KJV ORIGINAL
Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.
Close to the original. Clear modern English.
✦ MADE SIMPLE
You must not mistreat or oppress a foreigner, because you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.
⚡ THE BOTTOM LINE
God is telling His people to treat foreigners kindly because they remember what it was like to be foreigners themselves in Egypt.
📚 Historical Context
This command was given to the Israelites after their exodus from Egypt, where they had been enslaved and mistreated as foreigners for over 400 years. God was establishing laws for how His people should live in the Promised Land, emphasizing justice and compassion based on their own experience of suffering. This was part of the broader civil and moral code that would distinguish Israel from the surrounding nations.
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