Exodus 23 in the early church
150 passages quote, allude to, or echo Exodus 23, grouped by verse; passages on the same verse are in date order. Verse text from the Berean Standard Bible (public domain). References use the Protestant English Bible's numbering, with a writer's own numbering in brackets where it differs.
Verses: 1 · 2 · 3 · 4 · 5 · 6 · 7 · 8 · 9 · 10 · 11 · 12 · 13 · 14 · 15 · 16 · 17 · 18 · 19 · 20 · 21 · 22 · 23 · 24 · 26 · 28 · 30 · 31
Exodus 23:1
“You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:1 | The Instructor 2.7.57 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 190–200 |
| Exod 23:1 | Homilies on Exodus 3.2 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Exod 23:1 | Commentary on Matthew 13.6 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 246–248 |
| Exod 23:1 | Defence before Constantius 20 · Athanasius of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 353–357 |
| Exod 23:1–3 | On Saint Athanasius 1.3 · Lucifer of Cagliari | quotation, high confidence | ca. 356–361 |
| Exod 23:1 | Letter 24 · Basil of Caesarea | allusion, high confidence | ca. 357–378 |
| Exod 23:1–2 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.49.5 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Exod 23:1 | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 37.46.3 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Exod 23:1–5 | Exodus, lines 938–962 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
| Exod 23:1–2 | Letter 3, chapter 5 · Zosimus, bishop of Rome | quotation, high confidence | 417–418 |
Exodus 23:2
You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:2 | The Instructor 3.4.27 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 190–200 |
Exodus 23:3
And do not show favoritism to a poor man in his lawsuit.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:3 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.5.2 · Anonymous | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 380 |
| Exod 23:3 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.41.9 · Anonymous | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 380 |
Exodus 23:4
If you encounter your enemy’s stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:4 | Miscellanies 2.18.87 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Exod 23:4 | Miscellanies 2.18.90 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Exod 23:4 | Canonical Epistle, canon 4 · Gregory Thaumaturgus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 254–264 |
| Exod 23:4–5 | Oration 14.28 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Exod 23:4 | On the Duties of the Clergy 3.3 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 386–390 |
| Exod 23:4–5 | Part 2, chapter 1 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage | allusion, high confidence | ca. 445-450 |
Exodus 23:5
If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:5 | Miscellanies 2.18.90 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Exod 23:5 | Martyrdom of Pionius and Companions 4 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | 250 (the text may be later) |
| Exod 23:5 | On the Holy Spirit 30.78 · Basil of Caesarea | allusion, high confidence | ca. 374–375 |
| Exod 23:5 | Exposition of Psalm 118 10.42.1 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 386-397 |
| Exod 23:5 | Homilies on Matthew 15.9 · John Chrysostom | quotation, high confidence | ca. 390 |
| Exod 23:5 | Tractates on Matthew 12.1 · Chromatius of Aquileia | quotation, high confidence | ca. 388–407 |
Exodus 23:6
You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:6 | To Autolycus 3.9 · Theophilus of Antioch | quotation, high confidence | ca. 180–185 |
| Exod 23:6–8 | On Saint Athanasius 1.3 · Lucifer of Cagliari | quotation, high confidence | ca. 356–361 |
| Exod 23:6–18 | Exodus, lines 963–987 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
Exodus 23:7
Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:7 | To Autolycus 3.9 · Theophilus of Antioch | quotation, high confidence | ca. 180–185 |
| Exod 23:7 | Against Heresies 4.26.3 · Irenaeus of Lyons | quotation, high confidence | ca. 180–190 |
| Exod 23:7 | 1.29 · Hippolytus of Rome | quotation, high confidence | ca. 202-204 |
| Exod 23:7 | Letter to Origen 1 · Julius Africanus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220–245 |
| Exod 23:7 | Letter to Africanus 17 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240–245 |
| Exod 23:7 | To Quirinus 2.14 · Cyprian of Carthage | quotation, high confidence | ca. 248–250 (book 3 perhaps later) |
| Exod 23:7 | On Saint Athanasius 2.10 · Lucifer of Cagliari | quotation, high confidence | ca. 356–361 |
| Exod 23:7 | On Saint Athanasius 2.32 · Lucifer of Cagliari | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 356–361 |
| Exod 23:7–8 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.9.2 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Exod 23:7 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.37.4 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Exod 23:7–8 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.42.1 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Exod 23:7 | Altercatio, chapter 2, speech 47 · Evagrius of Gaul | quotation, high confidence | ca. 400 |
| Exod 23:7 | Letter 204.8 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 386–430 |
| Exod 23:7 | The Conferences 17.19 · John Cassian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 426–429 |
Exodus 23:8
Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:8 | To Autolycus 3.9 · Theophilus of Antioch | quotation, high confidence | ca. 180–185 |
| Exod 23:8 | The Instructor 3.12.91 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 190–200 |
| Exod 23:8 | Instructions 1.31 · Commodian | allusion, medium confidence | 3rd century (disputed) |
| Exod 23:8 | Preparation for the Gospel 8.8.42 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 313–324 |
| Exod 23:8 | Commentary on 2 Corinthians 8:5 · Ambrosiaster | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 366–384 |
Exodus 23:9
Do not oppress a foreign resident, since you yourselves know how it feels to be foreigners; for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:9 | To Autolycus 3.10 · Theophilus of Antioch | quotation, high confidence | ca. 180–185 |
Exodus 23:10
For six years you are to sow your land and gather its produce,
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:10 | Miscellanies 2.18.86 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Exod 23:10 | Fragments on Proverbs, column 209 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:10–12 | Demonstration 13.9 · Aphrahat | quotation, high confidence | 337-345 |
| Exod 23:10–11 | Demonstration 20.2 · Aphrahat | quotation, high confidence | 337-345 |
| Exod 23:10–11 | Tractates on the Psalms 118.2.11 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Exod 23:10–11 | Tractates on the Psalms 118.5.6 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Exod 23:10–11 | Tractates on the Psalms 118.20.6 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Exod 23:10–11 | Tractates on the Psalms 118.21.4 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Exod 23:10–11 | Part 2, chapter 1 · Quodvultdeus of Carthage | allusion, high confidence | ca. 445-450 |
Exodus 23:11
but in the seventh year you must let it rest and lie fallow, so that the poor among your people may eat from the field and the wild animals may consume what they leave. Do the same with your vineyard and olive grove.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:11 | Miscellanies 2.18.86 · Clement of Alexandria | allusion, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Exod 23:11 | Arabic Pentateuch fragment XXIII · Hippolytus of Rome | allusion, medium confidence | unknown (transmitted in a medieval Arabic catena) |
| Exod 23:11 | Against Marcion 2.17 · Tertullian | allusion, high confidence | 207/208 (third edition, completed later) |
| Exod 23:11 | Fragments on Proverbs, column 209 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:11 | Preparation for the Gospel 8.7.15 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 313–324 |
| Exod 23:11 | Tractates on the Psalms 118.4.5 · Hilary of Poitiers | allusion, high confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Exod 23:11 | Exposition of Psalm 118 5.10.2 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 386-397 |
Exodus 23:12
For six days you are to do your work, but on the seventh day you must cease, so that your ox and your donkey may rest and the son of your maidservant may be refreshed, as well as the foreign resident.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:12 | Demonstration 13.1 · Aphrahat | quotation, high confidence | 337-345 |
Exodus 23:13
Pay close attention to everything I have said to you. You must not invoke the names of other gods; they must not be heard on your lips.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:13 | On Idolatry 10 · Tertullian | allusion, high confidence | ca. 196–211 |
| Exod 23:13 | On Idolatry 20 · Tertullian | quotation, high confidence | ca. 196–211 |
| Exod 23:13 | Exhortation to Martyrdom 5 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | 235 |
| Exod 23:13 | Homilies on Jeremiah 20.8 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240 |
| Exod 23:13 | Against Celsus 5.46 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 248 |
| Exod 23:13 | Homilies 16.6 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | 4th century (reworking earlier material) |
| Exod 23:13 | Homilies 16.8 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | 4th century (reworking earlier material) |
| Exod 23:13 | Recognitions 2.44 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | Greek original 3rd–4th century; Rufinus's Latin translation before 407 |
| Exod 23:13 | Panarion (Adversus Haereses), Haer. 1-64 19.6.2 · Epiphanius of Salamis | allusion, medium confidence | 374-377 |
| Exod 23:13 | Apostolic Constitutions 6.20.9 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 380 |
Exodus 23:14
Three times a year you are to celebrate a feast to Me.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:14 | On Elkanah and Hannah, fragment 4 · Hippolytus of Rome | echo, low confidence | ca. 200–235 |
| Exod 23:14 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 293 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:14–17 | Fragment 30 on John 2:13 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 226-254 |
| Exod 23:14–17 | Question 46, section 10 · Ambrosiaster | allusion, high confidence | ca. 370–384 |
| Exod 23:14–17 | On the Twelve Stones 13 (Adamant) · Epiphanius of Salamis | allusion, medium confidence | 394 |
Exodus 23:15
You are to keep the Feast of Unleavened Bread as I commanded you: At the appointed time in the month of Abib you are to eat unleavened bread for seven days, because that was the month you came out of Egypt. No one may appear before Me empty-handed.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:15 | Against Heresies 4.18.1 · Irenaeus of Lyons | quotation, high confidence | ca. 180–190 |
| Exod 23:15 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 293 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:15 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 295 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:15 | Homilies on Jeremiah 18.10 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240 |
| Exod 23:15 | Prophetic Extracts 1.10 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | before 325 (probably ca. 310–320) |
| Exod 23:15 | Oration 19.9 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Exod 23:15 | Oration 44.8 · Gregory of Nazianzus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
| Exod 23:15 | Apostolic Constitutions 2.36.6 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | ca. 380 |
| Exod 23:15 | Letters 34.7 · Paulinus of Nola | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 394–413 |
Exodus 23:16
You are also to keep the Feast of Harvest with the firstfruits of the produce from what you sow in the field. And keep the Feast of Ingathering at the end of the year, when you gather your produce from the field.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:16 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 293 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:16 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 295 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:16 | Commentary on Matthew 15.31 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 246–248 |
Exodus 23:17
Three times a year all your males are to appear before the Lord GOD.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:17 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 295 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:17 | PG 12:1637 (Ps 126 LXX) · Origen | allusion, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:17 | On Prayer 20.1 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 233–234 |
| Exod 23:17 | On Prayer 27.16 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 233–234 |
| Exod 23:17 | Homily on Luke 14 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 233–250 |
| Exod 23:17 | Homilies on Numbers 11.7 · Origen | allusion, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Exod 23:17 | Homilies on Jeremiah 18.10 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240 |
| Exod 23:17 | Commentary on Romans 6.7 · Origen | allusion, high confidence | ca. 244–246 (Rufinus's translation ca. 405–406) |
| Exod 23:17 | Demonstration of the Gospel 1.3.1 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Exod 23:17 | Exposition of Psalm 118 8.22.2 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 386-397 |
| Exod 23:17 | Exposition of Psalm 118 20.54.1 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 386-397 |
Exodus 23:18
You must not offer the blood of My sacrifices with anything leavened, nor may the fat of My feast remain until morning.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:18–24 | Exodus, lines 988–1011 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
Exodus 23:19
Bring the best of the firstfruits of your soil to the house of the LORD your God. You must not cook a young goat in its mother’s milk.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:19 | Miscellanies 2.18.94 · Clement of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 198–203 |
| Exod 23:19 | Commentary on John 1.13 · Origen | echo, low confidence | ca. 230–248 |
| Exod 23:19 | Homilies on Numbers 11.1 · Origen | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Exod 23:19 | On Paradise 27 · Ambrose | quotation, high confidence | ca. 375-378 |
| Exod 23:19 | Explanation of Twelve Psalms 47.11.1 · Ambrose | allusion, high confidence | ca. 387-397 |
| Exod 23:19 | Sermon 150 · Peter Chrysologus | quotation, high confidence | ca. 425-450 |
Exodus 23:20
Behold, I am sending an angel before you to protect you along the way and to bring you to the place I have prepared.
Exodus 23:21
Pay attention to him and listen to his voice; do not defy him, for he will not forgive rebellion, since My Name is in him.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:21 | Dialogue with Trypho 75.1 · Justin Martyr | quotation, high confidence | ca. 155–160 |
| Exod 23:21 | Against Marcion 3.16 · Tertullian | quotation, high confidence | 207/208 (third edition, completed later) |
| Exod 23:21 | Eclogae on Exodus-Judges, column 817 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 220-254 |
| Exod 23:21 | Prophetic Extracts 1.11 · Eusebius of Caesarea | quotation, high confidence | before 325 (probably ca. 310–320) |
| Exod 23:21 | Demonstration of the Gospel 4.17.7 · Eusebius of Caesarea | allusion, high confidence | ca. 314–324 |
| Exod 23:21 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 16.19 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Exod 23:21 | Against Faustus the Manichaean 16.20 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, high confidence | ca. 398–400 |
| Exod 23:21 | Questions and Answers to the Orthodox 142–143 · Anonymous | quotation, high confidence | 5th century (disputed) |
Exodus 23:22
But if you will listen carefully to his voice and do everything I say, I will be an enemy to your enemies and a foe to your foes.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:22 | On Pascha 68 · text not on this site · Melito of Sardis | echo, low confidence | ca. 160-180 |
| Exod 23:22 | Homilies on Psalms 36-38 3.12 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Exod 23:22 | Commentary on the Song of Songs 3.190 · Origen | quotation, high confidence | ca. 240–245 (Rufinus's translation ca. 410) |
| Exod 23:22 | On Saint Athanasius 1.3 · Lucifer of Cagliari | quotation, high confidence | ca. 356–361 |
| Exod 23:22 | Tractates on the Psalms 118.18.4 · Hilary of Poitiers | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 360–367 |
| Exod 23:22–24 | Against Adimantus, a Disciple of Mani 17 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 394 |
Exodus 23:23
For My angel will go before you and bring you into the land of the Amorites, Hittites, Perizzites, Canaanites, Hivites, and Jebusites, and I will annihilate them.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:23 | Homilies on Numbers 13.8 · Origen | quotation, medium confidence | ca. 238–250 (Rufinus's translation ca. 400–410) |
| Exod 23:23 | Demonstration 3.14 · Aphrahat | quotation, high confidence | 337-345 |
| Exod 23:23 | On the Spirit and the Letter 42 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | 412 |
Exodus 23:24
You must not bow down to their gods or serve them or follow their practices. Instead, you are to demolish them and smash their sacred stones to pieces.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:24 | The Harmony of the Gospels 1.41 · Augustine of Hippo | quotation, high confidence | ca. 399–400 |
| Exod 23:24–33 | Exodus, lines 1012–1040 · Cyprianus Gallus | allusion, high confidence | early 5th cent. |
Exodus 23:26
No woman in your land will miscarry or be barren; I will fulfill the number of your days.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:26 | Demonstration 18.1 · Aphrahat | quotation, high confidence | 337-345 |
| Exod 23:26 | Defence of His Flight 13 · Athanasius of Alexandria | quotation, high confidence | ca. 357 |
| Exod 23:26 | On the Destruction of Jerusalem 3.6 · Anonymous | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 370 |
Exodus 23:28
I will send the hornet before you to drive the Hivites and Canaanites and Hittites out of your way.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:28 | Oration 45.20 · Gregory of Nazianzus | allusion, high confidence | ca. 362–383 |
Exodus 23:30
Little by little I will drive them out ahead of you, until you become fruitful and possess the land.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:30 | On the Spirit and the Letter 1 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | 412 |
Exodus 23:31
And I will establish your borders from the Red Sea to the Sea of the Philistines, and from the desert to the Euphrates. For I will deliver the inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them out before you.
| Reference | Passage | Kind | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Exod 23:31 | Tractates on the Gospel of John 3.19 · Augustine of Hippo | allusion, medium confidence | ca. 406–420 |