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Exodus 23:3-6
New English Translation
Exodus 23:3-6
New English Translation
3 and you must not show partiality[a] to a poor man in his lawsuit.
4 “If you encounter[b] your enemy’s ox or donkey wandering off, you must by all means return[c] it to him. 5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him,[d] but be sure to help[e] him with it.[f]
6 “You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits.
Read full chapterFootnotes
- Exodus 23:3 tn The point here is one of false sympathy and honor, the bad sense of the word הָדַר (hadar; see S. R. Driver, Exodus, 237).
- Exodus 23:4 tn Heb “meet” (so KJV, ASV, NASB).
- Exodus 23:4 tn The construction uses the imperfect tense (taken here as an obligatory imperfect) and the infinitive absolute for emphasis.
- Exodus 23:5 tn The line reads “you will cease to forsake him”—refrain from leaving your enemy without help.
- Exodus 23:5 tn The law is emphatic here as well, using the infinitive absolute and the imperfect of instruction (or possibly obligation). There is also a wordplay here: two words עָזַב (ʿazav) are used, one meaning “forsake” and the other possibly meaning “arrange” based on Arabic and Ugaritic evidence (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 297-98).
- Exodus 23:5 sn See H. B. Huffmon, “Exodus 23:4-5: A Comparative Study,” A Light Unto My Path, 271-78.
Exodus 23:3-6
New International Version
Exodus 23:3-6
New International Version
3 and do not show favoritism(A) to a poor person in a lawsuit.
4 “If you come across your enemy’s(B) ox or donkey wandering off, be sure to return it.(C) 5 If you see the donkey(D) of someone who hates you fallen down under its load, do not leave it there; be sure you help them with it.
6 “Do not deny justice(E) to your poor people in their lawsuits.
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