New International Reader s Version - NIrV - 1996
Exodus 23
1
"Do not spread reports that are false. Do not help an evil person by telling lies in court.
Reference
Evil
Psalm 15:3
Parallel theme
Psalm 101:5
Leviticus 19:16
Revelation 12:10
Resurrection
Psalm 35:11
Righteousness
Romans 3:8
Witness
Proverbs 19:5
Exodus 20:16
Deuteronomy 5:20
Proverbs 19:9
2
"Do not follow the crowd when they do what is wrong. When you are a witness in court, do not turn what is right into wrong. Do not go along with the crowd.
Reference
Evil
Proverbs 4:14
Joshua 24:15
Judgment
Deuteronomy 1:17
Acts 25:9
Parallel theme
Proverbs 1:15
Job 31:34
Mark 15:15
Luke 23:51
1 Kings 19:10
Acts 24:27
4
"Suppose you come across your enemy's ox or donkey wandering away. Then be sure to take it back to him.
Reference
5
"Suppose you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has fallen down under its load. Then do not leave it there. Be sure you help him with it.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 22:4
7
Do not have anything to do with a charge that is false. Do not put to death those who are not guilty of doing anything wrong. I will not let those who are guilty go free.
Reference
Evil
1 Thessalonians 5:22
Parallel theme
Ephesians 4:25
Exodus 34:7
Deuteronomy 27:25
Leviticus 19:11
Righteousness
Exodus 23:1
Romans 1:18
8
"Do not take money from people who want special favors. It makes you blind to the truth. It twists the words of godly people.
Reference
Parallel theme
Proverbs 17:23
Proverbs 15:27
1 Samuel 8:3
Psalm 26:10
Proverbs 17:8
Ecclesiastes 7:7
Deuteronomy 10:17
1 Samuel 12:3
Righteousness
Deuteronomy 16:19
Isaiah 5:23
9
"Do not beat an outsider down. You yourselves know how it feels to be outsiders. Remember, you were outsiders in Egypt.
Reference
10
"For six years plant your fields and gather your crops.
11
But during the seventh year do not plow your land or use it. Then the poor people who are among you can get food from it. The wild animals can eat what is left over. Do the same thing with your vineyards and your groves of olive trees.
12
"Do all of your work in six days. But do not do any work on the seventh day. Then your oxen and donkeys can rest. The slaves who are born in your house can be renewed. And so can the outsiders.
Reference
13
"Be careful to do everything I have said to you. Do not use the names of other gods. Do not even let them be heard on your lips.
Reference
Parallel theme
Zechariah 13:2
1 Timothy 4:16
Deuteronomy 4:9
Hosea 2:17
Ephesians 5:15
References God
Joshua 23:7
Psalm 16:4
Deuteronomy 12:3
Hebrews 12:15
Jeremiah 10:11
14
"Three times a year you must celebrate a feast in my honor.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 16:16
15
"Celebrate the Feast of Unleavened Bread. Eat bread that is made without yeast for seven days, just as I commanded you. Do it at the appointed time in the month of Abib. You came out of Egypt in that month. "You must not come to worship me with your hands empty.
Reference
16
"Celebrate the Feast of Weeks. Bring the first share of your crops from your field. "Celebrate the Feast of Booths. Hold it in the fall when you gather in your crops from the field.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 34:22
18
"Do not include anything that is made with yeast when you offer me the blood of a sacrifice. "Suppose the fat from sacrifices is left over from my feasts. Then do not keep it until morning.
Reference
Blood
Exodus 34:25
Parallel theme
Exodus 12:10
Exodus 12:8
Exodus 12:15
Sacrifice
Leviticus 2:11
Deuteronomy 16:4
Leviticus 7:15
Leviticus 7:12
19
"Bring the best of the first share of your crops to my house. I am the Lord your God. "Do not cook a young goat in its mother's milk.
Reference
Parallel theme
Exodus 22:29
Proverbs 12:10
Jeremiah 10:3
1 Corinthians 15:20
References God
Exodus 34:26
Deuteronomy 14:21
Deuteronomy 26:10
Deuteronomy 26:2
Revelation 14:4
References Lord
Nehemiah 10:35
20
"I am sending an angel ahead of you. He will guard you along the way. He will bring you to the place I have prepared.
Reference
21
Pay attention to him. Listen to what he says. Do not refuse to obey him. He will not forgive you if you turn against him. My very Name is in him.
Reference
22
Listen carefully to what he says. Do everything I say. Then I will be an enemy to your enemies. I will fight against those who fight against you.
Reference
23
"My angel will go ahead of you. He will bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites and Jebusites. I will wipe them out.
Reference
24
"Do not do what they do. Do not bow down to their gods or worship them. You must destroy the statues of their gods. You must break their sacred stones to pieces.
Reference
Parallel theme
Numbers 33:52
Deuteronomy 7:5
Exodus 32:20
Leviticus 18:3
2 Chronicles 33:9
References God
Exodus 20:5
Deuteronomy 12:3
25
"I am the Lord your God. Worship me. Then I will bless your food and water. I will take away sickness from among you.
Reference
Blessing
Deuteronomy 7:13
Parallel theme
Isaiah 33:24
Psalm 103:3
References God
Exodus 15:26
Joshua 22:5
Deuteronomy 10:12
Deuteronomy 6:13
Matthew 4:10
Deuteronomy 10:20
References Lord
Deuteronomy 7:15
26
In your land no woman will give birth to a dead baby. Every woman will be able to have children. I will give you a long life.
Reference
27
"I will send my terror ahead of you. I will throw every nation you meet into a panic. I will make all of your enemies turn their backs and run away.
Reference
28
I will send hornets ahead of you. They will drive the Hivites, Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.
Reference
Parallel theme
Deuteronomy 7:20
29
"But I will not drive them out in just one year. If I did, the land would be deserted. There would be too many wild animals for you.
Reference
30
I will drive them out ahead of you little by little. I will do it until your numbers have increased enough for you to take control of the land.
31
"I will make your borders secure from the Red Sea to the Mediterranean Sea. They will go from the desert to the Euphrates River. "I will hand over to you the people who live in the land. You will drive them out to make room for you.
Reference
📍 Sea of the Philistines
32
Do not make a covenant with them or with their gods.
Reference
Covenant
Exodus 34:12
Deuteronomy 7:2
Exodus 34:15
Parallel theme
Psalm 106:35
2 Corinthians 6:15
References God
Deuteronomy 7:16
33
Do not let them live in your land. If you do, they will cause you to sin against me. If you worship their gods, that will certainly be a trap for you."
Reference
Parallel theme
Psalm 106:36
Exodus 34:12
References God
Deuteronomy 7:16
Joshua 23:13
Judges 2:3
Deuteronomy 12:30
Summary of Exodus 23
Exodus chapter 23 continues the laws of God to Israel and focuses on justice, honesty, kindness, worship, and the proper treatment of others. God instructs the Israelites not to let lies, pressure from crowds, personal prejudice, and financial rewards, influence their decisions. The chapter also has instruction concerning the Sabbath, and yearly festivals, and the promise that God will guide Israel into the land He promised to them.
God warns the Israelites not to spread false reports. They should not help any person to make a false accusation or give an honest testimony. They are also not supposed to follow a crowd when the crowd is doing something wicked. A big number of people does not make it right.
The Israelites are instructed by God not to show unfairness to a poor person simply because the person is poor. Justice must prevail.
If the Israelites see an enemy’s ox or donkey, who went away wandering, they must return it instead of ignoring the animal because it is owned by someone they dislike. If they see the animal of someone hating them, struggling under a load, they should not refuse to help the animal even with a conflict.
This instructs the Israelites that doing what is right should not be conditional on them liking the person being helped. Even an enemy should receive fair and humane treatment.
God warns judges not to make dishonest decisions. They must not take bribes because it can influence a judge and cause innocent people to suffer. The poor must not be condemned unfairly, but justice must also not be distorted just because a person is poor.
God instructs the Israelites not to oppress foreigners. They are reminded again that they were foreigners and oppressed people in Egypt, so they should understand what it feels like to experience being treated unfairly.
The chapter has instruction concerning the Sabbath. They are to work their land for six years, but in the seventh year they should leave it alone for it to lay fallow. What grows naturally can be collected by poor people, and animals can also eat from it.
They are commanded to work for six days and to cease on the seventh day. The Sabbath will provide rest for them, their servants, foreigners, and animals. God emphasizes the need for the people to have regular rest.
God instructs the Israelites on three festival celebrations. The first is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they are to remember how they came out of Egypt. They are to celebrate it at the appointed time and remember how God brought them out of slavery.
The second is the Feast of Harvest, when they will bring the firstfruits of what they have grown. The third is the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when they will gather the last harvest.
They are to offer sacrifices in the proper way, not offering the blood of a sacrifice together with leavened bread, and not to keep the fat of the sacrifice until the next morning. They are to bring the best firstfruits of their harvest to the house of the LORD.
The chapter has a command not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. This instruction is part of the laws of Israel’s worship and separation from people around them.
God promises to send an angel before Israel to guide and protect them. They are warned to be careful and obey the angel as God is behind him.
God promises to lead Israel to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. He says that He will defeat them and bring Israel into the land He promised.
God warns Israel not to worship the gods of these nations or follow their practices. They must completely reject idolatry and worship the LORD.
God promises that if Israel faithfully serves Him, He will bless their food and water and protect them from sickness. He promises that the women will not suffer from miscarriages and their people will live in safety.
God also promises to send fear ahead of Israel and to cause confusion to the nations they will face. He says that He will drive out their enemies gradually so that the land will not be empty and wild animals will not multiply.
God shows what Israel will inherit from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the river. Israel must not make a covenant with the people there or let them influence them.
The chapter has a warning not to allow the people of the land to remain as an influence that can cause Israel to sin against God. If they follow the false gods of the nations, they will become trapped by their worship and practices.
The main lesson of Exodus chapter 23 is that God expects his people to practice justice, honesty, compassion, faithful worship, and obedience in every area of life. Israel must behave differently from the surrounding nations because they belong to God.
The opening laws emphasize that truth and justice must not be dictated by popular opinion. Following a crowd does not make wrongdoing right. God’s people must be willing to stand for what is right even when the crowd does something wrong.
The instructions about helping an enemy’s animal are very insightful. God does not allow hatred to be an excuse for being cruel. Even when someone is an enemy, the Israelites must show them responsibility and kindness.
The laws about judges also show the danger of corruption. Money, social position, and personal feelings must not dictate justice. God’s people are expected to be honest.
The Sabbath laws remind Israel of the need for people and animals to rest. The seventh year for the land also emphasizes that they are not to treat the land as something they can use without limits.
The yearly festivals remind Israel of God’s goodness. Worship is connected with remembering the past, celebrating God’s provision, and giving thanks for the harvest.
God’s promise to send an angel is a good reminder that Israel will not enter the promised land by their strength alone. God will guide them and fight for them but they must listen and obey.
The warning against the false gods of Canaan is important as Israel will soon enter a land where many different religions exist. God knows that His people can be easily influenced by their surroundings.
The promise that God will drive out Israel’s enemies gradually also shows that God’s timing may be different from what people expect. God promises to give them the land but He will accomplish it according to His own timing and wisdom.
The chapter has a combination of practical laws and promises and warnings. They are being taught how to live as God’s people and are being prepared for the journey into the promised land.
We should tell the truth even when lying would be easier.
We must not follow a crowd when the crowd is doing something wrong.
Justice should not depend on wealth, popularity, or personal feelings.
We are to treat even our enemies with kindness and fairness.
We should help people who are in need instead of letting hatred control our actions.
Bribery and dishonesty can destroy justice.
People need regular times of rest.
We should remember God’s past faithfulness and give thanks for His provision.
Worship should be given to God, not false gods.
God can guide and protect His people if they follow His instructions.
God’s promises may be fulfilled gradually, not immediately.
We should be careful of influences that can pull us away from our faith.
Exodus chapter 23 teaches Israel that being God’s people affects their decisions, relationships, work, worship, treatment of enemies, care for the poor, and response to the world around them.
God warns the Israelites not to spread false reports. They should not help any person to make a false accusation or give an honest testimony. They are also not supposed to follow a crowd when the crowd is doing something wicked. A big number of people does not make it right.
The Israelites are instructed by God not to show unfairness to a poor person simply because the person is poor. Justice must prevail.
If the Israelites see an enemy’s ox or donkey, who went away wandering, they must return it instead of ignoring the animal because it is owned by someone they dislike. If they see the animal of someone hating them, struggling under a load, they should not refuse to help the animal even with a conflict.
This instructs the Israelites that doing what is right should not be conditional on them liking the person being helped. Even an enemy should receive fair and humane treatment.
God warns judges not to make dishonest decisions. They must not take bribes because it can influence a judge and cause innocent people to suffer. The poor must not be condemned unfairly, but justice must also not be distorted just because a person is poor.
God instructs the Israelites not to oppress foreigners. They are reminded again that they were foreigners and oppressed people in Egypt, so they should understand what it feels like to experience being treated unfairly.
The chapter has instruction concerning the Sabbath. They are to work their land for six years, but in the seventh year they should leave it alone for it to lay fallow. What grows naturally can be collected by poor people, and animals can also eat from it.
They are commanded to work for six days and to cease on the seventh day. The Sabbath will provide rest for them, their servants, foreigners, and animals. God emphasizes the need for the people to have regular rest.
God instructs the Israelites on three festival celebrations. The first is the Feast of Unleavened Bread, they are to remember how they came out of Egypt. They are to celebrate it at the appointed time and remember how God brought them out of slavery.
The second is the Feast of Harvest, when they will bring the firstfruits of what they have grown. The third is the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when they will gather the last harvest.
They are to offer sacrifices in the proper way, not offering the blood of a sacrifice together with leavened bread, and not to keep the fat of the sacrifice until the next morning. They are to bring the best firstfruits of their harvest to the house of the LORD.
The chapter has a command not to boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. This instruction is part of the laws of Israel’s worship and separation from people around them.
God promises to send an angel before Israel to guide and protect them. They are warned to be careful and obey the angel as God is behind him.
God promises to lead Israel to the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. He says that He will defeat them and bring Israel into the land He promised.
God warns Israel not to worship the gods of these nations or follow their practices. They must completely reject idolatry and worship the LORD.
God promises that if Israel faithfully serves Him, He will bless their food and water and protect them from sickness. He promises that the women will not suffer from miscarriages and their people will live in safety.
God also promises to send fear ahead of Israel and to cause confusion to the nations they will face. He says that He will drive out their enemies gradually so that the land will not be empty and wild animals will not multiply.
God shows what Israel will inherit from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the wilderness to the river. Israel must not make a covenant with the people there or let them influence them.
The chapter has a warning not to allow the people of the land to remain as an influence that can cause Israel to sin against God. If they follow the false gods of the nations, they will become trapped by their worship and practices.
The main lesson of Exodus chapter 23 is that God expects his people to practice justice, honesty, compassion, faithful worship, and obedience in every area of life. Israel must behave differently from the surrounding nations because they belong to God.
The opening laws emphasize that truth and justice must not be dictated by popular opinion. Following a crowd does not make wrongdoing right. God’s people must be willing to stand for what is right even when the crowd does something wrong.
The instructions about helping an enemy’s animal are very insightful. God does not allow hatred to be an excuse for being cruel. Even when someone is an enemy, the Israelites must show them responsibility and kindness.
The laws about judges also show the danger of corruption. Money, social position, and personal feelings must not dictate justice. God’s people are expected to be honest.
The Sabbath laws remind Israel of the need for people and animals to rest. The seventh year for the land also emphasizes that they are not to treat the land as something they can use without limits.
The yearly festivals remind Israel of God’s goodness. Worship is connected with remembering the past, celebrating God’s provision, and giving thanks for the harvest.
God’s promise to send an angel is a good reminder that Israel will not enter the promised land by their strength alone. God will guide them and fight for them but they must listen and obey.
The warning against the false gods of Canaan is important as Israel will soon enter a land where many different religions exist. God knows that His people can be easily influenced by their surroundings.
The promise that God will drive out Israel’s enemies gradually also shows that God’s timing may be different from what people expect. God promises to give them the land but He will accomplish it according to His own timing and wisdom.
The chapter has a combination of practical laws and promises and warnings. They are being taught how to live as God’s people and are being prepared for the journey into the promised land.
We should tell the truth even when lying would be easier.
We must not follow a crowd when the crowd is doing something wrong.
Justice should not depend on wealth, popularity, or personal feelings.
We are to treat even our enemies with kindness and fairness.
We should help people who are in need instead of letting hatred control our actions.
Bribery and dishonesty can destroy justice.
People need regular times of rest.
We should remember God’s past faithfulness and give thanks for His provision.
Worship should be given to God, not false gods.
God can guide and protect His people if they follow His instructions.
God’s promises may be fulfilled gradually, not immediately.
We should be careful of influences that can pull us away from our faith.
Exodus chapter 23 teaches Israel that being God’s people affects their decisions, relationships, work, worship, treatment of enemies, care for the poor, and response to the world around them.