Christian Standard Bible
Exodus 23:21
21Be attentive to him and listen to him. Do not defy him, because he will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for my name is in him.
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“Bring the best of the firstfruits of your land to the house of the Lord your God. “You must not boil a young goat in its mother’s milk. 20“I am going to send an angel before you to protect you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared. Be attentive to him and listen to him. Do not defy him, because he will not forgive your acts of rebellion, for my name is in him. 22But if you will carefully obey him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23For my angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, Hethites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will wipe them out.
Read all of Exodus 23Exodus 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 2:12Pay homage to the Son or he will be angry and you will perish in your rebellion, for his anger may ignite at any moment. All who take refuge in him are happy.
- Matthew 17:5While he was still speaking, suddenly a bright cloud covered them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased. Listen to him!”
- Hebrews 12:25See to it that you do not reject the one who speaks. For if they did not escape when they rejected him who warned them on earth, even less will we if we turn away from him who warns us from heaven.
- Numbers 14:11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people despise me? How long will they not trust in me despite all the signs 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 don’t grieve God’s Holy Spirit. You were sealed by him for the day of redemption.
- Hebrews 3:10for forty years. Therefore I was provoked to anger with that generation and said, “They always go astray in their hearts, and they have not known my ways.”
- Exodus 32:34Now go, lead the people to the place I told you about; see, my angel will go before you. But on the day I settle accounts, I will hold them accountable for their sin.”
- Numbers 14:35I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear that I will do this to the entire evil community that has conspired against me. They will come to an end in the wilderness, and there they will die.”
- Deuteronomy 18:19I will hold accountable whoever does not listen to my words that he speaks in my name.
- Joshua 24:19But Joshua told the people, “You will not be able to worship the Lord, because he is a holy God. He is a jealous God; he will not forgive your transgressions and sins.
- Jeremiah 5:7Why should I forgive you? Your children have abandoned me and sworn by those who are not gods. I satisfied their needs, yet they committed adultery; they gashed themselves at the prostitute’s house.
- Hebrews 3:11So I swore in my anger, “They will not enter my rest.”
- Hebrews 10:26For if we deliberately go on sinning after receiving the knowledge of the truth, there no longer remains a sacrifice for sins,
- 1 John 5:16If anyone sees a fellow believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, he should ask, and God will give life to him — to those who commit sin that doesn’t lead to death. There is sin that leads to death. I am not saying he should pray about that.
- Exodus 3:14God replied to Moses, “I AM WHO I AM. This is what you are to say 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
In the dictionaries
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
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