exodus 22 and 23

Read Exodus 22 and 23 at Bible Gateway.

Hebrew paragraph divisions:

Exo 22:1-4 {s} Restitution when a theft is discovered
Exo 22:5 {s} Restitution when an animal feeds in another man’s field
Exo 22:6 {s} Restitution when fire destroys a harvest
Exo 22:7-9 {s} Restitution when goods are lost from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
Exo 22:10-13 {p} Restitution when goods are destroyed from a neighbor’s safe- keeping
Exo 22:14-15 {s} Restitution when goods are borrowed
Exo 22:16-17 {s} Restitution when a virgin is seduced
Exo 22:18-19 {s} Sorceress = death penalty + lying with animals = death penalty
Exo 22:20-24 {p} Idolaters + afflicters of strangers, widows, orphans = utterly destroyed
Exo 22:25-27 {s} Not coveting interest or collateral from your neighbor
Exo 22:28-31 {s} Not coveting what belongs to God
Exo 23:1-3 {s} Not bearing false witness
Exo 23:4 {s} Return your enemy’s ox or donkey
Exo 23:5 {s} Relieve your enemy’s donkey’s burden
Exo 23:6-19 {p} Not perverting justice + oppressing strangers + Sabbath rest + not naming other gods + harvest feasts
Exo 23:20-25 {s} The Angel of YHVH will go before them in the way to Canaan
Exo 23:26-33 {p} What YHVH will do to bring them in

Exo 21:12-23:33 chiastic structure:

1a) Exo 21:12-22:20 {sx8+p+sx7+p+sx3} When restitution is and is not to be made;

1b) Exo 22:21-31 {p+s+s} Do not afflict disadvantaged + do not revile God + firstfruits + holy to YHVH;

1) Exo 22:21, You shall not oppress a stranger;
2) Exo 22:22-27 {p+s} You shall not afflict widows or the fatherless + lending to the poor;
3) Exo 22:28, You shall not revile God;
4) Exo 22:29-30, Firstfruits + firstborn;
5) Exo 22:31 {s} You shall be holy to Me + you shall not eat meat torn in the field;

1c) Exo 23:1-2, False report + wicked and unrighteous + enticed to evil + pervert justice;

1d) Exo 23:3 {s} Do not show partiality to the poor;

central axis) Exo 23:4-5 {s+s} “If you meet your enemy’s ox or his donkey going astray, you shall surely bring it back to him again. If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying under its burden, and you would refrain from helping it, you shall surely help him with it;”

2d) Exo 23:6, Do not pervert judgment to the poor;

2c) Exo 23:7-8, False matter + innocent and righteous + bribery + pervert words;

2b) Exo 23:9-19, Do not afflict disadvantaged + Do not bless other gods + firstfruits + holy to YHVH;

1) Exo 23:9, You shall not oppress a stranger;
2) Exo 23:10-12, Sabbatical year + Sabbath rest provides for the poor and disadvantaged;
3) Exo 23:13, Do not bless other gods;
4) Exo 23:14-19a, Firstfruits + firstborn;
5) Exo 23:19b {p} You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk;

2a) Exo 23:20-33 {s+p} Israel shall not receive restitution or make covenant with Canaanites, but shall utterly drive them out.

The strong themes:

Exo 21:1-6-27 {sx10+p} Restitution in cases of slavery, or when a person causes injury or death
Exo 21:28-22:13 {sx7+p} Restitution when a thing causes injury, death, or loss of property
Exo 22:14-24 {sx3+p} When restitution is not to be made
Exo 22:25-23:19 {sx5+p} Not injuring your neighbor, strangers, the poor, or God
Exo 23:20-33 {s+p} Israel shall make no covenant with the Canaanites or their gods to learn their ways

And the central axis of the commandments of God, is to love your enemy, and do good to those who hate you. There is nothing in the New Testament that is NEW; it is just TRUE, the same being spoken by God from Torah, who told the end from the beginning. ♥