◄ Exodus 22:24 ►
My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.
Study Bible
My anger will be kindled
This phrase indicates God's righteous indignation against injustice and oppression. In the context of Exodus 22, God is addressing the treatment of the vulnerable, such as widows, orphans, and foreigners. The concept of God's anger is consistent throughout Scripture, where divine wrath is often depicted as a response to sin and disobedience (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:22, Psalm 7:11). The imagery of kindling suggests a fire that starts small but can grow into something consuming, symbolizing the seriousness of God's response to injustice.

and I will kill you with the sword;
The use of the sword as an instrument of divine judgment is a common biblical motif. It signifies the execution of justice and the seriousness of the consequences for disobedience. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the sword was a symbol of power and authority, often associated with kings and warriors. This phrase underscores the severity of God's judgment against those who exploit or harm the defenseless. It also foreshadows the ultimate judgment that will come upon all who reject God's commands (Revelation 19:15).

then your wives will become widows
This consequence highlights the social and familial impact of divine judgment. In ancient Israelite society, widows were among the most vulnerable, often lacking financial support and protection. The transformation of wives into widows serves as a stark warning of the personal and communal repercussions of sin. It also reflects the broader biblical theme of justice for the oppressed, as seen in passages like Isaiah 1:17 and James 1:27, where caring for widows is a sign of true religion.

and your children will be fatherless.
The mention of fatherless children emphasizes the generational impact of sin and judgment. In the patriarchal society of ancient Israel, the father was the primary provider and protector. The loss of a father would leave children in a precarious position, underscoring the gravity of the offense and the comprehensive nature of God's justice. This phrase also connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's concern for orphans, as seen in Psalm 68:5, where God is described as a "father to the fatherless." It serves as a reminder of the importance of community responsibility and care for those who are left vulnerable.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
- The speaker in this verse, expressing His righteous anger and the consequences of disobedience.

2. Israelites
- The original audience of the laws given in Exodus, including this warning.

3. Widows and Orphans
- Mentioned as a consequence of God's judgment, highlighting their vulnerability in society.

4. Moses
- The leader of the Israelites who received and communicated God's laws to the people.

5. Mount Sinai
- The place where Moses received the laws from God, including the context of this verse.
Teaching Points
God's Righteous Anger
God's anger is not arbitrary but is a response to injustice and disobedience. Understanding His character helps us align our lives with His will.

The Vulnerability of Widows and Orphans
This verse highlights the societal responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable. As believers, we are called to protect and provide for those in need.

Consequences of Disobedience
The severe consequences outlined in this verse serve as a warning to take God's commands seriously. Reflect on areas in life where obedience is necessary.

God's Justice and Mercy
While this verse speaks of judgment, it also points to God's desire for justice and mercy. We are called to reflect these attributes in our interactions with others.

Community Responsibility
The community is responsible for upholding God's laws and caring for its members. Consider how you can contribute to a just and compassionate community.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does understanding God's righteous anger in Exodus 22:24 influence your view of justice and mercy?

2. In what ways can you actively support widows and orphans in your community, reflecting the heart of God as seen in this verse?

3. How do the consequences outlined in this verse serve as a warning for your personal walk with God?

4. What connections can you draw between Exodus 22:24 and the teachings of Jesus regarding caring for the "least of these"?

5. How can the principles in this verse guide your actions and attitudes towards vulnerable individuals in today's society?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Deuteronomy 10:18
- This verse emphasizes God's care for the fatherless and widows, showing His compassion and justice.

James 1:27
- Highlights the importance of caring for orphans and widows as a pure and faultless religion, connecting to the theme of justice and mercy.

Psalm 68:5
- Describes God as a father to the fatherless and a defender of widows, reinforcing His protective nature.

Isaiah 1:17
- Calls for defending the oppressed, including orphans and widows, aligning with the principles in Exodus 22:24.

Matthew 25:40
- Jesus teaches that caring for the least of these is akin to caring for Him, which can be related to the treatment of widows and orphans.
Sermons
Jehovah's Proteges and RepresentativesJ. Orr Exodus 22:21-29
God's Care for the Widow and FatherlessJ. W. Burn.Exodus 22:22-24
The Treatment of the Widow and the FatherlessD. Young Exodus 22:22-24
People
Moses
Places
Mount Sinai
Topics
Anger, Aroused, Burn, Burned, Death, Fatherless, Fathers, Grow, Heat, Hot, Kill, Kindled, Orphans, Slain, Slay, Sons, Sword, Wax, Widows, Wives, Wrath
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Exodus 22:24

     5844   emotions

Exodus 22:21-24

     8791   oppression, nature of

Exodus 22:21-27

     5909   motives, importance

Exodus 22:22-24

     5730   orphans

Library
Excursus on Usury.
The famous canonist Van Espen defines usury thus: "Usura definitur lucrum ex mutuo exactum aut speratum;" [96] and then goes on to defend the proposition that, "Usury is forbidden by natural, by divine, and by human law. The first is proved thus. Natural law, as far as its first principles are concerned, is contained in the decalogue; but usury is prohibited in the decalogue, inasmuch as theft is prohibited; and this is the opinion of the Master of the Sentences, of St. Bonaventura, of St. Thomas …
Philip Schaff—The Seven Ecumenical Councils

Parable of the Importunate Widow.
^C Luke XVIII. 1-8. ^c 1 And he spake a parable unto them to the end that they ought always to pray, and not to faint; 2 saying, There was in a city a judge, who feared not God, and regarded not man [an utterly abandoned character]: 3 and there was a widow in that city; and she came oft unto him, saying, Avenge me of [rather, Do justice to me as to] mine adversary. [In Scripture language widowhood is symbolic of defenselessness (Ex. xxii. 22-24; Deut. x. 18; xxvii. 19; Mal. iii. 5; Mark xii. 40), …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Ciii. Zacchæus. Parable of the Pounds. Journey to Jerusalem.
(Jericho.) ^C Luke XIX. 1-28. ^c 1 And he entered and was passing through Jericho. [This was about one week before the crucifixion. Jericho is about seven miles from the Jordan and about seventeen and a half from Jerusalem.] 2 And behold, a man called by name Zacchaeus; and he was a chief publican, and he was rich. [See p. 76. It is probable that Zacchæus was a sub-contractor under some Roman knight who had bought the privilege of collecting taxes at Jericho, or perhaps the privilege of all …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Epistle Xl. To Mauricius Augustus.
To Mauricius Augustus. Gregory to Mauricius, &c. The Piety of my Lords in their most serene commands, while set on refuting me on certain matters, in sparing me has by no means spared me. For by the use therein of the term simplicity they politely call me silly. It is true indeed that in Holy Scripture, when simplicity is spoken of in a good sense, it is often carefully associated with prudence and uprightness. Hence it is written of the blessed Job, The man was simple and upright (Job i. 1). …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Appeal to the Christian Women of the South
BY A.E. GRIMKE. "Then Mordecai commanded to answer Esther, Think not within thyself that thou shalt escape in the king's house more than all the Jews. For if thou altogether holdest thy peace at this time, then shall there enlargement and deliverance arise to the Jews from another place: but thou and thy father's house shall be destroyed: and who knoweth whether thou art come to the kingdom for such a time as this. And Esther bade them return Mordecai this answer:--and so will I go in unto the king, …
Angelina Emily Grimke—An Appeal to the Christian Women of the South

Epistle xvii. To Felix, Bishop of Messana.
To Felix, Bishop of Messana. To our most reverend brother, the Bishop Felix, Gregory, servant of the servants of God [246] . Our Head, which is Christ, to this end has willed us to be His members, that through His large charity and faithfulness He might make us one body in Himself, to whom it befits us so to cling that, since without Him we can do nothing, through Him we may be enabled to be what we are called. From the citadel of the Head let nothing divide us, lest, if we refuse to be His members, …
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Feast of the Dedication. The Jews Attempt to Stone Jesus and He Retires to Peræa.
(Jerusalem and Beyond Jordan.) ^D John X. 22-42. ^d 22 And it was the feast of the dedication at Jerusalem: 23; it was winter; and Jesus walked in the temple in Solomon's porch. [The feast of dedication was one of eight days' duration and began upon the 25th Chisleu, which, according to the calculation of M. Chevannes, fell upon the nineteenth or twentieth of December, a.d. 29. The feast was kept in honor of the renovation and purification of the temple in the year b.c. 164, after it had been desecrated …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

A Summary of the Christian Life. Of Self-Denial.
The divisions of the chapter are,--I. The rule which permits us not to go astray in the study of righteousness, requires two things, viz., that man, abandoning his own will, devote himself entirely to the service of God; whence it follows, that we must seek not our own things, but the things of God, sec. 1, 2. II. A description of this renovation or Christian life taken from the Epistle to Titus, and accurately explained under certain special heads, sec. 3 to end. 1. ALTHOUGH the Law of God contains …
Archpriest John Iliytch Sergieff—On the Christian Life

Jesus' Last Public Discourse. Denunciation of Scribes and Pharisees.
(in the Court of the Temple. Tuesday, April 4, a.d. 30.) ^A Matt. XXIII. 1-39; ^B Mark XII. 38-40; ^C Luke XX. 45-47. ^a 1 Then spake Jesus ^b 38 And in his teaching ^c in the hearing of all the people he said unto ^a the multitudes, and to his disciples [he spoke in the most public manner], 2 saying, ^c 46 Beware of the scribes, ^a The scribes and the Pharisees sit on Moses' seat: 3 all things whatsoever they bid you, these do and observe: but do not ye after their works: for they say, and do not. …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

Circumcision, Temple Service, and Naming of Jesus.
(the Temple at Jerusalem, b.c. 4) ^C Luke II. 21-39. ^c 21 And when eight days [Gen. xvii. 12] were fulfilled for circumcising him [The rite was doubtless performed by Joseph. By this rite Jesus was "made like unto his brethren" (Heb. ii. 16, 17); that is, he became a member of the covenant nation, and became a debtor to the law--Gal. v. 3] , his name was called JESUS [see Luke i. 59], which was so called by the angel before he was conceived in the womb. [Luke i. 31.] 22 And when the days of their …
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

The Development of the Earlier Old Testament Laws
[Sidenote: First the principle, and then the detailed laws] If the canon of the New Testament had remained open as long as did that of the Old, there is little doubt that it also would have contained many laws, legal precedents, and ecclesiastical histories. From the writings of the Church Fathers and the records of the Catholic Church it is possible to conjecture what these in general would have been. The early history of Christianity illustrates the universal fact that the broad principles are …
Charles Foster Kent—The Origin & Permanent Value of the Old Testament

The Blessing of Jacob Upon Judah. (Gen. Xlix. 8-10. )
Ver. 8. "Judah, thou, thy brethren shall praise thee; thy hand shall be on the neck of thine enemies; before thee shall bow down the sons of thy father. Ver. 9. A lion's whelp is Judah; from the prey, my son, thou goest up; he stoopeth down, he coucheth as a lion, and as a full-grown lion, who shall rouse him up? Ver. 10. The sceptre shall not depart from Judah, nor lawgiver from between his feet, until Shiloh come, and unto Him the people shall adhere." Thus does dying Jacob, in announcing …
Ernst Wilhelm Hengstenberg—Christology of the Old Testament

The Eighth Commandment
Thou shalt not steal.' Exod 20: 15. AS the holiness of God sets him against uncleanness, in the command Thou shalt not commit adultery;' so the justice of God sets him against rapine and robbery, in the command, Thou shalt not steal.' The thing forbidden in this commandment, is meddling with another man's property. The civil lawyers define furtum, stealth or theft to be the laying hands unjustly on that which is another's;' the invading another's right. I. The causes of theft. [1] The internal causes …
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

Exodus
The book of Exodus--so named in the Greek version from the march of Israel out of Egypt--opens upon a scene of oppression very different from the prosperity and triumph in which Genesis had closed. Israel is being cruelly crushed by the new dynasty which has arisen in Egypt (i.) and the story of the book is the story of her redemption. Ultimately it is Israel's God that is her redeemer, but He operates largely by human means; and the first step is the preparation of a deliverer, Moses, whose parentage, …
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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