Exodus 23:21

Exodus 23:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
• New International Version (NIV)Pay attention to him and listen to what he says. Do not rebel against him; he will not forgive your rebellion, since my Name is in him.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Pay careful attention to him and obey his voice; do not rebel against him, for he will not pardon your transgression, for my name is in him.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Beware of Him and obey His voice; do not provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgressions; for My name is in Him.

Context of Exodus 23:21

19“You shall bring the choice first fruits of your ground into the house of the Lord your God. “You shall not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. 20“Behold, I am going to send an Angel before you to keep and guard you on the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared. Be on your guard before Him, listen to and obey His voice; do not be rebellious toward Him or provoke Him, for He will not pardon your transgression, since My Name (authority) is in Him. 22But if you will indeed listen to and truly obey His voice and do everything that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries. 23When My Angel goes before you and brings you to [the land of] the Amorite, the Hittite, the Perizzite, the Canaanite, the Hivite, and the Jebusite, I will reject them and completely destroy them.

Exodus 23:21 word by word

הִשָּׁ֧מֶר מִפָּנָ֛יו וּשְׁמַ֥ע בְּקֹל֖וֹ אַל־תַּמֵּ֣ר בּ֑וֹ כִּ֣י לֹ֤א יִשָּׂא֙ לְפִשְׁעֲכֶ֔ם כִּ֥י שְׁמִ֖י בְּקִרְבּֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Bewareשָׁמַרshâmar · to keep: carefulH8104
• ofפָּנֶהpânîym · face: beforeH6440
• him, and obeyשָׁמַעshâma‛ · to hear: obeyH8085
• his voiceקוֹלqôl qôl · voiceH6963
• provokeמָרַרmârar · to provokeH4843
• him not; for he will not pardonנָשָׂאnâώâ' nâsâh · to lift: forgiveH5375
• your transgressionsפֶּ֫שַׁעpesha‛ · transgressionH6588
• for my nameשֵׁםshêm · nameH8034
• in himקֶ֫רֶבqereb · entrails: amongH7130

Cross-references for Exodus 23:21

• Psalms 2:12Kiss (pay respect to) the Son, so that He does not become angry, and you perish in the way, For His wrath may soon be kindled and set aflame. How blessed [fortunate, prosperous, and favored by God] are all those who take refuge in Him!
• Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased and delighted! Listen to Him!”
• Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not refuse [to listen to] Him who is speaking [to you now]. For if those [sons of Israel] did not escape when they refused [to listen to] him who warned them on earth [revealing God’s will], how much less will we escape if we turn our backs on Him who warns from heaven?
• Numbers 14:11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me disrespectfully and reject Me? And how long will they not believe in Me, despite all the [miraculous] signs which I have performed among them?
• Psalms 78:40How often they rebelled against Him in the wilderness And grieved Him in the desert!
• Ephesians 4:30And do not grieve the Holy Spirit of God [but seek to please Him], by whom you were sealed and marked [branded as God’s own] for the day of redemption [the final deliverance from the consequences of sin].
• Hebrews 3:10Therefore I was angered with this generation, And I said, ‘They always go astray in their heart, And they did not know My ways [nor become progressively better and more intimately acquainted with them]’;
• Exodus 32:34But now go, lead the people [to the place] where I have told you. Behold, My Angel shall go before you; nevertheless, in the day when I punish, I will punish them for their sin!”
• Numbers 14:35I, the Lord, have spoken. I will most certainly do this to all this evil congregation who are gathered together against Me. In this wilderness they shall be consumed [by war, disease, and plagues], and here they shall die.’ ”
• Deuteronomy 18:19It shall come about that whoever will not listen to My words which he shall speak in My name, I Myself will require it of him [and there will be consequences].
• Joshua 24:19Then Joshua said to the people, “You will not be able to serve the Lord [if you serve any other gods], for He is a holy God; He is a jealous God [demanding what is rightfully and uniquely His]. He will not forgive your transgression [of His law] or your sins.
• Jeremiah 5:7“Why should I [overlook these offenses and] forgive you? Your children have abandoned (rejected) Me And sworn [their oaths] by those who are not gods. When I had fed them until they were full [and bound them to Me by a promise], They committed [spiritual] adultery, Assembling in troops at the houses of prostitutes (idols).
• Hebrews 3:11So I swore [an oath] in My wrath, ‘They shall not enter My rest [the promised land].’ ”
• Hebrews 10:26For if we go on willfully and deliberately sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice [to atone] for our sins [that is, no further offering to anticipate],
• 1 John 5:16If anyone sees his brother committing a sin that does not lead to death, he will pray and ask [on the believer’s behalf] and God will for him give life to those whose sin is not leading to death. There is a sin that leads to death; I do not say that one should pray for this [kind of sin].
• Exodus 3:14God said to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM”; and He said, “You shall say this to the Israelites, ‘I AM has sent me to you.’ ”

Commentaries on Exodus 23:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21He will not pardon your transgressions - He is not like a man, with whom ye may think that ye may trifle; were he either man or angel, in the common acceptation of the term, it need not be said, He will not pardon your transgressions, for neither man nor angel could do it. My name is in him - The Jehovah dwells in him; in him dwelt all the fullness of the Godhead bodily; and because of this he could either pardon or punish. All power is given unto me in…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 20-33Verses 20-33 It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; this is plainly taught by St. Paul, 1Co 10:9. They should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 20-23an angel: Probably "the angel of the LORD," often representing God himself (see 3:2).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 20-2520-25. Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way--The communication of these laws, made to Moses and by him rehearsed to the people, was concluded by the addition of many animating promises, intermingled with several solemn warnings that lapses into sin and idolatry would not be tolerated or passed with impunity.Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 23:21

• Jesus Continued

In the dictionaries

• Angel
• Beware
• Book
• Countenance
• Ingathering
• Refresh
• Seethe
• Turn
• Wrest
• Bible, the

Commentaries on Exodus 23

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings