Exodus 22:24
New International Version
My anger will be aroused, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives will become widows and your children fatherless.

New Living Translation
My anger will blaze against you, and I will kill you with the sword. Then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.

English Standard Version
and my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Berean Standard Bible
My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

Berean Literal Bible
And My anger will burn and I will kill you⁺ with the sword, and your⁺ wives shall be widows, and your⁺ sons fatherless.

King James Bible
And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

New King James Version
and My wrath will become hot, and I will kill you with the sword; your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

New American Standard Bible
and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

NASB 1995
and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

NASB 1977
and My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Legacy Standard Bible
and My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Amplified Bible
and My wrath shall be kindled and burn; I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Berean Annotated Bible
My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you⁺ with the sword; then your⁺ wives will become widows and your⁺ children will be fatherless.

Christian Standard Bible
My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.

Holman Christian Standard Bible
My anger will burn, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will be widows and your children fatherless.”

American Standard Version
and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Contemporary English Version
In fact, I will get so angry that I will kill your men and make widows of their wives and orphans of their children.

English Revised Version
and my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
I will become angry and have you killed in combat. Then your wives and children will become widows and orphans.

Good News Translation
and I will become angry and kill you in war. Your wives will become widows, and your children will be fatherless.

International Standard Version
And I'll be angry and will kill you with swords, and your wives will become widows and your children orphans.

NET Bible
and my anger will burn and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives will be widows and your children will be fatherless.

New Heart English Bible
and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Webster's Bible Translation
And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Majority Text Translations
Majority Standard Bible
My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless.

World English Bible
and my wrath will grow hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
and My anger has burned, and I have slain you by the sword, and your wives have been widows, and your sons orphans.

Berean Literal Bible
And My anger will burn and I will kill you⁺ with the sword, and your⁺ wives shall be widows, and your⁺ sons fatherless.

Young's Literal Translation
and Mine anger hath burned, and I have slain you by the sword, and your wives have been widows, and your sons orphans.

Smith's Literal Translation
And my anger kindling, I killed you with the sword; and your wives were widows, and your sons orphans.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
And my rage shall be enkindled, and I will strike you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Catholic Public Domain Version
And my fury will be enraged, and I will strike you down with the sword. And your wives will become widows, and your sons will become orphans.

New American Bible
My wrath will flare up, and I will kill you with the sword; then your own wives will be widows, and your children orphans.

New Revised Standard Version
my wrath will burn, and I will kill you with the sword, and your wives shall become widows and your children orphans.
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
And my wrath shall kindle, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall become widows and your children fatherless.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
And my anger will be kindled and I shall kill you with sword and your wives shall be widowed and your children shall be orphaned.
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
My wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
And I will be very angry, and will slay you with the sword, and your wives shall be widows and your children orphans.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
Laws of Social Responsibility
23If you do mistreat them, and they cry out to Me in distress, I will surely hear their cry. 24My anger will be kindled, and I will kill you with the sword; then your wives will become widows and your children will be fatherless. 25If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.…

Cross References
My anger will be kindled,

Deuteronomy 32:22
For a fire has been kindled by My anger, and it burns to the depths of Sheol; it consumes the earth and its produce, and scorches the foundations of the mountains.

Psalm 78:21
Therefore the LORD heard and was filled with wrath; so a fire was kindled against Jacob, and His anger flared against Israel,
and I will kill you with the sword;

Leviticus 26:25
And I will bring a sword against you to execute the vengeance of the covenant. Though you withdraw into your cities, I will send a plague among you, and you will be delivered into the hand of the enemy.

Ezekiel 21:3
and tell her that this is what the LORD says: ‘I am against you, and I will draw My sword from its sheath and cut off from you both the righteous and the wicked.
then your wives will become widows

Psalm 109:9
May his children be fatherless and his wife a widow.

Jeremiah 18:21
Therefore, hand their children over to famine; pour out the power of the sword upon them. Let their wives become childless and widowed; let their husbands be slain by disease, their young men struck down by the sword in battle.
and your children will be fatherless.

Psalm 94:6
They kill the widow and the foreigner; they murder the fatherless.

Lamentations 5:3
We have become fatherless orphans; our mothers are widows.
Deuteronomy 15:7-11
If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. / Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs. / Be careful not to harbor this wicked thought in your heart: “The seventh year, the year of release, is near,” so that you look upon your poor brother begrudgingly and give him nothing. He will cry out to the LORD against you, and you will be guilty of sin. …

Leviticus 25:35-37
Now if your countryman becomes destitute and cannot support himself among you, then you are to help him as you would a foreigner or stranger, so that he can continue to live among you. / Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you. / You must not lend him your silver at interest or sell him your food for profit.

Proverbs 28:8
He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.

Nehemiah 5:7-11
and after serious thought I rebuked the nobles and officials, saying, “You are exacting usury from your own brothers!” So I called a large assembly against them / and said, “We have done our best to buy back our Jewish brothers who were sold to foreigners, but now you are selling your own brothers, that they may be sold back to us!” But they remained silent, for they could find nothing to say. / So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies? …

Ezekiel 18:8-9
He does not engage in usury or take excess interest, but he withholds his hand from iniquity and executes true justice between men. / He follows My statutes and faithfully keeps My ordinances. That man is righteous; surely he will live, declares the Lord GOD.

Psalm 15:5
who lends his money without interest and refuses a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things will never be shaken.

Isaiah 1:17
Learn to do right; seek justice and correct the oppressor. Defend the fatherless and plead the case of the widow.”

Jeremiah 22:3
This is what the LORD says: Administer justice and righteousness. Rescue the victim of robbery from the hand of his oppressor. Do no wrong or violence to the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow. Do not shed innocent blood in this place.


Treasury of Scripture

And my wrath shall wax hot, and I will kill you with the sword; and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless.

my wrath

Job 31:23
For destruction from God was a terror to me, and by reason of his highness I could not endure.

Psalm 69:24
Pour out thine indignation upon them, and let thy wrathful anger take hold of them.

Psalm 76:7
Thou, even thou, art to be feared: and who may stand in thy sight when once thou art angry?

your wives

Job 27:13-15
This is the portion of a wicked man with God, and the heritage of oppressors, which they shall receive of the Almighty…

Psalm 78:63,64
The fire consumed their young men; and their maidens were not given to marriage…

Psalm 109:9
Let his children be fatherless, and his wife a widow.

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Anger Aroused Burn Burned Children Death Fatherless Fathers Grow Heat Hot Kill Kindled Orphans Slain Slay Sword Wax Widows Wives Wrath
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Anger Aroused Burn Burned Children Death Fatherless Fathers Grow Heat Hot Kill Kindled Orphans Slain Slay Sword Wax Widows Wives Wrath
Exodus 22
1. Of Theft
5. Of damage
7. Of trespasses
14. Of borrowing
16. Of fornication
18. Of witchcraft
19. Of bestiality
20. Of idolatry
21. Of strangers, widows, and fatherless
25. Of usury
26. Of pledges
28. Of reverence to magistrates
29. Of the first fruits
31. Of torn flesh












My anger will be kindled
This phrase indicates God's righteous indignation against injustice and oppression. In the context of Exodus 22, God is addressing the treatment of the vulnerable, such as widows, orphans, and foreigners. The concept of God's anger is consistent throughout Scripture, where divine wrath is often depicted as a response to sin and disobedience (e.g., Deuteronomy 32:22, Psalm 7:11). The imagery of kindling suggests a fire that starts small but can grow into something consuming, symbolizing the seriousness of God's response to injustice.

and I will kill you with the sword;
The use of the sword as an instrument of divine judgment is a common biblical motif. It signifies the execution of justice and the seriousness of the consequences for disobedience. In ancient Near Eastern culture, the sword was a symbol of power and authority, often associated with kings and warriors. This phrase underscores the severity of God's judgment against those who exploit or harm the defenseless. It also foreshadows the ultimate judgment that will come upon all who reject God's commands (Revelation 19:15).

then your wives will become widows
This consequence highlights the social and familial impact of divine judgment. In ancient Israelite society, widows were among the most vulnerable, often lacking financial support and protection. The transformation of wives into widows serves as a stark warning of the personal and communal repercussions of sin. It also reflects the broader biblical theme of justice for the oppressed, as seen in passages like Isaiah 1:17 and James 1:27, where caring for widows is a sign of true religion.

and your children will be fatherless.
The mention of fatherless children emphasizes the generational impact of sin and judgment. In the patriarchal society of ancient Israel, the father was the primary provider and protector. The loss of a father would leave children in a precarious position, underscoring the gravity of the offense and the comprehensive nature of God's justice. This phrase also connects to the broader biblical narrative of God's concern for orphans, as seen in Psalm 68:5, where God is described as a "father to the fatherless." It serves as a reminder of the importance of community responsibility and care for those who are left vulnerable.

Persons / Places / Events
1. God
- The speaker in this verse, expressing His righteous anger and the consequences of disobedience.

2. Israelites
- The original audience of the laws given in Exodus, including this warning.

3. Widows and Orphans
- Mentioned as a consequence of God's judgment, highlighting their vulnerability in society.

4. Moses
- The leader of the Israelites who received and communicated God's laws to the people.

5. Mount Sinai
- The place where Moses received the laws from God, including the context of this verse.
Teaching Points
God's Righteous Anger
God's anger is not arbitrary but is a response to injustice and disobedience. Understanding His character helps us align our lives with His will.

The Vulnerability of Widows and Orphans
This verse highlights the societal responsibility to care for those who are vulnerable. As believers, we are called to protect and provide for those in need.

Consequences of Disobedience
The severe consequences outlined in this verse serve as a warning to take God's commands seriously. Reflect on areas in life where obedience is necessary.

God's Justice and Mercy
While this verse speaks of judgment, it also points to God's desire for justice and mercy. We are called to reflect these attributes in our interactions with others.

Community Responsibility
The community is responsible for upholding God's laws and caring for its members. Consider how you can contribute to a just and compassionate community.
Bible Study Questions and Answers
1. What is the meaning of Exodus 22:24?

2. How does Exodus 22:24 reflect God's concern for justice and fairness?

3. What consequences are outlined in Exodus 22:24 for oppressing the vulnerable?

4. How can we apply the principles of Exodus 22:24 in modern society?

5. Which New Testament teachings align with the principles in Exodus 22:24?

6. How does Exodus 22:24 challenge us to treat others with compassion?

7. Why does Exodus 22:24 depict God as wrathful and vengeful?

8. How does Exodus 22:24 align with the concept of a loving God?

9. What historical context explains the harshness in Exodus 22:24?

10. What are the top 10 Lessons from Exodus 22?

11. How should we care for widows according to scripture?

12. Do they exploit and take advantage of widows?

13. What guidance does the Bible provide about widows?

14. What does the Bible say about self-defense?
What Does Exodus 22:24 Mean
My anger will be kindled

Exodus 22:24 opens with the Lord saying, “My anger will be kindled.”

• God is declaring that compassion for the vulnerable is so central to His character that violating it provokes His personal wrath (see Deuteronomy 10:17-18; Psalm 68:5).

• The statement follows His command in Exodus 22:22-23 not to afflict widows or orphans; if anyone does, “I will surely hear their cry.” God hears, cares, and responds.

• This is not a vague irritation but a righteous indignation that stands against injustice, much like we see in Isaiah 10:1-4 and James 1:27, where God defends the fatherless and widow.


I will kill you with the sword

The divine anger is not merely emotional; it moves to decisive action: “I will kill you with the sword.”

• The “sword” signifies swift, lethal judgment and reminds Israel that God wields authority over life and death (Deuteronomy 32:39-41; Romans 13:4 speaks of the sword as a tool of justice).

• This threat underscores how seriously the Lord takes covenant obedience. Just as He struck Egypt for oppressing Israel (Exodus 12:12-13), He will strike His own people if they oppress the helpless.

• The warning is literal: God promises national or personal calamity if social sins persist (2 Chronicles 36:16-17).


Your wives will become widows

The consequence extends to family: “then your wives will become widows.”

• God turns the wrongdoer’s own household into a mirror image of the suffering they caused (Proverbs 21:13; Obadiah 15).

• In a patriarchal culture, widowhood meant economic and social vulnerability. The loss shows how sin’s fallout harms innocent dependents (Joshua 7:24-25).

• The wording also reminds Israel that justice is communal; one person’s sin can bring sorrow on many (Numbers 16:28-35).


Your children will be fatherless

Finally, God says, “and your children will be fatherless.”

• Children without a father faced poverty and insecurity, the very plight God ordered His people to prevent (Psalm 82:3-4; Jeremiah 22:3).

• This reversal illustrates that divine judgment meets sinners in the currency of their own deeds, perfectly balancing the scales (Galatians 6:7).

• The statement also signals that future generations bear the weight of present disobedience (Exodus 20:5-6), stressing the urgency of faithful living.


summary

Exodus 22:24 is a sober assurance that God fiercely defends the defenseless. If His people exploit the weak, He will ignite His anger, bring lethal judgment, and allow the oppressors’ own families to feel the pain they inflicted. The verse upholds God’s unwavering justice, reveals His heart for widows and orphans, and calls every believer to mirror that heart in practical mercy.

Verse 24. - I will kill you with the sword. It was, in large measure, on account of the neglect of this precept, that the capture of Jerusalem by Nebuchadnezzar, and destruction of its inhabitants, was allowed to take place (Jeremiah 22:3-5). Your wives shall be widows, etc. A quasi-retaliation. They shall be exposed to the same sort of ill-usage as you have dealt out to other widows.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
My anger
אַפִּ֔י (’ap·pî)
Noun - masculine singular construct | first person common singular
Strong's 639: The nose, nostril, the face, a person, ire

will be kindled,
וְחָרָ֣ה (wə·ḥā·rāh)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person masculine singular
Strong's 2734: To glow, grow warm, to blaze up, of anger, zeal, jealousy

and I will kill
וְהָרַגְתִּ֥י (wə·hā·raḡ·tî)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - first person common singular
Strong's 2026: To smite with deadly intent

you with the sword;
בֶּחָ֑רֶב (be·ḥā·reḇ)
Preposition-b, Article | Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 2719: Drought, a cutting instrument, as a, knife, sword

then your wives
נְשֵׁיכֶם֙ (nə·šê·ḵem)
Noun - feminine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 802: Woman, wife, female

will become
וְהָי֤וּ (wə·hā·yū)
Conjunctive waw | Verb - Qal - Conjunctive perfect - third person common plural
Strong's 1961: To fall out, come to pass, become, be

widows
אַלְמָנ֔וֹת (’al·mā·nō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 490: A widow, a desolate place

and your children
וּבְנֵיכֶ֖ם (ū·ḇə·nê·ḵem)
Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine plural construct | second person masculine plural
Strong's 1121: A son

[will be] fatherless.
יְתֹמִֽים׃ (yə·ṯō·mîm)
Noun - masculine plural
Strong's 3490: A bereaved person


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OT Law: Exodus 22:24 And my wrath will grow hot (Exo. Ex)
Exodus 22:23
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