Exodus

Exodus 23:1–7

¹“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.

²You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd. ³And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.

⁴If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

⁵If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.

⁶You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. ⁷Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.

Read all of Exodus 23

Word by word

Each English word or phrase beside the Hebrew it translates, in the order of the English. Choose a number to open that word’s study.

Exodus 23:1

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You shall not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
spread	תִשָּׂ֖א	ṯiś·śā	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5375 lift, take, carry
a false	שָׁ֑וְא	šāw	Noun - masculine singular	H7723 emptiness, vanity
report	שֵׁ֣מַע	šê·ma‘	Noun - masculine singular construct	H8088 sound
Do not	אַל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
join	תָּ֤שֶׁת	tā·šeṯ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect Jussive - second person masculine singular	H7896 put, set
the wicked	רָשָׁ֔ע	rā·šā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7563 wicked, criminal
by being	לִהְיֹ֖ת	lih·yōṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
a malicious	חָמָֽס׃ס	ḥā·mās	Noun - masculine singular	H2555 violence, wrong
witness	עֵ֥ד	‘êḏ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H5707 witness

Exodus 23:2

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You shall not	לֹֽא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
follow	תִהְיֶ֥ה	ṯih·yeh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1961 fall out, come to pass, become, be
the crowd	רַבִּ֖ים	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great
in wrongdoing	לְרָעֹ֑ת	lə·rā·‘ōṯ	Preposition-l; Noun - feminine plural	H7451 bad, evil
When you testify	תַעֲנֶ֣ה	ṯa·‘ă·neh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6030 answer, respond
in	עַל־	‘al-	Preposition	H5921 height
a lawsuit	רִ֗ב	riḇ	Noun - masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute
do not	וְלֹא־	wə·lō-	Conjunctive waw; Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
pervert justice	לְהַטֹּֽת׃	lə·haṭ·ṭōṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
by siding	לִנְטֹ֛ת	lin·ṭōṯ	Preposition-l; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
with	אַחֲרֵ֥י	’a·ḥă·rê	Preposition	H310 behind
the crowd	רַבִּ֖ים	rab·bîm	Adjective - masculine plural	H7227 much, many, great

Exodus 23:3

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
And do not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
show favoritism	תֶהְדַּ֖ר	ṯeh·dar	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H1921 swell (?), honour, adorn
to a poor man	וְדָ֕ל	wə·ḏāl	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular construct	H1800 low, weak, poor, thin
in his lawsuit	בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃ס	bə·rî·ḇōw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute

Exodus 23:4

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	כִּ֣י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you encounter	תִפְגַּ֞ע	ṯip̄·ga‘	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H6293 meet, encounter, reach
your enemy’s	אֹֽיִבְךָ֛	’ō·yiḇ·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H341 be hostile to
stray	תֹּעֶ֑ה	tō·‘eh	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H8582 err
ox	שׁ֧וֹר	šō·wr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H7794 head of cattle
or	א֥וֹ	’ōw	Conjunction	H176 or
donkey	חֲמֹר֖וֹ	ḥă·mō·rōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H2543 heap
you must return it	הָשֵׁ֥ב	hā·šêḇ	Verb - Hifil - Infinitive absolute	H7725 turn back, return
to him	לֽוֹ׃ס	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular

Exodus 23:5

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
If	כִּֽי־	kî-	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
you see	תִרְאֶ֞ה	ṯir·’eh	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7200 see
the donkey	חֲמ֣וֹר	ḥă·mō·wr	Noun - masculine singular construct	H2543 heap
of one who hates you	שֹׂנַאֲךָ֗	śō·na·’ă·ḵā	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H8130 hate
fallen	רֹבֵץ֙	rō·ḇêṣ	Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine singular	H7257 stretch oneself out, lie down, lie stretched out
under	תַּ֣חַת	ta·ḥaṯ	Preposition	H8478 the under part
its load	מַשָּׂא֔וֹ	maś·śā·’ōw	Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H4853 load, burden, lifting, bearing, tribute
do not	וְחָדַלְתָּ֖	wə·ḥā·ḏal·tā	Conjunctive waw; Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular	H2308 cease
leave	מֵעֲזֹ֣ב	mê·‘ă·zōḇ	Preposition-m; Verb - Qal - Infinitive construct	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
it there	ל֑וֹ	lōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular
you must help him	עָזֹ֥ב	‘ā·zōḇ	Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute	H5800 leave, forsake, loose
with it	עִמּֽוֹ׃ס	‘im·mōw	Preposition; third person masculine singular	H5973 with

Exodus 23:6

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
You shall not	לֹ֥א	lō	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
deny	תַטֶּ֛ה	ṯaṭ·ṭeh	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H5186 stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend
justice	מִשְׁפַּ֥ט	miš·paṭ	Noun - masculine singular construct	H4941 judgment
to the poor	אֶבְיֹנְךָ֖	’eḇ·yō·nə·ḵā	Adjective - masculine singular construct; second person masculine singular	H34 in want, needy, poor
in their lawsuits	בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃	bə·rî·ḇōw	Preposition-b; Noun - masculine singular construct; third person masculine singular	H7379 strife, dispute

Exodus 23:7

English	Hebrew	Sounds like	Grammar	Word study
Stay far away	תִּרְחָ֑ק	tir·ḥāq	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H7368 be, or become, far, distant
from a false	שֶׁ֖קֶר	še·qer	Noun - masculine singular	H8267 deception, disappointment, falsehood
accusation	מִדְּבַר־	mid·də·ḇar-	Preposition-m; Noun - masculine singular construct	H1697 speech, word
Do not	אַֽל־	’al-	Adverb	H408 prohibition, do not . . ., let not . . .
kill	תַּהֲרֹ֔ג	ta·hă·rōḡ	Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular	H2026 kill, slay
the innocent	וְנָקִ֤י	wə·nā·qî	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H5355 clean, free from, exempt
or the just	וְצַדִּיק֙	wə·ṣad·dîq	Conjunctive waw; Adjective - masculine singular	H6662 just, righteous
for	כִּ֥י	kî	Conjunction	H3588 burning, branding
I will not	לֹא־	lō-	Adverb - Negative particle	H3808 not
acquit	אַצְדִּ֖יק	’aṣ·dîq	Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - first person common singular	H6663 be just, righteous
the guilty	רָשָֽׁע׃	rā·šā‘	Adjective - masculine singular	H7563 wicked, criminal