King James Version

Exodus 23:9

Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger: for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

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Hebrew

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וְגֵ֖רvegerand alienגֵּרconjunction, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “and alien”, the ordinary formH1616properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigneralien, sojourner, stranger.לֹ֣אlono , -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…תִלְחָ֑ץtilchatsafflictלָחַץverb, qal, imperfect, 2nd person, masculine, singular — “afflict”, an unfinished actionH3905properly, to press, i.e. (figuratively) to distressafflict, crush, force, hold fast, oppress(-or), thrust self.וְאַתֶּ֗םveatemand theeאַתָּהconjunction, pronoun, personal, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “and thee”H859thou and thee, or (plural) ye and youthee, thou, ye, you.יְדַעְתֶּם֙yedatemknowיָדַעverb, qal, perfect, 2nd person, masculine, plural — “know”, a completed actionH3045to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, [idiom] could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with…אֶתetobject markerאֵתparticle, direct object marker — “object marker”H853properly, self (but generally used to point out more definitely the object of a verb or preposition, even or namely)(as such unrepresented in English).נֶ֣פֶשׁnefeshcreatureנֶפֶשׁnoun, common, both genders, singular, construct — “creature”, the of-form, joined to the next wordH5315properly, a breathing creature, i.e. animal of (abstractly) vitality; used very widely in a literal, accommodated or figurative sense (bodily or mental)any, appetite, beast, body, breath, creature, [idiom] dead(-ly), desire, [idiom] (dis-) contented, [idiom] fish, ghost, [phrase] greedy, he, heart(-y), (hath, [idiom] jeopardy of) life ([idiom] in jeopardy), lust, man, me, mind, mortally,…הַגֵּ֔רhagerthe alienגֵּרdefinite article, noun, common, masculine, singular, absolute — “the alien”, the ordinary formH1616properly, a guest; by implication, a foreigneralien, sojourner, stranger.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)

And a stranger shalt thou not oppress; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing 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 oppress: for ye know the heart of a sojourner, seeing ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt.

Young’s Literal Translation

'And a sojourner thou dost not oppress, and ye — ye have known the soul of the sojourner, for sojourners ye have been in the land of Egypt.

World English Bible

“You shall not oppress an alien, for you know the heart of an alien, since you were aliens in the land of Egypt.

Darby Translation

And the stranger thou shalt not oppress; for ye know the spirit of the stranger, for ye have been strangers in the land of Egypt.

Douay-Rheims

Thou shalt not molest a stranger, for you know the hearts of strangers: for you also were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Jewish Publication Society (1917)

And a stranger shalt thou not oppress; for ye know the heart of a stranger, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt.

Brenton’s Septuagint (1851), English

And ye shall not afflict a stranger, for ye know the heart of a stranger; for ye were yourselves strangers in the land of Egypt.

Septuagint (Brenton’s Greek, 1851)

Καὶ προσήλυτον οὐ θλίψετε· ὑμεῖς γὰρ οἴδατε τὴν ψυχὴν τοῦ προσηλύτου· αὐτοὶ γὰρ προσήλυτοι ἦτε ἐν γῇ Αἰγύπτῳ.