Mishpatim

Back

Forward


23:31

23:32
23:33

23:31	I will set your borders from the Red Sea to the Philistine Sea, from the desert to the river. I will give the land's inhabitants into your hand, and you will drive them before you. Veshati et-gvulcha miYam-Suf ve'ad-yam Plishtim umimidbar ad-hanahar ki eten beyedchem et yoshvey ha'arets vegerashtamo mipaneycha.
23:32	Do not make a treaty with [these nations] or with their gods. Lo-tichrot lahem vele'eloheyhem berit.
23:33	Do not allow them to reside in your land, since they may then make you sin to Me. You may even end up worshiping their gods, and it will be a fatal trap to you. Lo yeshvu be'artsecha pen-yachati'u otcha li ki ta'avod et-eloheyhem ki yihyeh lecha lemokesh.

Commentary:

Red Sea
The Gulf of Aqaba, which is the eastern arm of the Red Sea (Rashi on Exodus 10:19). Others say that this is the Gulf of Suez, which is the western arm of the Red Sea (Midrash HaGadol).

Philistine Sea
The southern Mediterranean, near the land of the Philistines (Rashbam).

desert
Some say that this is the desert to the south of the Holy Land (Rashbam), while others say that it is to the east (Midrash HaGadol).

river
The Euphrates (Targum Yonathan; Rashi). Others, however, identify it with the 'River of Egypt' in Genesis 15:18. (Torah Sh'lemah 19:311). This is identified as Wadi el Arish (Saadia on Numbers 34:4; Chamra VeChayay, Sanhedrin 11b; Teshuvoth Radbaz 6:2206; cf. Kuzari 2:14).

Notice: This computer program is protected by copyright law and international treaties. Unauthorized reproduction or distribution of this program, or any portion of it, may result in severe civil and criminal penalties, and will be prosecuted to the maximum extent possible under the law.