“You shall not oppress a stranger nor torment him, for you 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.
- KJV Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers 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.
- 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 23:9“You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.
- Deut 10:19Therefore love the foreigner; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
- Lev 19:33“‘If a stranger lives as a foreigner with you in your land, you shall not do him wrong.
- Zech 7:10Don’t oppress the widow, nor the fatherless, the foreigner, nor the poor; and let none of you devise evil against his brother in your heart.’
- Deut 23:7You shall not abhor an Edomite; for he is your brother. You shall not abhor an Egyptian, because you lived as a foreigner in his land.
- Jer 7:6if you don’t oppress the foreigner, the fatherless, and the widow, and don’t shed innocent blood in this place, neither walk after other gods to your own hurt:
- Lev 25:35“‘If your brother has become poor, and his hand can’t support himself among you; then you shall uphold him. He shall live with you like an alien and a temporary resident.
- Exod 20:2“I am Yahweh your God, who brought you out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage.
- Mal 3:5I will come near to you to judgment; and I will be a swift witness against the sorcerers, and against the adulterers, and against the perjurers, and against those who oppress the hireling in his wages, the widow, and the fatherless, and who deprive the foreigner of justice, and don’t fear me,” says Yahweh of Armies.
- Jer 22:3Yahweh says: “Execute justice and righteousness, and deliver him who is robbed out of the hand of the oppressor. Do no wrong. Do no violence, to the foreigner, the fatherless, nor the widow; neither shed innocent blood in this place.
- Deut 15:15You shall remember that you were a slave in the land of Egypt, and Yahweh your God redeemed you. Therefore I command you this thing today.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.