Exodus 23:20-23
Chapter 23
20
See, I am sending an angel before you to keep you safe on the way and bring you to the place I have made ready.
21
Be on your guard in his presence and listen to him; do not resist him, for he will not pardon your wrongdoing, for my name is in him.
22
If you listen to him and do what I say, I will be the enemy of your enemies and the opponent of your opponents.
23
My angel will go before you and bring you to the land of the Amorites, the Hittites, the Perizzites, the Canaanites, the Hivites, and the Jebusites; all these I will destroy.
Commentaries
Epilogue.
It is unclear whether this is one of the final steps of the covenant celebrations. This step involves listing a series of blessings if all the terms of the covenant are fulfilled, or curses if they are broken (cf. Dt 28). Some believe it functions more as a “farewell discourse,” since its content is not related to the covenant’s terms; it’s suggested that this speech aimed to encourage the people during the early, challenging days of the monarchy (around the 9th century B.C.), as it mentions the borders of the kingdom of David and Solomon (31); at least, it would be a text adapted for that time by including these boundaries. In short, this passage warns the people to stay faithful to their commitments from Sinai, especially in a setting like Canaan, where the Israelite community was surrounded by cultures, beliefs, religions, and practices considered abominable and contrary to their way of life, leading to efforts to eradicate them. However, it is common for prophets to denounce the contamination of their people’s religion with Canaanite practices.