King James Version

Exodus 22:21

Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him: for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

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Hebrew

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In the Hebrew text this line is Exodus 22:20.

וְגֵ֥רvegerand alienגֵּרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and alien”, the ordinary formH1616properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigneralien, sojourner, stranger.לֹאlono , -r,לֹאparticle, negative — “no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תוֹנֶ֖הtonehdestroyיָנָהverb, hiphil, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “destroy”, an unfinished actionH3238to rage or be violent; by implication, to suppress, to maltreatdestroy, (thrust out by) oppress(-ing, -ion, -or), proud, vex, do violence.וְלֹ֣אveloand no , -r,לֹאconjunction, particle, negative — “and no , -r,”H3808not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles[idiom] before, [phrase] or else, ere, [phrase] except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), ([idiom] as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, [phrase] surely, [phrase] as trul…תִלְחָצֶ֑נּוּtilchatsenvafflictלָחַץverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular, suffix, pronominal, 3rd person, masculine, singular — “afflict”, an unfinished actionH3905properly, to press, i.e. (figuratively) to distressafflict, crush, force, hold fast, oppress(-or), thrust self.כִּֽיkiassuredכִּיconjunction — “assured”H3588(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexedand, + (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), + but, certainly, doubtless, + else, even, + except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, + nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, + (al-) though, + til…גֵרִ֥יםgerimalienגֵּרnoun, common, masculine, plural, absolute — “alien”, the ordinary formH1616properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigneralien, sojourner, stranger.הֱיִיתֶ֖םheyitembeהָיָהverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “be”, a completed actionH1961to exist, i.e. be or become, come to pass (always emphatic, and not a mere copula or auxiliary)beacon, [idiom] altogether, be(-come), accomplished, committed, like), break, cause, come (to pass), do, faint, fall, [phrase] follow, happen, [idiom] have, last, pertain, quit (one-) self, require, [idiom] use.בְּאֶ֥רֶץbeeretsin earthאֶרֶץpreposition, noun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “in earth”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH776the earth (at large, or partitively a land)[idiom] common, country, earth, field, ground, land, [idiom] natins, way, [phrase] wilderness, world.מִצְרָֽיִםmitsrayimEgyptמִצְרַיִםnoun, proper name — “Egypt”H4714Mitsrajim, i.e. Upper and Lower EgyptEgypt, Egyptians, Mizraim.

Jewish translation (JPS 1917)

(22-20) And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Compare Public-Domain Translations

The King James Version remains the text of this page and the canonical URL.

American Standard Version (1901)

And a sojourner shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him: for ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Young’s Literal Translation

'And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, nor crush him, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt.

World English Bible

“You shall not wrong an alien or oppress him, for you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Darby Translation

Thou shalt neither vex a stranger, nor oppress him; for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.

Douay-Rheims

Thou shalt not molest a stranger, nor afflict him: for yourselves also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

(22-20) And a stranger shalt thou not wrong, neither shalt thou oppress him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And ye shall not hurt a stranger, nor afflict him; for ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ προσήλυτον οὐ κακώσετε, οὐδὲ μὴ θλίψητε αὐτόν· ἦτε γάρ προσήλυτοι ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ.