Discovery BoxExodus 23:5-15 
Context23:5 If you see the donkey of someone who hates you fallen under its load, you must not ignore him, 1 but be sure to help 2 him with it. 3
23:6 “You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits. 23:7 Keep your distance 4 from a false charge 5 – do not kill the innocent and the righteous, 6 for I will not justify the wicked. 7
23:8 “You must not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see 8 and subverts the words of the righteous.
23:9 “You must not oppress 9 a foreigner, since you know the life 10 of a foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
23:10 11 “For six years 12 you are to sow your land and gather in its produce. 23:11 But in the seventh year 13 you must let it lie fallow and leave it alone so that the poor of your people may eat, and what they leave any animal in the field 14 may eat; you must do likewise with your vineyard and your olive grove. 23:12 For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, in order that your ox and your donkey may rest and that your female servant’s son and any hired help 15 may refresh themselves. 16
23:13 “Pay attention to do 17 everything I have told you, and do not even mention 18 the names of other gods – do not let them be heard on your lips. 19
23:14 “Three times 20 in the year you must make a pilgrim feast 21 to me. 23:15 You are to observe the Feast of Unleavened Bread; seven days 22 you must eat bread made without yeast, as I commanded you, at the appointed time of the month of Abib, for at that time 23 you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before 24 me empty-handed.
1 tn The line reads “you will cease to forsake him” – refrain from leaving your enemy without help.
2 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 (’azav) are used, one meaning “forsake” and the other possibly meaning “arrange” based on Arabic and Ugaritic evidence (see U. Cassuto, Exodus, 297-98).
3 sn See H. B. Huffmon, “Exodus 23:4-5: A Comparative Study,” A Light Unto My Path, 271-78.
4 tn Or “stay away from,” or “have nothing to do with.”
5 tn Heb “a false matter,” this expression in this context would have to be a case in law that was false or that could only be won by falsehood.
6 tn The two clauses probably should be related: the getting involved in the false charge could lead to the death of an innocent person (so, e.g., Naboth in 1 Kgs 21:10-13).
7 sn God will not declare right the one who is in the wrong. Society should also be consistent, but it cannot see the intents and motives, as God can.
8 tn Heb “blinds the open-eyed.”
9 tn The verb means “to crush.” S. R. Driver notes that in this context this would probably mean with an unfair judgment in the courts (Exodus, 239).
10 tn Heb “soul, life” – “you know what it feels like.”
11 sn This section concerns religious duties of the people of God as they worship by giving thanks to God for their blessings. The principles here are: God requires his people to allow the poor to share in their bounty (10-11); God requires his people to provide times of rest and refreshment for those who labor for them (12); God requires allegiance to himself (13); God requires his people to come before him in gratitude and share their bounty (14-17); God requires that his people safeguard proper worship forms (18-19).
12 tn Heb “and six years”; this is an adverbial accusative telling how long they can work their land. The following references to years and days in vv. 10-12 function similarly.
13 tn Heb “and the seventh year”; an adverbial accusative with a disjunctive vav (ו).
14 tn Heb “living thing/creature/beast of the field.” A general term for animals, usually wild animals, including predators (cf. v. 29; Gen 2:19-20; Lev 26:22; Deut 7:22; 1 Sam 17:46; Job 5:22-23; Ezek 29:5; 34:5).
15 tn Heb “alien,” or “resident foreigner.” Such an individual would have traveled out of need and depended on the goodwill of the people around him. The rendering “hired help” assumes that the foreigner is mentioned in this context because he is working for an Israelite and will benefit from the Sabbath rest, along with his employer.
16 tn The verb is וְיִּנָּפֵשׁ (vÿyyinnafesh); it is related to the word usually translated “soul” or “life.”
17 tn The phrase “to do” is added; in Hebrew word order the line says, “In all that I have said to you you will watch yourselves.” The verb for paying attention is a Niphal imperfect with an imperatival force.
18 tn Or “honor,” Hiphil of זָכַר (zakhar). See also Exod 20:25; Josh 23:7; Isa 26:13.
19 tn Heb “mouth.”
sn See also Ps 16:4, where David affirms his loyalty to God with this expression.
20 tn The expression rendered “three times” is really “three feet,” or “three foot-beats.” The expression occurs only a few times in the Law. The expressing is an adverbial accusative.
21 tn This is the word תָּחֹג (takhog) from the root חָגַג (khagag); it describes a feast that was accompanied by a pilgrimage. It was first used by Moses in his appeal that Israel go three days into the desert to hold such a feast.
22 tn This is an adverbial accusative of time.
23 tn Heb “in it.”
24 tn The verb is a Niphal imperfect; the nuance of permission works well here – no one is permitted to appear before God empty (Heb “and they will not appear before me empty”).
