The big picture
Exodus 23 opens in verse 1 with “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an…”, reaches its middle movement near verse 17 with “Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD .”, and closes in verse 33 with “They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve…” Repeated or prominent terms include land, year, bread, drive, feast. Together, those details trace this chapter’s own movement from its opening to its conclusion.
Scripture beside the summary
Exodus · King James Version · 33Exodus 23:1-7
1–7: Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked…
Exodus 23:1–7 opens with “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous…” and reaches “Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by cause, false, help.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.” Naming Thou keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Exodus 23:1-7
King James Version1Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
2Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
3Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
4If thou meet thine enemy’s ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again.
5If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him.
6Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
7Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Exodus 23:8-14
8–14: Thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth…
Exodus 23:8–14 opens with “And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the…” and reaches “Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by rest, stranger, gift.
Context that brings the passage to life
“And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.” The line’s distinctive content terms include gift, blindeth, perverteth. Its relationship to verses 9 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of…” Naming Also and Egypt keeps the account rooted in particular people or places. Follow where the name returns and what changes around it.
Exodus 23:8-14
King James Version8And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
9Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
10And six years thou shalt sow thy land, and shalt gather in the fruits thereof:
11But the seventh year thou shalt let it rest and lie still; that the poor of thy people may eat: and what they leave the beasts of the field shall eat. In like manner thou shalt deal with thy vineyard, and with thy oliveyard.
12Six days thou shalt do thy work, and on the seventh day thou shalt rest: that thine ox and thine ass may rest, and the son of thy handmaid, and the stranger, may be refreshed.
13And in all things that I have said unto you be circumspect: and make no mention of the name of other gods, neither let it be heard out of thy mouth.
14Three times thou shalt keep a feast unto me in the year.
Exodus 23:15-21
15–21: Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat…
Exodus 23:15–21 opens with “Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I…” and reaches “Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by bread, feast, appear.
Context that brings the passage to life
“Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in…” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
“And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of…” The line’s distinctive content terms include feast, field, labours. Its relationship to verses 15 and 17 shows what work it does in this passage.
“Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD .” The command cannot be understood from the verb alone. Its recipient, purpose, and place in the larger covenant or argument define the responsibility.
Exodus 23:15-21
King James Version15Thou shalt keep the feast of unleavened bread: (thou shalt eat unleavened bread seven days, as I commanded thee, in the time appointed of the month Abib; for in it thou camest out from Egypt: and none shall appear before me empty:)
16And the feast of harvest, the firstfruits of thy labours, which thou hast sown in the field: and the feast of ingathering, which is in the end of the year, when thou hast gathered in thy labours out of the field.
17Three times in the year all thy males shall appear before the Lord GOD .
18Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.
19The first of the firstfruits of thy land thou shalt bring into the house of the LORD thy God. Thou shalt not seethe a kid in his mother’s milk.
20Behold, I send an Angel before thee, to keep thee in the way, and to bring thee into the place which I have prepared.
21Beware of him, and obey his voice, provoke him not; for he will not pardon your transgressions: for my name is in him.
Exodus 23:22-28
22–28: If thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I…
Exodus 23:22–28 opens with “But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto…” and reaches “And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by enemies, send, serve.
Context that brings the passage to life
“But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an…” The line’s distinctive content terms include adversaries, adversary, enemies. Its relationship to verses 23 shows what work it does in this passage.
“For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and…” This line supplies a reason, result, or conclusion. It should stay attached to the claim or action that gives it meaning.
Exodus 23:22-28
King James Version22But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.
23For mine Angel shall go before thee, and bring thee in unto the Amorites, and the Hittites, and the Perizzites, and the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites: and I will cut them off.
24Thou shalt not bow down to their gods, nor serve them, nor do after their works: but thou shalt utterly overthrow them, and quite break down their images.
25And ye shall serve the LORD your God, and he shall bless thy bread, and thy water; and I will take sickness away from the midst of thee.
26There shall nothing cast their young, nor be barren, in thy land: the number of thy days I will fulfil.
27I will send my fear before thee, and will destroy all the people to whom thou shalt come, and I will make all thine enemies turn their backs unto thee.
28And I will send hornets before thee, which shall drive out the Hivite, the Canaanite, and the Hittite, from before thee.
Exodus 23:29-33
29–33: I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land…
Exodus 23:29–33 opens with “I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the…” and reaches “They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their…” by its final verse. That movement develops the focus on the wording and movement of this passage, with particular weight carried by land, drive, gods.
Context that brings the passage to life
“I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field…” The number one makes the report concrete. Ask whether it measures time, people, distance, repetition, or completeness before deciding what weight it carries.
Exodus 23:29-33
King James Version29I will not drive them out from before thee in one year; lest the land become desolate, and the beast of the field multiply against thee.
30By little and little I will drive them out from before thee, until thou be increased, and inherit the land.
31And I will set thy bounds from the Red sea even unto the sea of the Philistines, and from the desert unto the river: for I will deliver the inhabitants of the land into your hand; and thou shalt drive them out before thee.
32Thou shalt make no covenant with them, nor with their gods.
33They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.
Details worth noticing
The opening image
Exodus 23:1 begins with “Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.”
Where the chapter turns
Exodus 23:18 forms a natural hinge: “Thou shalt not offer the blood of my sacrifice with leavened bread; neither shall the fat of my sacrifice remain until the morning.”
The final note
Exodus 23:33 leaves the reader with “They shall not dwell in thy land, lest they make thee sin against me: for if thou serve their gods, it will surely be a snare unto thee.”
A word trail through the chapter
The words land, year, bread, drive, feast, field help reveal the chapter’s repeated concerns.
Why repeat the details of the property?
The description establishes a recognized, witnessed holding for the family.
How do grief and promise coexist?
Abraham mourns fully while securing a burial place in the land associated with the promise.
KJV words made clear
- behold
- look, or pay close attention
- unto
- to
- thee
- you
- thou
- you
- thy
- your
Text first
Where readers differ
The chapter summary begins with what the passage says and how its parts fit together. It does not assume one denomination has already settled every question. Where a conclusion depends on a tradition, literary theory, or historical reconstruction, that dependence is named openly.
The KJV text is presented first. Interpretive conclusions are labeled, and differences are introduced only when they help a reader understand why serious communities do not always reach the same answer.
Comparative interpretive notes for this chapter are in preparation. Until reviewed notes are ready, this page separates the KJV text from summary and application without claiming that serious readers agree on every question.