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 must bring the best of the first produce harvested from your soil to the house of the Lord your God. “Never cook a young goat in its mother’s milk. 20“I’m going to send a Messenger in front of you to protect you on your trip and bring you to the place I have prepared. Pay attention to him, and listen to him. Don’t defy him, because he will not forgive your disobedience. He is acting on my authority. 22But if you will listen to him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an opponent to your opponents. 23“My Messenger will go ahead of you and will bring you to ⌞the land of⌟ the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites. I will wipe them out.

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 the Son, or he will become angry and you will die on your way because his anger will burst into flames. Blessed is everyone who takes refuge in him.
• Matthew 17:5He was still speaking when a bright cloud overshadowed them. Then a voice came out of the cloud and said, “This is my Son, whom I love and with whom I am pleased. Listen to him!”
• Hebrews 12:25Be careful that you do not refuse to listen when God speaks. Your ancestors didn’t escape when they refused to listen to God, who warned them on earth. We certainly won’t escape if we turn away from God, who warns us from heaven.
• Numbers 14:11The Lord said to Moses, “How long will these people treat me with contempt? How long will they refuse to trust me in spite of all the miraculous signs I have done among them?
• Psalms 78:40How often they rebelled against him in the wilderness! How often they caused him grief in the desert!
• Ephesians 4:30Don’t give God’s Holy Spirit any reason to be upset with you. He has put his seal on you for the day you will be set free ⌞from the world of sin⌟.
• Hebrews 3:10although they had seen what I had done for 40 years. That is why I was angry with those people. So I said, ‘Their hearts continue to stray, and they have not learned my ways.’
• Exodus 32:34Now, go! Lead the people to the place I told you about. My Messenger will go ahead of you. But when I punish, I will punish them for their sin.”
• Numbers 14:35I, the Lord, have spoken. I swear I will do these things to all the people in this whole wicked community who have joined forces against me. They will meet their end in this desert. Here they will die!”
• Deuteronomy 18:19Whoever refuses to listen to the words that prophet speaks in my name will answer to me.
• Joshua 24:19But Joshua answered the people, “Since the Lord is a holy God, you can’t possibly serve him. He is a God who does not tolerate rivals. He will not forgive your rebellious acts and sins.
• Jeremiah 5:7“Why should I forgive you? Your children abandoned me. They took godless oaths. They committed adultery, even though I satisfied their needs. They traveled in crowds to the houses of prostitutes.
• Hebrews 3:11So I angrily took a solemn oath that they would never enter my place of rest.”
• Hebrews 10:26If we go on sinning after we have learned the truth, no sacrifice can take away our sins.
• 1 John 5:16If you see another believer committing a sin that doesn’t lead to death, you should pray that God would give that person life. This is true for those who commit sins that don’t lead to death. There is a sin that leads to death. I’m not telling you to pray about that.
• Exodus 3:14God answered Moses, “I Am Who I Am. This is what you must say to the people of Israel: ‘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