5. A caution against oppression; because those who were empowered to punish other crimes were themselves most in danger of this, God takes the punishing of it into his own hands.
(1.) Strangers must not be abused, (v. 21.) not wronged in judgment by the magistrates, not imposed upon in contracts, nor must any advantage be taken of their ignorance or necessity; no, nor must they be taunted, trampled upon, treated with contempt, or upbraided with being strangers; for all these were vexatious, and would discourage strangers from coming to live among them, or would strengthen their prejudices against their religion, to which, by all kind and gentle methods, they should endeavour to proselyte them. The reason given why they should be kind to strangers, is, "Ye were strangers in Egypt, and knew what it was to be vexed and oppressed there." Note, [l.]Humanity is one of the laws of religion, and obliges us particularly to be tender of those that lie most under disadvantages and discouragements, and to extend our compassionate concern to strangers, and those to whom we are not under the obligations of alliance or acquaintance. Those that are strangers to us are known to God, and he preserves them, Ps. 146. 9. [2.] Those that profess religion should study to oblige strangers, that they may thereby recommend religion to their good opinion, and take heed of doing any thing that may tempt them to think ill of it, or its professors, 1 Pet. 2. 12. [3.] Those that have themselves been in poverty and distress, if Providence enrich and enlarge them, ought to show a particular tenderness toward those that are now in such circumstances as they were in formerly, doing now by them as they then wished to be done by.
(2.) Widows and fatherless must not be abused; (v. 22.) Ye shall not afflict them, that is, "Ye shall comfort and assist them, and be ready upon all occasions to show them kindness." In making just demands from them, their condition must be considered, who have lost those that should deal for them, and protect them; they are supposed to be unversed in business, destitute of advice, timorous, and of a tender spirit, and therefore must be treated with kindness and compassion; no advantage must be taken against them, nor any hardship put upon them, which a husband or a father would have sheltered them from. For, [1.] God takes particular cognizance of their case, v. 23. Having no one else to complain and appeal to, they will cry unto God, and he will be sure to hear them; for his law and his providence are guardians to the widows and fatherless, and if men do not pity them, and will not hear them, he will. Note, It is a great comfort for those who are injured and oppressed by men, that they have a God to go to, who will do more than give them the hearing; and it ought to be a terror to those who are oppressive, that they have the cry of the poor against them, which God will hear. Nay, [2.] He will severely reckon with those that do oppress them; though they escape punishment from men, God's righteous judgments will pursue and overtake them, v. 24. Men that have a sense of justice and honour will espouse the injured cause of the weak and helpless; and shall not the righteous God do it? Observe the equity of the sentence here passed upon those that oppress the widows and fatherless; their wives shall become widows, and their children fatherless; and the Lord is known by these judgments, which he sometimes executes still.
25. If thou lend money to any of my people that is poor by thee, thou shalt not be to him as a usurer, neither shalt thou lay upon him usury. 26. If thou at all take thy neighbour's raiment to pledge, thou shalt deliver it unto him by that the sun goeth down: 27. For that is his covering only; it is his raiment for his skin: wherein shall he sleep? and it shall come to pass, when he crieth unto me, that I will hear: for I am gracious. 28. Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people. 29. Thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors: the first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me. 30. Likewise shalt thou do with thine oxen, and with thy sheep, seven days it shall be with his dam; on the eighth day thou shalt give it me. 31. And ye shall be holy men unto me: neither shall ye eat any flesh that is torn of beasts in the field; ye shall cast it to the dogs.
Here is,
1. A law against extortion, in lending. (1.) They must not receive usury for money from any that borrowed for necessity, (v. 25.) as in that case, Neh. 5. 5, 7. And such provision the law made for the preserving of estates to their families by the year of jubilee, that a people who had little concern in trade could not be supposed to borrow money, but for necessity, and therefore it is generally forbidden among themselves: but to a stranger they were allowed to lend upon usury, whom yet they might not oppress: this law, therefore, in the strictness of it, seems to have been peculiar to the Jewish state; but, in the equity of it, it obliges us to show mercy to those of whom we might take, and to be content to share with those we lend to, in loss, as well as profit, if Providence cross them; and, upon this condition, it seems as lawful to receive interest for my money, which another takes pains with, improves, and run the hazard of, in husbandry. (2.) They must not take a poor man's bed-clothes in pawn; but, if they did, must restore them by bed-time, v. 26, 27. Those who lie soft and warm themselves, should consider the hard and cold lodging of many poor people, and not do any thing to make bad worse, or to add affliction to the afflicted.
2. A law against the contempt of authority; (v. 28.) Thou shalt not revile the gods, that is, the judges and magistrates, for their executing of these laws; they must do their duty, whoever suffer by it; magistrates ought not to fear the reproach of men, or their revilings, but to despise them so long as they keep a good conscience; but they that do revile them for their being a terror to evil works and workers, reflect upon God himself, and will have a great deal to answer for, another day. We find those under a black character, and a heavy doom, that despise dominion and speak evil of dignities, Jude 8. Princes and magistrates are our fathers, whom the fifth commandment obliges us to honour, and forbids us to revile. St. Paul applies this law to himself, and owns that he ought not to speak evil of the ruler of his people; no, not though the ruler was then his most unrighteous persecutor, Acts 23. 5. See Eccl. 10. 20.
3. A law concerning the offering of the first-fruits to God, v. 29, 30. It was appointed before (ch. 13.) and it is here repeated; The first-born of thy sons shalt thou give unto me; and much more reason have we to give ourselves, and all we have, to God, who spared not his own Son, but delivered
