mesopotamia, and the Lord now sanctioned these three feasts as a stimulus to piety. These feasts were: (1) to be at once agricultural and historical, connected with the course of the seasons and also with great events in the life of the nation; (2) to be observed only at one place, where the tabernacle was situated; (3) to be attended by the entire male population (v. 17; see on Lev. 23:2).

15. The feast of unleavened bread. This early spring festival came at the beginning of the barley harvest in the month Abib (Nisan), began with the Passover and a holy convocation, lasted seven days, and closed with another holy convocation (Lev. 23:5–8). Unleavened bread was eaten during these seven days, in commemoration of the hasty exodus from Egypt (Ex. 12:33, 34, 39). Leaven was a symbol of sin and error (Matt. 16:6, 11, 12; 1 Cor. 5:6–8). Unleavened bread was representative of the freedom from sin of Him who is the bread of life (John 6:35, 48, 51). A sheaf of new barley, the first fruits of the harvest, was offered as a wave offering before the Lord (Lev. 23:9–14). “The time appointed” was the 15th day of the first month, Nisan (Lev. 23:6). This feast, which began with the Passover, was a type of the deliverance of sinners from sin through the death of Christ. When the Saviour offered Himself on Calvary the significance of the Passover ceased, for it looked forward to Him (1 Cor. 5:7). The ordinance of the Lord’s Supper was instituted as a memorial of the same event (Luke 22:14–20).

None shall appear before me empty. Those who attended the feast were to present a freewill offering to the Lord. An Oriental never came before his superior without a gift. No less was expected of an Israelite when he approached Jehovah, the King of the theocracy.

16. The feast of harvest. Fifty days were to be numbered from the day of the barley sheaf was offered (Lev. 23:15–21). The 50th day was called “the feast of weeks,” because seven full weeks separated it from the Passover. In NT times it was called Pentecost, from a Greek word meaning “fiftieth.” This feast was celebrated late in our month of May or early in June, the time of the spring harvest. To express gratitude for the grain, two loaves baked with leaven were presented before God (Lev. 23:17). It was a joyful occasion (Deut. 16:9–11). Jewish tradition connected the feast with the giving of the law, which occurred about 50 days after the departure from Egypt (see Ex. 19:1–16), and accordingly one purpose of Pentecost was to commemorate the giving of the law. For the Christians of apostolic times it commemorated also the giving of the Holy Spirit on the day of Pentecost, when the infant church gathered in the first fruits of the gospel (Acts 2:1-12, 41).

The firstfruits of thy labours. Literally, “of the first fruits of your labor” (RSV). The expression is in apposition with “harvest,” not with “feast.”

The feast of ingathering. Elsewhere this is commonly called “the feast of tabernacles,” because the people were to make booths for themselves in which to dwell during the feast (Lev. 23:33–36; Deut. 16:13–15; 31:10; John 7:2). This eight-day festival commenced on the 15th of Tishri, which came late in October or in early November. The olives had been harvested and the vintage completed. A holy convocation marked its opening and close. It was a season of gladness and thanksgiving for the final gathering in of the autumn harvest, and commemorated the safe passage of the Israelites from Egypt to Palestine. Furthermore, they had observed the great Day of Atonement but a few days previously, and received the assurance that their sins would be remembered no more. They were at peace with God. Well might they now acknowledge His goodness and praise Him for His mercy. The feast of Tabernacles not only pointed back to the wilderness sojourn, but, like the feast of harvest, it anticipated the ingathering of the harvest of the earth (PP 540, 541). During the captivity this feast was apparently neglected, but in Nehemiah’s time it was again observed with much joy (Neh. 8:13–18).

In the end of the year. That is, at the end of the agricultural and civil year, after the harvest had been gathered in.

17. Three times in the year. Considering the fact that Palestine is a small country, less than 145 mi. long by 75 mi. wide, attendance at these feasts was not a burden. Furthermore, such festive occasions appealed to the people, for they were an important means of spreading information and offered almost the only opportunity for relatives and friends to see one another. The Israelites looked forward to these occasions with joyous anticipation. They exerted an important unifying influence and were thus a vitally important part of national life, tending as they did to weld the people together in the knowledge and service of God. While “all thy males” were required to attend, other members of the family were free to do so if they wished (1 Sam. 1:1–23; Luke 2:41–45).

18. The blood of my sacrifice. This was the Passover lamb, inasmuch as the forbidding of “leavened bread” and of any part of the lamb remaining “until the morning” have to do with this offering only (Ex. 12:1–11; Deut. 16:1–5). The Passover lamb was the most important of all offerings in that it typified the sacrifice of Christ, the true Paschal Lamb (1 Cor. 5:7). God could most appropriately call it “my sacrifice.”

19. The first of the firstfruits. This means either “the best” of the first fruits (Num. 18:12) or the “first ripe” fruits (Num. 18:13). As these first fruits of the harvest of the “land” were brought to God, so Christ presented Himself to the Father as the first fruits of the resurrection harvest (John 20:17; 1 Cor. 15:20–23).

The house of the Lord. This phrase is synonymous with the expression, “the place which the Lord thy God shall choose to place his name there” (Deut. 26:2; 12:5, 11, 14; 16:16), and refers to the sanctuary and later the Temple.

Not seethe a kid. Texts unearthed at Ras Shamra, the ancient Ugarit, a Syrian coastal city opposite the island of Cyprus, reveal the fact that boiling sacrificial kids in their mother’s milk was a ritual practice of the Canaanites. It was probably to avoid this heathen rite that God forbade His people to do so.

20. I send an Angel. In these closing verses of “the book of the covenant” (vs. 10–31) we find the promises God would fulfill should the people observe its requirements. God ever encourages us with “the recompence of the reward” (Heb. 11:26). These promises were conditional, for God can bless His people only if they obey Him. The “Angel” plainly refers to “the messenger [Angel] of the covenant” (Mal. 3:1), that is, to Christ (PP 252, 311). The wordmalХak, “angel,” means “messenger,” and is translated as often one way as the other. Christ was ever the Messenger of God to Israel (PP 366), and as such conveyed to them a knowledge of the character, will, and mercy of God (Gen. 22:1, 10–12; Ex. 32:34; Isa. 63:7–9; Mal. 3:1; John 8:56–58; 1 Tim. 2:5).

In the way. Not alone to guide them geographically (Ex. 23:23; 32:34), but spiritually as well, in the paths of righteousness (Ex. 33:9; Deut. 31:15).

Into the place. An allusion to Palestine, and indirectly to the home of the saved, of which that land was a type (see John 14:1–3).

21. He will not pardon. This does not mean that God will not actually pardon, for God’s love ensures that He will (Ps. 32:5; 103:10–12; Isa. 63:7–9; 1 John 1:9); but it does express with typical Eastern emphasis the sovereign justice and holiness of God (see Ex. 34:7).

My name is in him. Here the first person of the Godhead, the Father, speaks of the second person of the Godhead, His Son. This statement implies that the “Angel” bearing God’s name is coequal with God Himself (see John 1:1-3, 14; Col. 1:13–19; Heb. 1:8).

23. Amorites. All but one of the “seven nations” of Canaan proper, the Girgashites, are here mentioned (Deut. 7:1; Joshua 3:10; 24:11). To “cut them off” means to destroy them as nations, not as individuals, for such might yet be won as proselytes to the faith of Israel (2 Sam. 23:39; 24:18–25; 2 Chron. 8:7–9).

24. Not bow down. It must be remembered that the idolatrous worship of these heathen peoples was licentious and debasing in the extreme. The ceremonies of some heathen deities were defiled by human sacrifices and polluted by prostitution. The iniquity of these nations was now full (see Gen. 15:16). It is not to be wondered at that they were due to feel the full measure of divine wrath (see on Gen. 15:16).

Their images. Literally, “their pillars” (see on Gen. 28:18).

25. Take sickness away. Healthful living in itself goes far to protect one from sickness of mind and soul as well as of body. Conversely, godliness promotes physical well-being (see DA 827).

26. There shall nothing cast. This could be the result of a special interposition of divine favor and providential care, as well as of healthful living. Not only would there be no premature births, but, as the last clause implies, premature death would also be unknown.

27. Send my fear. For the fulfillment of this promise see Num. 22:3; Joshua 2:9, 11; 9:24. The enemies of the Israelites did turn their backs in defeat (Num. 21:3, 24, 35; Joshua 8:20–24; 10:10, 11). Had Israel gone on to full obedience God would have thoroughly broken the power of the Canaanite nations.

28. Hornets. Some have taken this as a reference to literal hornets, others as a figurative reference to the Egyptians, who repeatedly invaded Palestine during the time of Joshua and the judges, or to the fear felt by the Canaanites (Joshua 2:9; see Additional Note to Joshua 6; see on Joshua 24:12).

29. In one year. While men are impatient, God is long-suffering and wonderfully forbearing (2 Peter 3:9). The Canaanite nations would not be driven out all at once, lest (1) the land should become desolate, there not being enough people to care for it; (2) the beasts of the field should multiply and so become a danger. When the northern Hebrew kingdom of Israel was depopulated by the removal of the ten tribes into captivity, there was a marked increase of lions that preyed upon the scanty remnant (2 Kings 17:24, 25). In many districts of France wolves increased following the Franco-Prussian War. Another reason why the nations were not driven out immediately was that God desired to “prove” Israel to see whether they would obey Him (Judges 2:21–23).

31. Set thy bounds. These boundaries were not reached until 400 years later, under David and Solomon (1 Kings 4:21, 24; 2 Chron. 9:26). Moses here confirms God’s promise to Abraham (Gen. 15:18). Inasmuch as Solomon was “a man of rest” (1 Chron. 22:9), the work of empire building must have been accomplished by David (2 Sam. 8:3–15; 10:6–19; 1 Kings 5:3; 1 Chron. 22:8).

The river. That is, the Euphrates, pre-eminently “the river” of OT times (see Gen. 15:18; Deut. 1:7).

Drive them out. Many of the Canaanites were no doubt forced northward, and may have united with the Hittite kingdom, which for many centuries formidably opposed the Egyptian and Assyrian empires.

32. No covenant. The “book of the covenant” closes as it begins, with a solemn charge against idolatry (ch. 20:23). The subsequent history of Israel shows how needful this repeated warning was, and how necessary God’s deep concern for them to avoid this error. Tragically, the warning was of no avail (2 Kings 17:7–18). Inasmuch as the usual treaties of peace at that time contained an acknowledgment of the gods of either nation, and words honoring these gods, covenants with heathen peoples would include recognition of their gods.

33. Not dwell. Proselytes to the religion of Israel were, of course, not included in this injunction, nor were enslaved heathen (see Joshua 9:27).

Ellen G. White comments

2    CT 221; TM 63; 4T 647; 9T 230

4, 5 DA 500

6-8Te 47

6-9PP 311

10, 11  PP 531; 4T 467

11   FE 323

12   PP 311

14   2T 573

14-16PP 537

14-17PP 311

20   ML 307; 3T 356

20, 21  PP 419, 420; SR 166; 3T 340

20-22PP 311

20-23SR 142

21   DA 709

24   PP 369

24, 25, 27-33PP 543; SR 143

28   PP 437