Exodus 23:22

But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

Berean Standard Bible

Follow its threads on the canvas →

Study note

Setting — God addresses Israel through Moses at Sinai, immediately following the description of His angel's mission to lead the people into the promised land.

The words — The Hebrew אִם (im) means "if" and תִּשְׁמַע (tish.ma) means "you will listen," establishing the conditional structure that triggers the divine response.

The thread — This pattern of conditional divine opposition to adversaries appears in Genesis 12:3, Deuteronomy 30:7, and Zechariah 2:8.

Why it lands — The text requires strict obedience to God's commands as the explicit condition for receiving His active hostility toward Israel's enemies.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.

The Hebrew words

כִּ֣יkithat אִם־'im-except שָׁמֹ֤עַsha.Mo.a'carefully <to listen>תִּשְׁמַע֙tish.Ma'you will listen בְּקֹל֔וֹbe./ko.L/oto/ voice/ his וְעָשִׂ֕יתָve./'a.Si.taand/ you will do כֹּ֖לkolall אֲשֶׁ֣ר'a.Sherthat אֲדַבֵּ֑ר'a.da.BerI will say וְאָֽיַבְתִּי֙ve./'a.yav.Tiand/ I will be an enemy to אֶת־'et-<obj.>אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ'o.ye.Vei./khaenemies/ your וְצַרְתִּ֖יve./tzar.Tiand/ I will be a foe to אֶת־'et-<obj.>צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃tzo.re.Rei./khaopposers/ your

King James Version

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 adversary unto thine adversaries.

Cross-references

Genesis 12:3 I will bless those who bless you and curse those who curse you; and all the families of the earth will be blessed through you.”
Deuteronomy 30:7 Then the LORD your God will put all these curses upon your enemies who hate you and persecute you.
Zechariah 2:8 For this is what the LORD of Hosts says: “After His Glory has sent Me against the nations that have plundered you—for whoever touches you touches the apple of His eye—
Jeremiah 30:20 Their children will be as in days of old, and their congregation will be established before Me; and I will punish all their oppressors.
Numbers 24:9 He crouches, he lies down like a lion, like a lioness—who dares to rouse him? Blessed are those who bless you and cursed are those who curse you.”
Acts 9:4 He fell to the ground and heard a voice say to him, “Saul, Saul, why do you persecute Me?”