Exodus 23:22
New International Version
If you listen carefully to what he says and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and will oppose those who oppose you.

New Living Translation
But if you are careful to obey him, following all my instructions, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will oppose those who oppose you.

English Standard Version
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Berean Standard Bible
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

King James Bible
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

New King James Version
But if you indeed obey His voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

New American Standard Bible
But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

NASB 1995
“But if you truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

NASB 1977
“But if you will truly obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Legacy Standard Bible
But if you truly listen to his voice and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Amplified Bible
But if you will indeed listen to and truly obey His voice and do everything that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.

Christian Standard Bible
But if you will carefully obey him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
But if you will carefully obey him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

American Standard Version
But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

Contemporary English Version
If you faithfully obey him, I will be a fierce enemy of your enemies.

English Revised Version
But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
But if you will listen to him and do everything I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an opponent to your opponents.

Good News Translation
But if you obey him and do everything I command, I will fight against all your enemies.

International Standard Version
Indeed, if you carefully obey him and do everything that I say, then I'll be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries,

Majority Standard Bible
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

NET Bible
But if you diligently obey him and do all that I command, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will be an adversary to your adversaries.

New Heart English Bible
But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.

Webster's Bible Translation
But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy to thy enemies, and an adversary to thy adversaries.

World English Bible
But if you indeed listen to his voice, and do all that I speak, then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
for if you listen diligently to His voice, and have done all that which I speak, then I have been at enmity with your enemies, and have distressed those distressing you.

Young's Literal Translation
for, if thou diligently hearken to his voice, and hast done all that which I speak, then I have been at enmity with thine enemies, and have distressed those distressing thee.

Smith's Literal Translation
For if hearing thou shalt hear to his voice, and to all that I shall speak; and I was an enemy to thine enemies, and I was hostile to thine adversaries.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
But if thou wilt hear his voice, and do all that I speak, I will be an enemy to thy enemies, and will afflict them that afflict thee.

Catholic Public Domain Version
But if you listen to his voice and do all that I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies, and I will afflict those who afflict you.

New American Bible
If you obey him and carry out all I tell you, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.

New Revised Standard Version
But if you listen attentively to his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
But if you shall indeed obey his voice and do all that he says to you, then I will hate those who hate you and oppress your enemies.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And if you will listen to hear his voice and you will do everything that he says to you, I shall hate those hating you and I shall distress your enemies.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
But if thou shalt indeed hearken unto his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
If ye will indeed hear my voice, and if thou wilt do all the things I shall charge thee with, and keep my covenant, ye shall be to me a peculiar people above all nations, for the whole earth is mine; and ye shall be to me a royal priesthood, and a holy nation: these words shall ye speak to the children of Israel, If ye shall indeed hear my voice, and do all the things I shall tell thee, I will be an enemy to thine enemies, and an adversary to thine adversaries.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
God's Angel to Lead
21Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him. 22But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes. 23For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.…

Cross References
Deuteronomy 28:1-2
“Now if you faithfully obey the voice of the LORD your God and are careful to follow all His commandments I am giving you today, the LORD your God will set you high above all the nations of the earth. / And all these blessings will come upon you and overtake you, if you will obey the voice of the LORD your God:

Leviticus 26:7-8
You will pursue your enemies, and they will fall by the sword before you. / Five of you will pursue a hundred, and a hundred of you will pursue ten thousand, and your enemies will fall by the sword before you.

Joshua 1:5
No one shall stand against you all the days of your life. As I was with Moses, so will I be with you; I will never leave you nor forsake you.

Isaiah 54:17
No weapon formed against you shall prosper, and you will refute every tongue that accuses you. This is the heritage of the servants of the LORD, and their vindication is from Me,” declares the LORD.

Deuteronomy 7:12-15
If you listen to these ordinances and keep them carefully, then the LORD your God will keep His covenant and the loving devotion that He swore to your fathers. / He will love you and bless you and multiply you. He will bless the fruit of your womb and the produce of your land—your grain, new wine, and oil, the young of your herds and the lambs of your flocks—in the land that He swore to your fathers to give you. / You will be blessed above all peoples; among you there will be no barren man or woman or livestock. ...

2 Chronicles 20:20
Early in the morning they got up and left for the Wilderness of Tekoa. As they set out, Jehoshaphat stood up and said, “Hear me, O people of Judah and Jerusalem. Believe in the LORD your God, and you will be upheld; believe in His prophets, and you will succeed.”

Psalm 81:13-14
If only My people would listen to Me, if Israel would follow My ways, / how soon I would subdue their enemies and turn My hand against their foes!

Jeremiah 7:23
but this is what I commanded them: Obey Me, and I will be your God, and you will be My people. You must walk in all the ways I have commanded you, so that it may go well with you.

Deuteronomy 11:22-25
For if you carefully keep all these commandments I am giving you to follow—to love the LORD your God, to walk in all His ways, and to hold fast to Him— / then the LORD will drive out all these nations before you, and you will dispossess nations greater and stronger than you. / Every place where the sole of your foot treads will be yours. Your territory will extend from the wilderness to Lebanon, and from the Euphrates River to the Western Sea. ...

1 Samuel 15:22
But Samuel declared: “Does the LORD delight in burnt offerings and sacrifices as much as in obedience to His voice? Behold, obedience is better than sacrifice, and attentiveness is better than the fat of rams.

Romans 8:31
What then shall we say in response to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us?

James 4:7
Submit yourselves, then, to God. Resist the devil, and he will flee from you.

Matthew 28:20
and teaching them to obey all that I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, even to the end of the age.”

John 14:15
If you love Me, you will keep My commandments.

Hebrews 13:6
So we say with confidence: “The Lord is my helper; I will not be afraid. What can man do to me?”


Treasury of Scripture

But if you shall indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy to your enemies, and an adversary to your adversaries.

an enemy

Genesis 12:3
And I will bless them that bless thee, and curse him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families of the earth be blessed.

Numbers 24:9
He couched, he lay down as a lion, and as a great lion: who shall stir him up? Blessed is he that blesseth thee, and cursed is he that curseth thee.

Deuteronomy 30:7
And the LORD thy God will put all these curses upon thine enemies, and on them that hate thee, which persecuted thee.

an adversary unto thing adversaries.

Jump to Previous
Adversaries Adversary Attentively Carefully Distressed Distressing Ear Enemies Enemy Enmity Hearken Indeed Obey Oppose Speak Voice Whatever
Jump to Next
Adversaries Adversary Attentively Carefully Distressed Distressing Ear Enemies Enemy Enmity Hearken Indeed Obey Oppose Speak Voice Whatever
Exodus 23
1. Of slander, false witness, and partiality
4. Of charitableness
6. Of justice in judgment
8. Of taking bribes
9. Of oppressing a stranger
10. Of the year of rest
12. Of the Sabbath
13. Of idolatry
14. Of the three feasts
18. Of the blood and the fat of the sacrifice
20. An angel is promised, with a blessing, if they obey him














But if you will indeed obey His voice
The phrase begins with a conditional "if," indicating a covenantal promise that requires human response. The Hebrew word for "obey" is "שָׁמַע" (shama), which means to hear, listen, or give heed. It implies not just passive listening but active, responsive obedience. In the context of ancient Israel, obedience to God's voice was central to maintaining the covenant relationship. The "voice" refers to God's commands and instructions, often delivered through prophets or directly as in the case of Moses. This highlights the importance of divine communication and the expectation of a faithful response from God's people.

and do all that I say
The phrase emphasizes comprehensive obedience—"all" that God commands, not selective adherence. The Hebrew word "עָשָׂה" (asah) for "do" suggests action and implementation. This reflects the biblical principle that faith is demonstrated through works (James 2:17). In the historical context, Israel's obedience was a testimony to the surrounding nations of their unique relationship with Yahweh. It underscores the holistic nature of following God, where belief and action are inseparable.

then I will be an enemy to your enemies
This promise of divine protection is contingent upon Israel's obedience. The concept of God being an "enemy to your enemies" is rooted in the covenantal promise of God fighting for Israel, as seen in the Exodus narrative. The Hebrew word for "enemy" is "אוֹיֵב" (oyeb), which conveys hostility and opposition. This assurance would have been particularly comforting in the ancient Near Eastern context, where nations were often in conflict. It reflects God's sovereignty and His role as a divine warrior who defends His people.

and a foe to your foes
The repetition of the promise using synonymous terms "enemy" and "foe" (Hebrew: "צָרַר" - tsarar) reinforces the certainty and completeness of God's protection. It assures Israel that God will actively oppose those who oppose them. This reflects the biblical theme of divine justice and retribution, where God upholds His covenant by defending His people against adversaries. Historically, this promise would have been a source of strength and encouragement for Israel as they faced various threats in their journey to the Promised Land.

(22) An adversary unto thine adversaries.--Rather, an afflictor of thy afflictors.

Verse 22. - If thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak. The change of persons in the latter clause - "all that I speak," instead of "all that he speaks" - implies the doctrine of the perienchoresis or circuminsessio, that God the Father is in the Son and the Spirit, as they are in him. An adversary to thy adversaries. Rather "an afflictor of thy afflictors."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
But
כִּ֣י (kî)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

if
אִם־ (’im-)
Conjunction
Strong's 518: Lo!, whether?, if, although, Oh that!, when, not

you will listen carefully
שָׁמֹ֤עַ (šā·mō·a‘)
Verb - Qal - Infinitive absolute
Strong's 8085: To hear intelligently

to his voice
בְּקֹל֔וֹ (bə·qō·lōw)
Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular
Strong's 6963: A voice, sound

and do
וְעָשִׂ֕יתָ (wə·‘ā·śî·ṯā)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - second person masculine singular
Strong's 6213: To do, make

everything
כֹּ֖ל (kōl)
Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every

I say,
אֲדַבֵּ֑ר (’ă·ḏab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Imperfect - first person common singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

I will be an enemy
אֹ֣יְבֶ֔יךָ (’ō·yə·ḇe·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 340: To be hostile to

to your enemies
וְאָֽיַבְתִּי֙ (wə·’ā·yaḇ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 341: Hating, an adversary

and a foe
וְצַרְתִּ֖י (wə·ṣar·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 6696: To confine, bind, besiege

to your foes.
צֹרְרֶֽיךָ׃ (ṣō·rə·re·ḵā)
Verb - Qal - Participle - masculine plural construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 6887: To bind, tie up, be restricted, narrow, scant, or cramped


Links
Exodus 23:22 NIV
Exodus 23:22 NLT
Exodus 23:22 ESV
Exodus 23:22 NASB
Exodus 23:22 KJV

Exodus 23:22 BibleApps.com
Exodus 23:22 Biblia Paralela
Exodus 23:22 Chinese Bible
Exodus 23:22 French Bible
Exodus 23:22 Catholic Bible

OT Law: Exodus 23:22 But if you indeed listen to his (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 23:21
Top of Page
Top of Page