Exodus 22:21
Thou shalt not molest a stranger, nor afflict him: for yourselves also were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Open Exodus 22:21 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Advenam non contristabis, neque affliges eum : advenæ enim et ipsi fuistis in terra Ægypti.
- Septuagint (Swete)
- Καὶ προσήλυτον οὐ κακώσετε οὐδὲ μὴ θλίψητε αὐτόν· ἦτε γάρ προσήλυτοι ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ.
- Hebrew (WLC) shown from Exodus 22:20
- וְגֵ֥ר לֹא תוֹנֶ֖ה וְלֹ֣א תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּ כִּֽי גֵרִ֥ים הֱיִיתֶ֖ם בְּאֶ֥רֶץ מִצְרָֽיִם
Haydock's commentary
Were strangers. The Celtes punished with death the murderer of a stranger, while they only banished him who had murdered a citizen. (Calmet)
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Theophilus of Antioch Theophilus to Autolycus, Chapter X. Of Humanity to Strangers
Since therefore they were strangers in the land of Egypt, being by birth Hebrews from the land of Chaldæa, for at that time, there being a famine, they were obliged to migrate to Egypt for the sake of buying food there, where also for a time they sojourned; and these things befell them in accordance with a prediction of God, having sojourned, then, in Egypt for 430 years, when Moses was about to lead them out into the desert, God taught them by the law, saying, “Ye shall not afflict a stranger; for ye know the heart of a stranger: for yourselves were strangers in the land of Egypt.”
St John Cassian The Conferences of John Cassian. Part I. Containing Conferences I-X, Chapter XXXIV. Answer on the different reasons for prayer being heard
Isaac : That there are different reasons for prayer being heard in accordance with the varied and changing condition of souls the words of the gospels and of the prophets teach us. For you have the fruits of an answer pointed out by our Lord’s words in the case of the agreement of two persons; as it is said: “If two of you shall agree upon earth touching anything for which they shall ask, it shall be done for them of my Father which is in heaven.” You have another in the fulness of faith, which is compared to a grain of mustard-seed. …