Bible Strands
Exodus 23:9
Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Berean Standard Bible
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Study note
Setting — God addresses the assembled Israelites at Sinai, framing civil law between judicial warnings and agricultural statutes. The command follows directives on impartial courts and precedes sabbatical land regulations.
The words — The imperative לֹא תִלְחַץ (lo tichatz) commands "you must not oppress," paired with the noun גֵּר (ger) for "foreign resident" or "sojourner." The verb יְדַעְתֶּם (yeda'tem) states "you have known," establishing the basis for the prohibition.
The thread — This injunction against exploiting גֵּר appears in Exodus 22:21, Deuteronomy 27:19, and Deuteronomy 24:14 alongside protections for the poor and marginalized. The repeated clause "you were foreigners in the land of Egypt" anchors the ethical demand in recorded national history.
Why it lands — The text requires concrete protection for non-native residents by forbidding their exploitation. It demands that readers apply this standard by recalling their own past status as subjugated outsiders.
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
King James Version
Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Cross-references
- Exodus 22:21 You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’
- Deuteronomy 24:14 Do not oppress a hired hand who is poor and needy, whether he is a brother or a foreigner residing in one of your towns.
- Matthew 18:33 Shouldn’t you have had mercy on your fellow servant, just as I had on you?’
- Exodus 21:21 However, if the servant gets up after a day or two, the owner shall not be punished, since the servant is his property.
- Deuteronomy 10:19 So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- Psalms 94:6 They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.
- Ezekiel 22:7 Father and mother are treated with contempt. Within your walls the foreign resident is exploited, the fatherless and the widow are oppressed.
- Hebrews 2:17 For this reason He had to be made like His brothers in every way, so that He might become a merciful and faithful high priest in service to God, in order to make atonement for the sins of the people.