Exodus 22:28 · Bible study
Exodus 22:28 Commentary: Elohim, Authority, and Reverence
Hebrew · 11 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Does 'Elohim' refer to God or human judges? This study explores the verse's meaning for divine and human authority.
Research Summary
- Meaning: A command to show reverence to God and to human rulers, recognizing divine authority in earthly leadership.
- Key words: Blaspheme/revile (Qal or Piel of קלל), curse (ארר), Elohim (God or judges), ruler (nasi, the exalted one).
- Main debate: Whether Elohim refers to God (Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge) or to human judges (Calvin, Gill, Wesley). Both readings find support in the surrounding context and in other OT passages.
- Theological theme: The sacredness of authority, divine and delegated, and the call to holy speech as part of covenant life.
- Best use: A sermon on respect for leadership, a caution against contemptuous speech, or a study on how the Old Testament grounds civil authority in God’s sovereignty.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
You must not blaspheme God or curse the ruler of your people.
WEB World English Bible 2000
“You shall not blaspheme God, nor curse a ruler of your people.
KJV King James Version 1769
Thou shalt not revile the gods, nor curse the ruler of thy people.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
Thou shalt not revile God, nor curse a ruler of thy people.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
`God thou dost not revile, and a prince among thy people thou dost not curse.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
Thou shalt not revile the judges, nor curse a prince amongst thy people.
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
Thou shalt not speak ill of the gods, and the prince of thy people thou shalt not curse.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
No denostarás á los jueces, ni maldecirás al príncipe de tu pueblo.
Não insultarás aos juízes, nem amaldiçoarás ao príncipe de teu povo.
Tu ne maudiras point Dieu, et tu ne maudiras point le prince de ton peuple.
[22:27] Den “ Göttern” sollst du nicht fluchen, und den Obersten in deinem Volk nicht lästern.
De goden zult gij niet vloeken, en de oversten in uw volk zult gij niet lasteren.
Non bestemmierai contro Dio, e non maledirai il principe del tuo popolo.
Sędziom nie będziesz złorzeczył, a przełożonego ludu twego nie będziesz przeklinał.
Судей не злословь и начальника в народе твоем не поноси.
「不可 毀謗 神；也不可 毀謗 你百姓 的官長。
You may not say evil of the judges, or put a curse on the ruler of your people.
Verse in Context
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators across traditions agree that this verse commands reverence for both divine and human authority, linking the two. The central question is what 'Elohim' (אלהים) means here. Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible argue it refers to God, pointing to the context: the surrounding laws address offenses against God and the poor (Exodus 22:22, 27), and the parallel in Leviticus 24:16 shows blasphemy against God is punished by death. Calvin, Gill, and Wesley interpret 'Elohim' as human judges or magistrates, citing Exodus 21:6 and 22:8, 9 where the word is used of judicial authorities, and Psalm 82:6, 7, which calls rulers 'gods.' Both sides agree the verse pairs respect for God with respect for those who represent His authority. Barnes, Clarke, and Henry note that the command not to curse the ruler echoes the fifth commandment to honor parents, extended to civil and religious leaders. Paul applies the second half of this verse to the high priest in Acts 23:5, showing that the principle covers all legitimate authority within God’s people.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Elohim refers to God: Context of divine commands and Leviticus 24:16; Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge Bible.
- Elohim refers to human judges/magistrates: Exodus 21:6, 22:8–9, Psalm 82; Calvin, Gill, Wesley, Geneva Bible.
- Verse pairs God and ruler (dual reference): Some commentators (Barnes, Clarke) see the parallelism as two distinct entities: God and a human ruler, each to be revered.
What is clear: The verse commands reverence toward both divine and human authority, prohibits cursing or reviling, and links the honor of God with the honor of those He has placed over His people.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Referent of Elohim | The word commands reverence for an authority that stands in relationship to God. | One view (Keil & Delitzsch, Cambridge Bible) holds that Elohim refers to God, based on the context of divine commands and the severe penalty for blasphemy in Leviticus 24:16. The other view (Calvin, Gill, Wesley) holds that it refers to human judges/magistrates, citing the use of Elohim for judges in Exodus 21:6, 22:8, 9, and Psalm 82. |
| Scope of 'ruler of your people' | The ruler is a legitimate authority within the community of God's people. | Some (Jamieson-Fausset-Brown) identify the ruler as the high priest or religious leader, based on Acts 23:5. Others (Gill, Clarke) include civil magistrates, kings, and all who exercise authority. A minority (Josephus, Philo) apply the verse to not cursing foreign rulers or other gods, but this is rejected by most commentators as contrary to the OT spirit. |
| Relationship to the Fifth Commandment | This verse is an extension of the command to honor parents (Exodus 20:12), applying to all in authority. | Calvin sees it as part of the fifth commandment by synedoche. Others see it as a separate application of the broader principle of respect for God-ordained structures. All agree that contempt for leaders is a form of contempt for God. |
Historical & Cultural Context
Exodus 22:28 sits in the heart of the Covenant Code (Exodus 20, 23), a collection of laws given at Sinai that governs Israel’s social, economic, and religious life. The immediate context treats mercy toward the poor: lending without interest, restoring a neighbor’s cloak before nightfall, and hearing the needy when they cry out (vv. 25, 27). Then comes this brief command, followed by laws about firstfruits, firstborn offerings, and holiness (vv. 29, 31). The verse functions as a hinge: proper reverence for God and His appointed leaders is the foundation for just treatment of others.
In the ancient Near East, kings and judges were often seen as divine representatives. Israel’s theocracy made this especially vivid. The word Elohim could mean God, gods, or those who act in God’s stead, judges, magistrates, or even the king (Exodus 21:6; 22:8, 9). Psalm 82 directly calls human rulers 'gods' and charges them to judge justly. By placing this command here, the text insists that contempt for God’s human representatives is a form of contempt for God Himself.
The 'ruler of your people' (nasi) likely refers to the chief leader, a prince, high priest, or head of the community. In later Israelite history, this would include the king and the high priest. When Paul was brought before the Sanhedrin, he quoted this verse to apologize for calling the high priest a 'whitewashed wall' (Acts 23:5), showing that even an unjust authority is due formal respect because of the office God has established.
Textual Notes
The consulted commentaries note no significant textual variants for Exodus 22:28. The Hebrew text is stable across manuscripts. The main interpretive divergence arises from the semantics of Elohim, not from textual differences.
Reception History
Early Jewish interpreters like Philo and Josephus understood Elohim as a reference to other gods, reading the verse as a command not to blaspheme foreign deities, an interpretation that may have aimed to protect Jewish communities in the Greco-Roman world. Early Christians, however, followed the reading favored by the LXX (theos/theous) and the Vulgate (diis), which left the referent ambiguous. Paul’s quotation of the second half of the verse in Acts 23:5 established a key precedent: the 'ruler' includes the high priest, and the command applies even when the ruler is unjust. During the Reformation, Calvin and the Geneva Bible firmly identified Elohim with human magistrates, grounding civil authority in divine commission. Wesley and other Wesleyan commentators followed this line, while Keil & Delitzsch and the Cambridge Bible argued for 'God.' Both readings have persisted in Christian teaching, each emphasizing the link between divine and human authority.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- Reverence flows upward: The command addresses how we speak about God and about those He has placed over us (Keil & Delitzsch; Calvin).
- Leaders bear God’s image: The pairing of 'God' and 'ruler' affirms that human authority reflects divine authority, even when imperfect (Gill; Cambridge Bible).
- Speech reveals the heart: Cursing or reviling, whether toward God or a ruler, exposes a spirit of rebellion that undermines community and holiness (Clarke; Matthew Henry).
Five-point outline
- The context of caring for the poor: Verses 25, 27 set the stage, how we treat the vulnerable shows our reverence for God. Then verse 28 links that reverence to respect for leaders.
- The debated referent of Elohim: Both readings (God or judges) ultimately point to the same truth: authority is sacred.
- The ruler among your people: The 'ruler' (nasi) is a visible, human authority, civil, religious, or both. The verse forbids cursing them.
- New Testament application: Paul cites this verse in Acts 23:5, showing it applies even to high priests who act unjustly.
- A call to holy speech: The following verses (29, 31) emphasize consecration to God. Reverent speech is part of being a holy people.
Illustration hooks
- A heated conversation about a political leader where a Christian joins in mockery or contempt, how does this verse reframe that moment?
- A church member frustrated with a pastor’s decision and tempted to speak destructively about them. The verse calls for measured, respectful speech even in disagreement.
- The experience of a public official or judge who feels the weight of representing God’s justice, and how this verse reminds the community to support rather than undermine them.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this verse mean I can never criticize a government leader or church elder?
- What defines 'cursing' a ruler, does it include honest critique, especially when leaders are unjust?
- How does this command relate to the freedom of speech Christians have in democracies?
Leading a Discussion
This verse sits in a section of laws that protect the vulnerable and call Israel to be a holy community. Before reading it, remind your group that the Bible often links respect for God with respect for those He has placed in authority. The group’s task is to explore the nuance of this command, especially the debated meaning of 'Elohim,' and consider how it shapes our speech today.
Discussion questions
- What does the text say? (Identify the two prohibitions and their relationship to each other.)
- Why do you think the command pairs God and the ruler? What does that pairing tell us about how God views human authority?
- The word 'Elohim' can mean God or judges. Which interpretation do you find more convincing, and why? What difference does it make?
- How does the context, laws about lending, poverty, and worship, help us understand this command?
- In what situations do Christians today find it hardest to obey this command? (Consider political disagreements, scandals in leadership, or personal grievances with a boss or pastor.)
- How does Paul’s use of this verse in Acts 23:5 guide our understanding? What does it show about respect for flawed leaders?
- What one change could your small group make together to honor this command in your speech about leaders, both in the church and in society?
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| Exodus 21:17 | “Anyone who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. |
| Exodus 22:8 | If the thief isn’t found, then the master of the house shall come near to God, to find out whether or not he has put his hand on his neighbor’s goods. |
| Exodus 22:9 | For every matter of trespass, whether it is for ox, for donkey, for sheep, for clothing, or for any kind of lost thing, about which one says, ‘This is mine,’ the cause of both parties shall come before God. He whom God condemns shall pay double to his neighbor. |
| Leviticus 24:16 | He who blasphemes Yahweh’s name, he shall surely be put to death. All the congregation shall certainly stone him. The foreigner as well as the native-born shall be put to death when he blasphemes the Name. |
| I Samuel 24:6 | He said to his men, “Yahweh forbid that I should do this thing to my lord, Yahweh’s anointed, to stretch out my hand against him, since he is Yahweh’s anointed.” |
| I Samuel 24:10 | Behold, today your eyes have seen how Yahweh had delivered you today into my hand in the cave. Some urged me to kill you, but I spared you. I said, ‘I will not stretch out my hand against my lord, for he is Yahweh’s anointed.’ |
| I Samuel 26:9 | David said to Abishai, “Don’t destroy him, for who can stretch out his hand against Yahweh’s anointed, and be guiltless?” |
| Psalms 32:6 | For this, let everyone who is godly pray to you in a time when you may be found. Surely when the great waters overflow, they shall not reach to him. |
Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
10 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke insists that "gods" in this verse refers to the one true God, not to human judges. He warns that speaking against civil rulers is closely tied to blaspheming God, and that disaffection toward government weakens a person's spiritual life and loses their Christian witness.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes argues that the Hebrew word for "gods" in this passage is the same word used for God in Genesis 1:1, and the context best supports understanding it as referring to the true God rather than human judges. He then links this interpretation to Paul’s apology in Acts 23:5.
Calvin's Commentaries Reformed 1564
Calvin treats this command as an extension of the Fifth Commandment, not a separate rule. He argues that calling magistrates "gods" is deliberate: they bear God's authority as His deputies, so irreverence toward them is irreverence toward God Himself. This applies to all who govern, not just judges.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
This commentator insists that 'God' in this verse refers to the true God, rejecting interpretations that take it to mean human judges or heathen gods. He argues that while 'to go to God' could mean going to judges as God's representatives, that does not justify reading 'God' as 'judges' in every context.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note underscores that even when leaders are flawed, speaking against them with insult or malice is forbidden. The command targets not just disobedience but verbal contempt, treating harsh words toward judges or rulers as a direct violation of God’s law.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill insists that the gods in this passage are not pagan idols, but civil judges and magistrates who represent God's authority. He rejects the common interpretation that forbids insulting heathen deities, arguing instead that the command protects human rulers, both civil and ecclesiastical, from contempt in their office.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
JFB identifies the word "gods" in this verse as referring to judges or magistrates, not divine beings. He further notes that "the ruler of thy people" points to the chief magistrate, who in Paul's time was also the high priest.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch insists the Hebrew word Elohim in this command refers to God himself, not to other gods or to human judges. They argue that despising God includes ignoring his commands about caring for the poor, and that the prince is mentioned alongside God because he administers God's law among the people.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry notes that this law forbids charging interest when someone borrows out of urgent need, not in all lending. The poor who borrow for survival are not to be treated as business opportunities; compassion, not profit, governs such loans.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley clarifies that "the gods" in this passage refers to human judges and magistrates, not divine beings. He then applies the command to believers in every age, noting that even an unrighteous and persecuting ruler must not be reviled. The apostle Paul himself modeled this respect, as recorded in Acts.