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28 “You must not blaspheme[a] God[b] or curse the ruler of your people.

29 “Do not hold back offerings from your granaries or your vats.[c] You must give me the firstborn of your sons. 30 You must also do this for your oxen and for your sheep; seven days they may remain with their mothers, but give them to me on the eighth day.

31 “You will be holy[d] people to me; you must not eat any meat torn by animals in the field.[e] You must throw it to the dogs.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:28 tn The two verbs in this verse are synonyms: קָלַל (qalal) means “to treat lightly, curse,” and אָרַר (ʾarar) means “to curse.”
  2. Exodus 22:28 tn The word אֱלֹהִים (ʾelohim) is “gods” or “God.” If taken as the simple plural, it could refer to the human judges, as it has in the section of laws; this would match the parallelism in the verse. If it was taken to refer to God, then the idea of cursing God would be more along the line of blasphemy. B. Jacob says that the word refers to functioning judges, and that would indirectly mean God, for they represented the religious authority, and the prince the civil authority (Exodus, 708).
  3. Exodus 22:29 tn The expressions are unusual. U. Cassuto renders them: “from the fullness of your harvest and from the outflow of your presses” (Exodus, 294). He adds the Hittite parallel material to show that the people were to bring the offerings on time and not let them overlap, because the firstfruits had to be eaten first by the priest.
  4. Exodus 22:31 sn The use of this word here has to do with the laws of the sanctuary and not some advanced view of holiness. The ritual holiness at the sanctuary would prohibit eating anything torn to pieces.
  5. Exodus 22:31 tn Or “by wild animals.”

28 “You shall not [a](A)curse God, (B)nor curse a ruler of your people.

29 (C)You shall not hold back the offering from your entire harvest and your [b]wine. (D)The firstborn of your sons you shall give to Me. 30 (E)You shall do the same with your oxen and with your sheep. It shall be with its mother for seven days; (F)on the eighth day you shall give it to Me.

31 (G)You shall be holy people to Me, therefore (H)you shall not eat any flesh torn to pieces in the field; you shall throw it to the dogs.

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Footnotes

  1. Exodus 22:28 Or revile
  2. Exodus 22:29 Lit juice