Exodus 22:21–24
The law reminds Israel it was a foreigner in Egypt and forbids mistreating widows and orphans
Study it word by word21You shall not mistreat a resident alien or oppress him, for you were resident aliens in the land of Egypt.
22You shall not afflict any widow or orphan.
23If you do afflict him —for if he does cry out to me, I will surely hear his cry—
24and my anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will become widows and your sons orphans.
In its context
19Whoever lies with an animal shall surely be put to death.
20Whoever sacrifices to gods, other than to YHWH alone, shall be devoted to destruction.
…
25If you lend silver to my people, to the poor with you, you shall not be to him like a creditor; you shall not lay interest on him.
26If you ever take in pledge the cloak of your neighbor, you shall return it to him before the sun goes down,
Its words in the original
- גֵרger· resident alien
Foreigner who lives in a land that is not his own, without the rights of those who belong to the place.
- תוֹנֶהtone· mistreat, oppress
Mistreat, oppress; take advantage of someone weaker.
- תִלְחָצֶtilchatse· oppress
Oppress, press someone hard with ill-treatment; also squeeze.
- הֱיִיתֶםheyitem· be, become, happen
Be, exist; also "become" or "happen". It is the verb of "there was", "it was" and "it came to pass".
- אֶרֶץerets· earth, land
The earth, in two senses: the whole world in contrast with the heavens, or a particular country or region ("the land of Egypt").
- מִצְרָיִםmitsrayim· Egypt, Mizraim
Mizraim, the Hebrew name of Egypt; also the Egyptians. As a person, a son of Ham, ancestor of the Egyptians.
- אַלְמָנָהalmana· widow
Widow.
- יָתוֹםyatom· fatherless
Orphan; above all one who has lost his father.
- תְעַנּוּteanu· afflict
Afflict, oppress, make suffer; in a reflexive form, humble oneself, submit.
- צָעֹקtsaok· cry out
Cry out, call for help or justice; also summon.
- שָׁמֹעַshamoa· hear, listen, obey
Hear, listen. In the Bible listening truly includes paying heed; so it often means "obey". In the causative form, make heard, proclaim.
- צַעֲקָתtsaakat· outcry
Outcry, cry of distress.
- חָרָהchara· burn with anger
Burn, be kindled; said of a person, become very angry.
- אַפִּapi· anger, nose
Nose, nostrils. Since breathing grows hard in anger, the same word also means "anger"; sometimes "face".
- הָרַגְתִּיharagti· kill
Kill, slay.
- חָרֶבcharev· sword
Sword; also any tool with an edge, like a knife or a chisel.
- נְשֵׁיneshe· woman, wife
Woman; with a possessive ("his woman"), wife. In Hebrew it is "ishah", which sounds like "ish", man.
- בְנֵיvene· son
Son. In the plural it can include sons and daughters, and also grandsons and descendants. "Son of..." also says what group someone belongs to ("sons of Israel" = Israelites).