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Public-domain commentary
Matthew Henry
From his Commentary on the Whole Bible. Henry comments on passages, not single verses — this entry covers Exodus 22:16–24. His three-level outline is real structure in the source text, so it is rendered as structure.
Here is, I. A law that he who debauched a young woman should be obliged to marry her, Exo 22:16, Exo 22:17. If she was betrothed to another, it was death to debauch her (Deu 22:23, Deu 22:24); but the law here mentioned respects her as single. But, if the father refused her to him, he was to give satisfaction in money for the injury and disgrace he had done her. This law puts an honour upon marriage and shows likewise how improper a thing it is that children should marry without their parents' consent: even here, where the divine law appointed the marriage, both as a punishment to him that had done wrong and a recompence to her that had suffered wrong, yet there was an express reservation for the father's power; if he denied his consent, it must be no marriage.
II.A law which makes witchcraft a capital crime, Exo 22:18.
Witchcraft not only gives that honour to the devil which is due to God alone, but bids defiance to the divine Providence, wages war with God's government, and puts his work into the devil's hand, expecting him to do good and evil, and so making him indeed the god of this world; justly therefore was it punished with death, especially among a people that were blessed with a divine revelation, and cared for by divine Providence above any people under the sun. By our law, consulting, covenanting with, invocating, or employing, any evil spirit, to any intent whatsoever, and exercising any enchantment, charm, or sorcery, whereby hurt shall be done to any person whatsoever, is made felony, without benefit of clergy; also pretending to tell where goods lost or stolen may be found, or the like, is an iniquity punishable by the judge, and the second offence with death. The justice of our law herein is supported by the law of God recorded here.
III.Unnatural abominations are here made capital; such beasts in the shape of men as are guilty of them are unfit to live (Exo 22:19): Whosoever lies with a beast shall die.
IV.Idolatry is also made capital, Exo 22:20.
God having declared himself jealous in this matter, the civil powers must be jealous in it too, and utterly destroy those persons, families, and places of Israel, that worshipped any god, save the Lord: this law might have prevented the woeful apostasies of the Jewish nation in after times, if those that should have executed it had not been ringleaders in the breach of it.
V.A caution against oppression.
Because those who were empowered to punish other crimes were themselves most in danger of this, God takes the punishing of it into his own hands.
1.Strangers must not be abused (Exo 22:21), not wronged in judgment by the magistrates, not imposed upon in contracts, nor must any advantage be taken of their ignorance or necessity; no, nor must they be taunted, trampled upon, treated with contempt, or upbraided with being strangers; for all these were vexations, and would discourage strangers from coming to live among them, or would strengthen their prejudices against their religion, to which, by all kind and gentle methods, they should endeavour to proselyte them. The reason given why they should be kind to strangers is, "You were strangers in Egypt, and knew what it was to be vexed and oppressed there," Note,
(1.)Humanity is one of the laws of religion, and obliges us particularly to be tender of those that lie most under disadvantages and discouragements, and to extend our compassionate concern to strangers, and those to whom we are not under the obligations of alliance or acquaintance. Those that are strangers to us are known to God, and he preserves them, Psa 146:9.
(2.)Those that profess religion should study to oblige strangers, that they may thereby recommend religion to their good opinion, and take heed of doing any thing that may tempt them to think ill of it or its professors, Pe1 2:12.
(3.)Those that have themselves been in poverty and distress, if Providence enrich and enlarge them, ought to show a particular tenderness towards those that are now in such circumstances as they were in formerly, doing now by them as they then wished to be done by.
2.Widows and fatherless must not be abused (Exo 22:22): You shall not afflict them, that is, "You shall comfort and assist them, and be ready upon all occasions to show them kindness." In making just demands from them, their condition must be considered, who have lost those that should deal for them, and protect them; they are supposed to be unversed in business, destitute of advice, timorous, and of a tender spirit, and therefore must be treated with kindness and compassion; no advantage must be taken against them, nor any hardship put upon them, from which a husband or a father would have sheltered them. For,
(1.)God takes particular cognizance of their case, Exo 22:23. Having no one else to complain and appeal to, they will cry unto God, and he will be sure to hear them; for his law and his providence are guardians to the widows and fatherless, and if men do not pity them, and will not hear them, he will. Note, It is a great comfort to those who are injured and oppressed by men that they have a God to go to who will do more than give them the hearing; and it ought to be a terror to those who are oppressive that they have the cry of the poor against them, which God will hear. Nay,
(2.)He will severely reckon with those that do oppress them. Though they escape punishments from men, God's righteous judgments will pursue and overtake them, Exo 22:24. Men that have a sense of justice and honour will espouse the injured cause of the weak and helpless; and shall not the righteous God do it? Observe the equity of the sentence here passed upon those that oppress the widows and fatherless: their wives shall become widows, and their children fatherless; and the Lord is known by these judgments, which he sometimes executes still.
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Summary
Exodus 22:18, a concise yet profoundly impactful command within the "Book of the Covenant," unequivocally prohibits the practice of witchcraft in ancient Israel, mandating capital punishment for those who engage in it. This severe decree underscores God's absolute sovereignty and His demand for exclusive worship, serving as a foundational boundary to preserve the spiritual purity and distinct identity of His covenant people. It highlights the gravity with which God views any attempt to manipulate supernatural forces or seek knowledge outside of His divine will, marking such practices as a direct affront to His authority and a form of spiritual rebellion.
Context
Literary Context
Exodus 22:18 is situated within the "Book of the Covenant" (Exodus 21-23), a collection of detailed civil and religious laws delivered by God to Moses immediately following the Ten Commandments. These statutes elaborate on the principles of the Decalogue, providing a comprehensive legal framework for the newly formed nation of Israel. The laws address various aspects of life, including social justice, property rights, personal injury, and, crucially, religious purity. The placement of this command against witchcraft among other laws concerning offenses against God (like idolatry in Exodus 22:20) emphasizes its theological significance as a direct challenge to Yahweh's exclusive claim over His people. It is part of a broader section that outlines penalties for various transgressions, reinforcing the sanctity of the covenant relationship and the consequences of violating its terms. This particular verse, standing alone, delivers a stark and uncompromising verdict against a practice deemed utterly incompatible with Israel's identity as a holy nation.
Historical & Cultural Context
At the time of the Exodus, Israel was transitioning from slavery in Egypt to establishing itself as a distinct nation in the land of Canaan. The surrounding cultures, particularly the Canaanites, were deeply entrenched in polytheistic religions and pagan practices. Witchcraft, sorcery, divination, necromancy, and consulting mediums were pervasive elements of their spiritual landscape, often involving attempts to manipulate deities, communicate with the dead, or gain illicit knowledge and power through non-divine means. These practices were intrinsically linked to idolatry and often involved immoral rituals. God's command in Exodus 22:18 and similar prohibitions found in Leviticus 19:31 and Deuteronomy 18:9-14 served as a stark boundary, designed to separate Israel from the corrupting influences of these abominable practices. The severity of the penalty reflected the existential threat these practices posed to Israel's unique identity as a people consecrated to Yahweh alone, ensuring their spiritual purity and exclusive devotion to the one true God.
Key Themes
This verse contributes significantly to several major theological themes woven throughout the Pentateuch and the broader Old Testament. Foremost among these is the theme of God's Absolute Sovereignty and Exclusive Worship. The prohibition against witchcraft underscores that Yahweh alone is the source of all legitimate power and knowledge, and any attempt to bypass or usurp His authority through illicit spiritual means is an act of rebellion and idolatry. This ties into the theme of Holiness and Separation, as Israel was called to be a holy nation, set apart from the pagan practices of surrounding cultures. The severe penalty for witchcraft highlights the gravity of spiritual impurity and the necessity of purging such influences to maintain the integrity of the covenant community. Finally, it reinforces the theme of Divine Justice, demonstrating God's unwavering commitment to upholding His moral order and the severe consequences for those who violate His sacred commands, particularly those that undermine His unique relationship with His people.
Exposition and Analysis
Key Word Analysis
This primitive root properly means "to whisper a spell," indicating the act of enchanting or practicing magic. A kâshaph is a sorcerer or enchanter, someone who attempts to manipulate supernatural forces, often through incantations, charms, or even drugs, to gain illicit knowledge or power. This term denotes an individual who seeks to bypass or directly oppose God's authority by drawing upon spiritual sources other than Yahweh, making their actions a direct affront to divine sovereignty.
This primitive root means "to live," whether literally or figuratively, and causatively, "to revive" or "to keep alive." In the negative construction "Thou shalt not suffer...to live," as seen in the KJV, it conveys the imperative command that such an individual must not be allowed to remain alive within the community. This signifies an active and absolute prohibition against tolerating the existence of a witch, mandating the enforcement of capital punishment. The use of châyâh here emphasizes the complete and utter cessation of life for the practitioner, underscoring the extreme gravity of the offense.
Verse Breakdown
"Thou shalt not suffer"
This opening phrase is a direct, emphatic, and absolute prohibition. It is an imperative command that places a clear responsibility on the Israelite community and its authorities. The verb "suffer" (from châyâh) in this negative construction means "you shall not allow to live" or "you shall not keep alive." It conveys God's unequivocal intolerance for the practice of witchcraft and demands active intervention to eliminate its presence.
"a witch"
This specifies the target of the command—the individual who practices kâshaph, engaging in sorcery or enchantment. The focus is on the practitioner, not merely the act, highlighting the danger posed by such individuals to the spiritual and moral integrity of the nation. These individuals were seen as agents of spiritual corruption and rebellion against God's exclusive authority.
"to live"
This concluding clause explicitly states the prescribed penalty: capital punishment. The severity of this judgment underscores that witchcraft was considered an act of high treason against God, a direct challenge to His exclusive sovereignty, and a profound corruption of the covenant community. The command is not merely to forbid the practice, but to eliminate the practitioner from the community, underscoring the extreme gravity of the offense as a capital crime.
Literary Devices
The language of Exodus 22:18 is a direct and unambiguous Legal Proclamation. Its imperative mood ("Thou shalt not suffer") leaves no room for ambiguity, establishing a clear and absolute divine command that demands immediate and uncompromising obedience. The extreme brevity and starkness of the statement contribute to its forcefulness, emphasizing the gravity of the offense with a sense of finality. There is an implicit Contrast between God's legitimate, revealed power and the illicit, deceptive power sought through witchcraft, underscoring the fundamental opposition between divine order and human rebellion. The severity of the prescribed punishment functions as a powerful form of Emphasis, highlighting God's absolute abhorrence for practices that attempt to usurp His authority or seek spiritual power outside of His divine will. This serves as both a strong deterrent and a clear demarcation of Israel's unique spiritual identity, set apart from the pagan nations.
Theological and Thematic Connections
Exodus 22:18 profoundly articulates God's demand for exclusive worship and His absolute sovereignty over all spiritual power. It reveals that seeking power or knowledge through witchcraft is not merely a superstitious act but a direct affront to God's authority, a form of spiritual infidelity, and a grave act of rebellion. This command underscores the sanctity of the covenant relationship, where God alone is the source of truth, wisdom, and power, and any deviation to alternative spiritual sources is an act of idolatry. The severity of the law demonstrates that practices like witchcraft were not considered harmless but rather a corrosive force that threatened the very spiritual and moral fabric of Israel, leading to spiritual corruption and societal decay. It was a direct challenge to the very foundation of the theocracy and God's unique relationship with His chosen people.
Reflection and Application
While the specific civil law mandating capital punishment for witchcraft belongs to the Old Covenant legal system and is not literally applied in New Covenant theology or modern civil law, the spiritual principles underlying Exodus 22:18 remain profoundly relevant for believers today. God's unwavering character and His demand for exclusive devotion have not changed. This verse calls us to a radical spiritual purity, reminding us that God alone is the legitimate source of all power, wisdom, and revelation. In a world increasingly open to various spiritual influences, including New Age practices, occultism, divination, and even subtle forms of seeking guidance outside of God's Word, believers are called to exercise extreme discernment. Our trust must be solely in God and His revealed will through Scripture and the Holy Spirit, avoiding any practice that attempts to gain knowledge or power through means contrary to His divine order. This means rejecting horoscopes, spiritualism, necromancy, magic, or any form of manipulation of spiritual forces, recognizing them as an affront to God's sovereignty and a dangerous path that leads away from Him, ultimately inviting spiritual bondage rather than freedom.
Questions for Reflection
FAQ
Why was the penalty for witchcraft so severe in ancient Israel?
The severity of the penalty for witchcraft in ancient Israel, which was capital punishment, stemmed from several critical theological and societal reasons. Firstly, it was considered an act of high treason against Yahweh's absolute sovereignty. In a theocracy like Israel, God was the ultimate King and Lawgiver. Seeking power or knowledge from other spiritual sources was a direct challenge to His authority, akin to rebellion and idolatry, as seen in 1 Samuel 15:23. Secondly, witchcraft was intrinsically linked to the pagan practices of the surrounding nations, which God explicitly condemned as abominable, as detailed in Deuteronomy 18:9-12. Allowing such practices would have corrupted Israel's spiritual purity and blurred the lines between God's holy nation and the idolatrous cultures. Thirdly, these practices often involved deception, manipulation, and even human sacrifice, leading to moral decay and societal corruption. The death penalty was a means of purging evil from the community, protecting the integrity of the covenant, and ensuring Israel remained distinct as God's holy people. It was seen as a necessary measure to uphold God's holiness and justice within the community.
Does this verse mean Christians should execute people who practice witchcraft today?
No, this verse does not mean Christians should execute people who practice witchcraft today. It is crucial to understand the distinction between Old Covenant civil law, which governed ancient Israel as a theocratic nation, and New Covenant spiritual principles that guide the church. The Old Testament laws included specific civil and judicial penalties for offenses within that unique national covenant. Under the New Covenant, the church is not a civil government tasked with enforcing capital punishment for such offenses. The spiritual principle, however, remains: God abhors seeking power or guidance outside of Him. For believers today, the response to spiritual darkness is not physical execution but spiritual warfare, as described in Ephesians 6:12, evangelism, and calling people to repentance and faith in Jesus Christ. The focus shifts from civil punishment to spiritual discernment, prayer, and proclaiming the liberating truth of the Gospel, which frees individuals from the bondage of sin and occult practices, as exemplified in Acts 19:18-20.
Christ-Centered Fulfillment
Exodus 22:18, with its severe prohibition against witchcraft, finds its ultimate Christ-centered fulfillment in the person and work of Jesus Christ, who is the exclusive and legitimate source of all spiritual power, wisdom, and revelation. The Old Testament command against seeking illicit spiritual power underscores humanity's inherent longing for connection with the divine and for knowledge beyond human grasp. However, it also highlights the grave danger of seeking these outside of God. Jesus, as the true Prophet like Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15), our Great High Priest (Hebrews 4:14), and the King of Kings (Revelation 19:16), perfectly embodies and provides all that humanity truly needs. Through His incarnation, He fully reveals God to us (John 1:18), eliminating the need for divination or mediums. His atoning death on the cross not only paid the penalty for all rebellion and idolatry, including the sin of witchcraft, but also definitively disarmed and triumphed over the powers of darkness (Colossians 2:15). Through faith in Him, believers are delivered from the domain of darkness and transferred into His kingdom (Colossians 1:13-14), receiving the Holy Spirit who guides them into all truth (John 16:13), making any recourse to illicit spiritual sources utterly unnecessary and illegitimate. Jesus is the complete and perfect answer to humanity's spiritual needs, rendering all forms of witchcraft and occultism obsolete and powerless for those who trust in Him.