Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, for you were foreigners in Egypt. New Living Translation “You must not mistreat or oppress foreigners in any way. Remember, you yourselves were once foreigners in the land of Egypt. English Standard Version “You shall not wrong a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Berean Standard Bible You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. King James Bible Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. New King James Version “You shall neither mistreat a stranger nor oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. New American Standard Bible “You shall not oppress a stranger nor torment him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. NASB 1995 “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. NASB 1977 “And you shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Legacy Standard Bible “You shall not mistreat a sojourner or oppress him, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Amplified Bible “You shall not wrong a stranger or oppress him, for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Christian Standard Bible “You must not exploit a resident alien or oppress him, since you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt. Holman Christian Standard Bible You must not exploit a foreign resident or oppress him, since you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.” American Standard Version And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt. Contemporary English Version Do not mistreat or abuse foreigners who live among you. Remember, you were foreigners in Egypt. English Revised Version And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Never mistreat or oppress foreigners, because you were foreigners living in Egypt. Good News Translation "Do not mistreat or oppress a foreigner; remember that you were foreigners in Egypt. International Standard Version "You are not to wrong or oppress an alien, because you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Majority Standard Bible You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. NET Bible "You must not wrong a foreigner nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. New Heart English Bible "You shall not wrong a foreigner, neither shall you oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Webster's Bible Translation Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. World English Bible “You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionAnd you do not oppress a sojourner, nor crush him, for you have been sojourners in the land of Egypt. Young's Literal Translation 'And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, nor crush him, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt. Smith's Literal Translation Thou shalt not treat evil the stranger, and thou shalt not press him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou shalt not molest a stranger, nor afflict him: for yourselves also were strangers in the land of Egypt. Catholic Public Domain Version You shall not harass the newcomer, nor shall you afflict him. For you yourselves were once newcomers in the land of Egypt. New American Bible You shall not oppress or afflict a resident alien, for you were once aliens residing in the land of Egypt. New Revised Standard Version You shall not wrong or oppress a resident alien, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYou shall neither harm a stranger nor oppress him; for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated And do not harm, neither distress settlers, because you were settlers in the land of Egypt. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Brenton Septuagint Translation And ye shall not hurt a stranger, nor afflict him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Laws of Social Responsibility…20If anyone sacrifices to any god other than the LORD alone, he must be set apart for destruction. 21You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident, for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. 22You must not mistreat any widow or orphan.… Cross References Leviticus 19:33-34 When a foreigner resides with you in your land, you must not oppress him. / You must treat the foreigner living among you as native-born and love him as yourself, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt. I am the LORD your God. Deuteronomy 10:18-19 He executes justice for the fatherless and widow, and He loves the foreigner, giving him food and clothing. / So you also must love the foreigner, since you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 24:17-18 Do not deny justice to the foreigner or the fatherless, and do not take a widow’s cloak as security. / Remember that you were slaves in Egypt, and the LORD your God redeemed you from that place. Therefore I am commanding you to do this. Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Jeremiah 7:6 if you no longer oppress the foreigner and the fatherless and the widow, and if you no longer shed innocent blood in this place or follow other gods to your own harm, Jeremiah 22:3 This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place. Zechariah 7:9-10 “This is what the LORD of Hosts says: ‘Administer true justice. Show loving devotion and compassion to one another. / Do not oppress the widow or the fatherless, the foreigner or the poor. And do not plot evil in your hearts against one another.’ Malachi 3:5 “Then I will draw near to you for judgment. And I will be a swift witness against sorcerers and adulterers and perjurers, against oppressors of the widowed and fatherless, and against those who defraud laborers of their wages and deny justice to the foreigner but do not fear Me,” says the LORD of Hosts. Matthew 25:35-40 For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat, I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink, I was a stranger and you took Me in, / I was naked and you clothed Me, I was sick and you looked after Me, I was in prison and you visited Me.’ / Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? ... Luke 10:30-37 Jesus took up this question and said, “A man was going down from Jerusalem to Jericho when he fell into the hands of robbers. They stripped him, beat him, and went away, leaving him half dead. / Now by chance a priest was going down the same road, but when he saw him, he passed by on the other side. / So too, when a Levite came to that spot and saw him, he passed by on the other side. ... Romans 12:13 Share with the saints who are in need. Practice hospitality. Romans 13:8-10 Be indebted to no one, except to one another in love. For he who loves his neighbor has fulfilled the law. / The commandments “Do not commit adultery,” “Do not murder,” “Do not steal,” “Do not covet,” and any other commandments, are summed up in this one decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” / Love does no wrong to its neighbor. Therefore love is the fulfillment of the law. Galatians 5:14 The entire law is fulfilled in a single decree: “Love your neighbor as yourself.” Ephesians 2:12-19 remember that at that time you were separate from Christ, alienated from the commonwealth of Israel, and strangers to the covenants of the promise, without hope and without God in the world. / But now in Christ Jesus you who once were far away have been brought near through the blood of Christ. / For He Himself is our peace, who has made the two one and has torn down the dividing wall of hostility ... Hebrews 13:2 Do not neglect to show hospitality to strangers, for by so doing some people have entertained angels without knowing it. Treasury of Scripture You shall neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for you were strangers in the land of Egypt. vex a stranger Exodus 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Leviticus 19:33 And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. Leviticus 25:35 And 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. for ye were strangers Exodus 20:2 I am the LORD thy God, which have brought thee out of the land of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Exodus 23:9 Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Deuteronomy 10:19 Love ye therefore the stranger: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. Jump to Previous Alien Aliens Country Crush Egypt Hard Mistreat Oppress Sojourner Sojourners Strange Stranger Strangers Vex Wrong YourselvesJump to Next Alien Aliens Country Crush Egypt Hard Mistreat Oppress Sojourner Sojourners Strange Stranger Strangers Vex Wrong YourselvesExodus 22 1. Of Theft5. Of damage 7. Of trespasses 14. Of borrowing 16. Of fornication 18. Of witchcraft 19. Of bestiality 20. Of idolatry 21. Of strangers, widows, and fatherless 25. Of usury 26. Of pledges 28. Of reverence to magistrates 29. Of the first fruits 31. Of torn flesh You must not exploit or oppress a foreign resident This command is part of the Mosaic Law given to the Israelites, emphasizing justice and compassion. The term "foreign resident" refers to non-Israelites living among the Israelites, often without the same rights as native-born citizens. In ancient Near Eastern cultures, foreigners were vulnerable to exploitation due to their lack of familial and legal protection. This command reflects God's concern for justice and the protection of the marginalized, aligning with His character as a defender of the oppressed (Psalm 146:9). The principle of treating foreigners with kindness is echoed in the New Testament, where believers are called to love their neighbors as themselves (Matthew 22:39). for you yourselves were foreigners in the land of Egypt Persons / Places / Events 1. Foreign Resident (Ger in Hebrew)Refers to a non-Israelite living among the Israelites. The term "ger" implies someone who resides temporarily or permanently in a land not their own, often without the full rights of citizenship. 2. Israelites The descendants of Jacob, also known as the children of Israel, who were once foreigners in Egypt and are now being instructed on how to treat foreigners among them. 3. Egypt The land where the Israelites were enslaved for 400 years. Their experience as foreigners in Egypt is a foundational memory that shapes their identity and ethical obligations. 4. Moses The leader and prophet who delivered God's laws to the Israelites, including this commandment, as part of the covenant at Mount Sinai. 5. Mount Sinai The place where God gave the Law to Moses, including the commandments found in Exodus, which were meant to guide the Israelites in their covenant relationship with God. Teaching Points Empathy from ExperienceThe Israelites' past as foreigners in Egypt is a call to empathy. Remembering personal or communal experiences of being outsiders can foster compassion and understanding towards others in similar situations. God's Heart for Justice This command reflects God's character as just and compassionate. Believers are called to mirror these attributes in their treatment of others, especially the marginalized. Hospitality as a Witness Showing kindness and hospitality to foreigners can be a powerful testimony of God's love and grace. It opens doors for sharing the Gospel and building community. Cultural Sensitivity Understanding and respecting cultural differences is crucial in treating foreigners with dignity and love. This requires active listening and learning from those who are different from us. Legal and Social Responsibility While this command was given in a theocratic context, it challenges modern believers to advocate for fair and just treatment of immigrants and refugees within their own legal and social systems.(21-24) The juxtaposition of laws against oppression with three crimes of the deepest dye seems intended to indicate that oppression is among the sins which are most hateful in God's sight. The lawgiver, however, does not say that it is to be punished capitally, nor, indeed, does he affix to it any legal penalty. Instead of so doing, he declares that God Himself will punish it "with the sword" (Exodus 22:24). Three classes of persons particularly liable to be oppressed are selected for mention--(1) Strangers, i.e., foreigners; (2) widows; and (3) orphans. Strangers have seldom been protected by any legislation, unless, indeed, they formed a class of permanent residents, like the Met?ci at Athens. The law of civilised communities has generally afforded some protection to the orphan and the widow, particularly in respect of rights of property. The protection given is, however, very generally insufficient; and it is of the highest importance that it should be supplemented by an assured belief that, beyond all legal penalties there lies the Divine sentence of wrath and punishment, certain to fall upon every one who, careless of law and right, makes the stranger, the widow, or the orphan to suffer wrong at his hands. (21) For ye were strangers.--Ye should, therefore, sympathise with "strangers;" not "vex them," not "oppress them," but "love them as yourselves" (Leviticus 19:34). The condition of foreigners in Israel is shown to have been more than tolerable by the examples of the Kenites (Judges 1:16; Judges 4:11); of Araunah the Jebusite (2Samuel 24:18-24); of Uriah the Hittite (2Samuel 23:39), Zelek the Ammonite (2Samuel 23:37), and others. . . . Verse 21. - Law against oppression of foreigners. It may be doubted whether such a law as this was ever made in any other country. Foreigners are generally looked upon as "fair game," whom the natives of a country may ridicule and annoy at their pleasure. Native politeness gives them an exceptional position in France; but elsewhere it is the general rule to "vex" them. The Mosaic legislation protested strongly against this practice (Exodus 23:9; Leviticus 19:33), and even required the Israelites to "love the stranger who dwelt with them as themselves" (Leviticus 19:34). For ye were strangers. Compare Leviticus 19:34, and Deuteronomy 10:19. In Exodus 23:9 the addition is made - "For ye know the heart of a stranger" - ye know; i.e., the feelings which strangers have when they are vexed and oppressed - ye know this by your own sad experience, and should therefore have a tenderness for strangers.Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You must notלֹא־ (lō-) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no exploit תוֹנֶ֖ה (ṯō·w·neh) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 3238: To rage, be violent, to suppress, to maltreat or וְלֹ֣א (wə·lō) Conjunctive waw | Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no oppress תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ (ṯil·ḥā·ṣen·nū) Verb - Qal - Imperfect - second person masculine singular | third person masculine singular Strong's 3905: To squeeze, press, oppress a foreign resident, וְגֵ֥ר (wə·ḡêr) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular Strong's 1616: A guest, a foreigner for כִּֽי־ (kî-) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction you [yourselves] were הֱיִיתֶ֖ם (hĕ·yî·ṯem) Verb - Qal - Perfect - second person masculine plural Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be foreigners גֵרִ֥ים (ḡê·rîm) Noun - masculine plural Strong's 1616: A guest, a foreigner in the land בְּאֶ֥רֶץ (bə·’e·reṣ) Preposition-b | Noun - feminine singular construct Strong's 776: Earth, land of Egypt. מִצְרָֽיִם׃ (miṣ·rā·yim) Noun - proper - feminine singular Strong's 4714: Egypt -- a son of Ham, also his descendants and their country in Northwest Africa Links Exodus 22:21 NIVExodus 22:21 NLT Exodus 22:21 ESV Exodus 22:21 NASB Exodus 22:21 KJV Exodus 22:21 BibleApps.com Exodus 22:21 Biblia Paralela Exodus 22:21 Chinese Bible Exodus 22:21 French Bible Exodus 22:21 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 22:21 You shall not wrong an alien neither (Exo. 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