Exodus 22:21

Exodus 22:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
• New International Version (NIV)“Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt.
• English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
• New King James Version (NKJV)“You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Context of Exodus 22:21

19Whoever lies with an animal must surely be put to death. 20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction. You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 22You must not mistreat any widow or orphan. 23If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry.

Exodus 22:21 word by word

וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃Read the interlinear

• You must notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
• exploitיָנָהyânâh · to oppressH3238
• oppressלָחַץlâchats · to oppressH3905
• a foreign residentגֵּרgêr gêyr · sojournerH1616
• forכִּיkîy · forH3588
• you yourselves wereהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
• in the landאֶ֫רֶץ'erets · land: country/planetH776
• of Egyptמִצְרַ֫יִםmitsrayim · EgyptH4714

Cross-references for Exodus 22:21

• Exodus 23:9Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
• Leviticus 19:33When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him.
• Leviticus 25:35Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you.
• Deuteronomy 10:19So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
• Jeremiah 7:6if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm,
• Jeremiah 22:3This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.
• Zechariah 7:10Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’
• Malachi 3:5“Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts.
• Exodus 20:2“I am the LORD your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of slavery.
• Deuteronomy 15:15Remember that you were slaves in the land of Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you; that is why I am giving you this command today.
• Deuteronomy 23:7Do not despise an Edomite, for he is your brother. Do not despise an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.

Commentaries on Exodus 22:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him - This was not only a very humane law, but it was also the offspring of a sound policy: "Do not vex a stranger; remember ye were strangers. Do not oppress a stranger; remember ye were oppressed. Therefore do unto all men as ye would they should do to you." It was the produce of a sound policy: "Let strangers be well treated among you, and many will come to take refuge among you, and thus the strength of…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21A stranger - See Exodus 20:10 note.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The Hebrews were to treat foreigners kindly because they, too, had once been foreigners (see also 23:9; Deuteronomy 10:18–19). For more on this principle, see Luke 6:31.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-311-4. If a man shall steal an ox, or a sheep--The law respects the theft of cattle which constituted the chief part of their property. The penalty for the theft of a sheep which was slain or sold, was fourfold; for an ox fivefold, because of its greater utility in labor; but, should the stolen animal have been recovered alive, a double compensation was all that was required, because it was presumable he (the thief) was not a practised adept in dishonesty…Read the comment

Topics related to Exodus 22:21

• Aliens
• Hospitality
• Injustice
• Oppression

In the dictionaries

• Egypt
• Egypt, Egyptian
• Book
• Cause
• Curse
• Feed
• Foreigner
• God
• Proselyte
• Put

Commentaries on Exodus 22

• 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
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings