God’s Word Translation
Exodus 22:28
28“Never show disrespect for God or curse a leader of your people.
Exodus 22:28 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
- New International Version (NIV)“Do not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
- English Standard Version (ESV)"You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
- New King James Version (NKJV)“You shall not revile God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
Context of Exodus 22:28
26If you take any of your neighbor’s clothes as collateral, give it back to him by sunset. 27It may be the only clothes he has to cover his body. What else will he sleep in? When he cries out to me, I will listen because I am compassionate. “Never show disrespect for God or curse a leader of your people. 29“Never withhold your best wine from me. “You must give me your firstborn son. 30You must do the same with your cattle and your sheep. They will stay with their mothers seven days, but on the eighth day you must give them to me.
Read all of Exodus 22Exodus 22:28 word by word
אֱלֹהִ֖ים לֹ֣א תְקַלֵּ֑ל וְנָשִׂ֥יא בְעַמְּךָ֖ לֹ֥א תָאֹֽר׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 22:28
- Exodus 22:8If the thief is not caught, the owner of the house must be brought to God to find out whether or not he took his neighbor’s valuables.
- Psalms 32:6For this reason let all godly people pray to you when you may be found. Then raging floodwater will not reach them.
- Psalms 82:1God takes his place in his own assembly. He pronounces judgment among the gods:
- Psalms 138:1I will give thanks to you with all my heart. I will make music to praise you in front of the false gods.
- John 10:34Jesus said to them, “Don’t your Scriptures say, ‘I said, “You are gods” ’?
- Exodus 21:17“Whoever curses his father or mother must be put to death.
- 1 Samuel 24:6He said to his men, “It would be unthinkable for me to raise my hand against His Majesty, the Lord’s anointed king, since he is the Lord’s anointed.”
- 1 Samuel 26:9“Don’t kill him!” David told Abishai. “No one has ever attacked the Lord’s anointed king and remained free of guilt.
- Ecclesiastes 10:20Don’t curse the king even in your thoughts, and don’t curse rich people even in your bedroom. A bird may carry your words, or some winged creature may repeat what you say.
- Acts 23:3Then Paul said to him, “God will strike you, you hypocrite! You sit there and judge me by Moses’ Teachings and yet you break those teachings by ordering these men to strike me!”
- Romans 13:2Therefore, whoever resists the government opposes what God has established. Those who resist will bring punishment on themselves.
- 1 Peter 2:17Honor everyone. Love your brothers and sisters in the faith. Fear God. Honor the emperor.
- 2 Peter 2:10This is especially true of those who follow their corrupt nature along the path of impure desires and who despise the Lord’s authority. These false teachers are bold and arrogant. They aren’t afraid to insult the ⌞Lord’s⌟ glory.
- Jude 1:8Yet, in a similar way, the people who slipped in among you are dreamers. They contaminate their bodies with sin, reject the Lord’s authority, and insult his glory.
Commentaries on Exodus 22:28
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 28Thou shalt not revile the gods - Most commentators believe that the word gods here means magistrates. The original is אלהים Elohim, and should be understood of the true God only: Thou shalt not blaspheme or make light of [תקלל tekallel ] God, the fountain of justice and power, nor curse the ruler of thy people, who derives his authority from God. We shall ever find that he who despises a good civil government, and is disaffected to that under which he…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 28The gods - Heb. אלהים 'ělôhı̂ym See Exodus 21:6 note. Many take it as the name of God (as in Genesis 1:1), and this certainly seems best to represent the Hebrew, and to suit the context. Curse the ruler - See Acts 23:5.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 16-31These laws deal with different situations about social responsibility. They are not arranged in clear groups or categories. These laws show that every part of life relates to obedience to God. Obedience to God is not limited to worship. It includes daily actions and relationships (see study note on 21:1–23:19).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2828. gods--a word which is several times in this chapter rendered "judges" or magistrates. the ruler of thy people--and the chief magistrate who was also the high priest, at least in the time of Paul (Ac 23:1-5).Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 22:28
In the dictionaries
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
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
Commentaries