Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Parallel translations
- WEB “You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
- BSB You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- NKJV “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
- NASB “You shall not oppress a stranger nor torment him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt.
- NLT “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Israel must not wrong or oppress the foreigner, remembering their own bondage in Egypt. God's redeemed people extend compassion to the outsider.
Overview
Having been aliens themselves, the Israelites are called to treat resident foreigners with justice and kindness. This grounds ethics in gratitude for God's own redemptive mercy. The welcome of the stranger anticipates the gospel, in which formerly alienated Gentiles are brought near and made fellow citizens through Christ (Ephesians 2:12-13).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 11
- Exod 23:9Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
- Deut 10:19Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
- Lev 19:33And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him.
- Zech 7:10And oppress not the widow, nor the fatherless, the stranger, nor the poor; and let none of you imagine evil against his brother in your heart.
- Deut 23:7Thou shalt not abhor an Edomite; for he is thy brother: thou shalt not abhor an Egyptian; because thou wast a stranger in his land.
- Jer 7:6If ye oppress not the stranger, the fatherless, and the widow, and shed not innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your hurt:
- Lev 25:35And if thy brother be waxen poor, and fallen in decay with thee; then thou shalt relieve him: yea, though he be a stranger, or a sojourner; that he may live with thee.
- Exod 20:2I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- Mal 3:5And I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against false swearers, and against those that oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and that turn aside the stranger from his right, and fear not me, saith the LORD of hosts.
- Jer 22:3Thus saith the LORD; Execute ye judgment and righteousness, and deliver the spoiled out of the hand of the oppressor: and do no wrong, do no violence to the stranger, the fatherless, nor the widow, neither shed innocent blood in this place.
- Deut 15:15And thou shalt remember that thou wast a bondman in the land of Egypt, and the LORD thy God redeemed thee: therefore I command thee this thing to day.
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 22:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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