Lectionary Calendar
Wednesday, April 30th, 2025
the Second Week after Easter
Attention!
StudyLight.org has pledged to help build churches in Uganda. Help us with that pledge and support pastors in the heart of Africa.
Click here to join the effort!

Read the Bible

The Holy Bible, Berean Study Bible

Exodus 22:21

You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Aliens;   Hospitality;   Injustice;   Oppression;   Thompson Chain Reference - Aliens;   Duty;   Social Duties;   Social Life;   Strangers;   The Topic Concordance - God;   Grace;   Hearing;   Oppression;   Strangers;   Wrath;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Injustice;   Strangers in Israel;  

Dictionaries:

- Bridgeway Bible Dictionary - Ethics;   Freedom;   Justice;   Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Foreigner;   Law;   Widow;   Easton Bible Dictionary - Foreigner;   Proselyte;   Fausset Bible Dictionary - Proselytes;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Exodus, Book of;   Loan;   Pentateuch;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Canon of the Old Testament;   Covenant, Book of the;   Ethics;   Hexateuch;   Law;   Leviticus;   Pity;   Priests and Levites;   Proselyte;   Sin;   Stranger;   Ten Commandments;   Hastings' Dictionary of the New Testament - Proselyte;   Stranger;   Stranger, Alien, Foreigner;   Smith Bible Dictionary - Law of Moses;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Justice;  

Encyclopedias:

- Condensed Biblical Cyclopedia - Other Laws;   International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Amos (1);   Covenant, the Book of the;   Leviticus;   Relationships, Family;   The Jewish Encyclopedia - Breach of Trust;   Charity and Charitable Institutions;   Commandments, the 613;   Gentile;   Judaism;   Magic;   Ona'ah;   Orphan;  

Parallel Translations

Hebrew Names Version
"You shall not wrong an alien, neither shall you oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Mitzrayim.
King James Version
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Lexham English Bible
"‘You will not mistreat an alien, and you will not oppress him, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
New Century Version
"Do not cheat or hurt a foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
New English Translation
"You must not wrong a foreigner nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Amplified Bible
"You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
New American Standard Bible
"You shall not oppress a stranger nor torment him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Geneva Bible (1587)
Moreouer, thou shalt not do iniurie to a stranger, neither oppresse him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Legacy Standard Bible
"You shall not mistreat a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Contemporary English Version
Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt.
Complete Jewish Bible
"You are not to abuse any widow or orphan.
Darby Translation
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.
Easy-to-Read Version
"Remember, in the past you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. So you should not cheat or hurt anyone who is a foreigner in your land.
English Standard Version
"You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
George Lamsa Translation
You shall neither harm a stranger nor oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Good News Translation
"Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt.
Christian Standard Bible®
“You must not exploit a resident alien or oppress him, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.
Literal Translation
You shall not be violent toward an alien. You shall not oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Thou shalt not vexe ner oppresse a straunger, for ye youre selues were straungers also in the londe of Egipte.
American Standard Version
And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Bible in Basic English
Do no wrong to a man from a strange country, and do not be hard on him; for you yourselves were living in a strange country, in the land of Egypt.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
Uexe not a straunger, neither oppresse him: for ye were straungers in the land of Egypt.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
Ye shall not afflict any widow, or fatherless child.
King James Version (1611)
Thou shalt neither vexe a stranger, nor oppresse him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
And ye shall not hurt a stranger, nor afflict him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
English Revised Version
And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
Thou schalt not make sory a comelyng, nether thou schalt turmente hym; for also ye weren comelyngis in the lond of Egipt.
Young's Literal Translation
`And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, nor crush him, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt.
Update Bible Version
And a sojourner you shall not wrong, neither shall you oppress him: for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Webster's Bible Translation
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
World English Bible
"You shall not wrong an alien, neither shall you oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
New King James Version
"You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
New Living Translation
"You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
New Life Bible
Do not do wrong to a stranger or make it hard for him. For you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
New Revised Standard
You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
And, a sojourner, shalt thou not tread down neither shalt thou drive him away, - for sojourners, ye became in the land of Egypt.
Douay-Rheims Bible
Thou shalt not molest a stranger, nor afflict him: for yourselves also were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Revised Standard Version
"You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
THE MESSAGE
"Don't abuse or take advantage of strangers; you, remember, were once strangers in Egypt.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
"You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Contextual Overview

16If a man seduces a virgin who is not pledged in marriage and sleeps with her, he must pay the full dowry for her to be his wife. 17If her father absolutely refuses to give her to him, the man still must pay an amount comparable to the bridal price of a virgin. 18You must not allow a sorceress to live. 19Whoever has sexual relations 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. 21You 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. 24My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

vex a stranger: Exodus 23:9, Leviticus 19:33, Leviticus 25:35, Deuteronomy 10:19, Jeremiah 7:6, Jeremiah 22:3, Zechariah 7:10, Malachi 3:5

for ye were strangers: Exodus 20:2, Exodus 23:9, Deuteronomy 10:19, Deuteronomy 15:15, Deuteronomy 23:7

Reciprocal: Genesis 15:13 - thy Exodus 2:22 - for he said Deuteronomy 1:16 - the stranger Deuteronomy 14:29 - the stranger Deuteronomy 23:16 - thou shalt not Deuteronomy 24:17 - pervert Deuteronomy 27:19 - General Job 22:9 - widows Isaiah 5:7 - a cry Ezekiel 18:7 - hath not Ezekiel 22:7 - dealt Ezekiel 22:29 - oppressed Amos 4:1 - which oppress Micah 2:2 - so

Cross-References

Genesis 22:1
Some time later God tested Abraham and said to him, "Abraham!" "Here I am," he answered.
Genesis 22:12
"Do not lay a hand on the boy or do anything to him," said the Angel, "for now I know that you fear God, since you have not withheld your only son from Me."
Genesis 24:10
Then the servant took ten of his master's camels and departed with all manner of good things from his master in hand. And he set out for Nahor's hometown in Mesopotamia.
Numbers 23:7
And Balaam lifted up an oracle, saying: "Balak brought me from Aram, the king of Moab from the mountains of the east. 'Come,' he said, 'put a curse on Jacob for me; come and denounce Israel!'
Job 1:1
There once was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.
Job 32:2
This kindled the anger of Elihu son of Barachel the Buzite, of the family of Ram, who burned with anger against Job for justifying himself rather than God.

Gill's Notes on the Bible

Thou shall not vex a stranger,.... One that is not born in the same country, but comes into another country to sojourn, as Jarchi; not a native of the place, but of another kingdom or country; a stranger to the commonwealth of Israel, that is only in it for a time on trade and business, or through one providence or another; or else a proselyte is meant, not a proselyte of righteousness, who has embraced the true religion; but a proselyte of the gate, that takes upon him the commands of the sons of Noah; or, as Aben Ezra here expresses it, who takes upon him not to serve idols; such were allowed to dwell among the Israelites, and they were to carry it friendly and kindly to them, and "not vex" them, nor irritate them with words, as the Targum of Jonathan, and so Jarchi; by calling them names, Gentiles, uncircumcised persons, and the like; upbraiding them with their country, ignorance, and manner of life; they were not to say to a proselyte, as Ben Melech observes, remember thy former works; or, if the son of a proselyte, remember thy father's works:

nor oppress him; by taking his goods, as the above Targum, and so Jarchi; by refusing to assist him with advice or otherwise, to trade with him, or to give him lodging, and furnish him with the necessaries of life:

for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt: out of which they were but just come, and therefore such a reason must be very striking and moving upon them: the Targum of Jonathan prefaces it,

"and my people, the house of Israel, remember that ye were strangers, c.''

this they could not have forgot in so short a time, and the remembrance of this should move their compassion to strangers hereafter, when they came to settle in their own land and therefore, as they would that men should have done to them when in such circumstances, the same they should do to others; and besides, the remembrance of this would serve to abate their pride and vanity, and their overbearing disposition.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

A stranger - See Exodus 20:10 note.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Exodus 22:21. Thou 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 your country will be increased. If refugees of this kind be treated well, they will become proselytes to your religion, and thus their souls may be saved." In every point of view, therefore, justice, humanity, sound policy, and religion, say. Neither vex nor oppress a stranger.


 
adsfree-icon
Ads FreeProfile