Exodus 22:20

Geneva Bible (1560)

Hee that offereth vnto any gods, saue vnto the Lord onely, shalbe slaine.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

וְגֵ֥ר לֹא־תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי־גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם׃

Transliteration

And gēr not tôneh and not tilḥāṣennû, because gērîm hĕyîtem in ʾereṣ miṣrāyim.

Grammar Details

• *gēr*: masculine singular noun, 'sojourner/foreigner'
• *tôneh*: hiphil imperfect, 2nd masculine singular, 'you shall wrong'
• *tilḥāṣennû*: qal imperfect, 2nd masculine singular with 3rd masculine singular suffix, 'you shall oppress him'
• *gērîm*: masculine plural noun, 'sojourners/foreigners'
• *hĕyîtem*: qal perfect, 2nd masculine plural, 'you were'
• *ʾereṣ*: feminine singular construct, 'land of'
• *miṣrāyim*: proper name, 'Egypt'

Word Meanings

• *gēr*: sojourner/foreigner/resident alien
• *tôneh*: wrong/mistreat/take advantage of
• *tilḥāṣennû*: oppress him/afflict him/put pressure on him

Referenced Verses

• Num 25:7-8 : 7 And when Phinehas the sonne of Eleazar the sonne of Aaron the Priest sawe it, hee rose vp from the middes of the Congregation, & tooke a speare in his hand, 8 And followed ye man of Israel into the tent, and thrust them both through: to wit, the man of Israel, and the woman, through her belly: so the plague ceased from the children of Israel.
• Deut 17:2-5 : 2 If there be founde among you in any of thy cities, which the Lorde thy God giueth thee, man or woman that hath wrought wickednes in the sight of the Lord thy God, in transgressing his couenant, 3 And hath gone and serued other gods, and worshipped them: as the sunne, or the moone, or any of the hoste of heauen, which I haue not commaunded, 4 And it be tolde vnto thee, and thou hast heard it, then shalt thou inquire diligently: and if it be true, and the thing certaine, that such abomination is wrought in Israel, 5 Then shalt thou bring foorth that man, or that woman (which haue committed that wicked thing) vnto thy gates, whether it be man or woman, & shalt stone them with stones, til they die.
• Deut 18:20 : 20 But the prophet that shall presume to speake a worde in my name, which I haue not commanded him to speake, or that speaketh in the name of other gods, euen the same prophet shall die.
• Deut 13:1-9 : 1 If there arise amog you a prophet or a dreamer of dreames, (and giue thee a signe or wonder, 2 And the signe and the wonder, which hee hath tolde thee, come to passe) saying, Let vs go after other gods, which thou hast not knowen, and let vs serue them, 3 Thou shalt not hearken vnto the wordes of the prophet, or vnto that dreamer of dreames: for the Lord your God prooueth you, to knowe whether ye loue the Lord your God with al your heart, and with all your soule. 4 Yee shall walke after the Lorde your God and feare him, and shall keepe his commaundements, and hearken vnto his voyce, and yee shall serue him, and cleaue vnto him. 5 But that prophet, or that dreamer of dreames, he shall be slaine, because hee hath spoken to turne you away from the Lord your God (which brought you out of the lande of Egypt, and deliuered you out of the house of bodage) to thrust thee out of the way, wherein the Lorde thy God commanded thee to walke: so shalt thou take the euill away foorth of the middes of thee. 6 If thy brother, the sonne of thy mother, or thine owne sonne, or thy daughter, or the wife, that lyeth in thy bosome, or thy friend, which is as thine owne soule, intice thee secretly, saying, Let vs goe and serue other gods, (which thou hast not knowen, thou, I say, nor thy fathers) 7 Any of the gods of the people which are round about you, neere vnto thee or farre off from thee, from the one ende of the earth vnto ye other: 8 Thou shalt not cosent vnto him, nor heare him, neither shall thine eye pitie him, nor shewe mercie, nor keepe him secret: 9 But thou shalt euen kill him: thine hand shall be first vpon him to put him to death, and then the handes of all the people. 10 And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he dye (because he hath gone about to thrust thee away from the Lord thy God, which brought thee out of ye land of Egypt, from ye house of bondage) 11 That all Israel may heare and feare, and doe no more any such wickednesse as this among you. 12 If thou shalt heare say (concerning any of thy cities which the Lord thy God hath giuen thee to dwell in) 13 Wicked men are gone out from among you, & haue drawen away the inhabitants of their citie, saying, Let vs go and serue other gods, which ye haue not knowen, 14 Then thou shalt seeke, and make searche and enquire diligently: and if it be true, and the thing certaine, that such abomination is wrought among you, 15 Thou shalt euen slay the inhabitants of that citie with the edge of the sworde: destroy it vtterly, and all that is therein, and the cattel thereof with the edge of the sworde.
• Num 21:3 : 3 And the Lord heard the voyce of Israel, and deliuered them the Canaanites: and they vtterly destroied them and their cities, and called ye name of the place Hormah.
• Num 25:2-4 : 2 Which called the people vnto the sacrifice of their gods, and the people ate, & bowed downe to their gods. 3 And Israel coupled himselfe vnto Baal Peor: wherefore the wrath of the Lord was kindled against Israel: 4 And the Lord sayde vnto Moses, Take all the heades of the people, and hang them vp before the Lord against ye sunne, that the indignation of the Lords wrath may be turned fro Israel.
• Josh 23:15-16 : 15 Therefore as all good things are come vpon you, which the Lorde your God promised you, so shall the Lord bring vpon you euery euill thing, vntill he haue destroyed you out of this good land, which ye Lord your God hath giue you. 16 When ye shall transgresse the couenant of the Lorde your God, which he commaunded you, and shall goe and serue other gods, and bowe your selues to them, then shall the wrath of the Lorde waxe hote against you, and ye shall perish quickely out of the good lande which he hath giuen you.