“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse doesn't just promise divine protection; it reveals a profound unity between God the Father and the messenger He sends. When it says "all that I speak," it's not just referring to Moses, but highlighting that God's message, delivered through His chosen representatives, is in essence His own word, demanding the same obedience. This implies that listening to the divine messenger is synonymous with listening to God Himself.
“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse is part of a larger covenantal discourse where God is laying out the terms for Israel's entrance into the promised land. It immediately follows God's promise to send an angel to guide and protect them, emphasizing that this divine assistance is contingent upon their obedience to God’s voice. The passage continues by detailing the consequences of obedience, including God’s active opposition to Israel's enemies and the eventual conquest of the land.
God's promises are often tied to specific actions. What does it truly mean to 'obey his voice' and 'do all that I say'?
This verse lays out a clear conditional promise. God isn't just saying 'if you're good, I'll help.' The emphasis is on diligent and comprehensive obedience.
Listening Closely
'If you carefully obey his voice' suggests more than just passive listening. It implies an attentive heart, actively seeking to understand God's commands and instructions given through His messenger (in this context, Moses, but pointing to the Angel of God).
Doing Everything
'And do all that I say' underscores the totality of the requirement. It’s not about picking and choosing which commands to follow. It’s a call for wholehearted commitment to God’s entire word and will as revealed.
This isn't about earning God's favor through perfect performance, but about aligning ourselves with His will to unlock the blessings He desires to give.
When God promises to be your enemy's enemy, what does that look like in reality?
The second part of the verse reveals the incredible promise of divine protection and intervention.
Divine Warfare
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God declares, 'then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries.' This isn't a minor helpful nudge; it's God Himself stepping onto the battlefield against those who oppose His people.
Active Intervention
This means God will actively work to frustrate, thwart, and defeat the plans and attacks of those who threaten you. It speaks of divine sovereignty and power exerted on behalf of those who are obedient to Him. Whether it was the plagues upon Egypt or later battles, God consistently showed Himself as the ultimate protector and deliverer for Israel when they followed Him.
This passage echoes the promise of protection from diseases and enemies as a direct result of obedience, mirroring the conditional blessing found in Exodus 23:22.
Joshua 1:5This verse reassures Joshua that God will be with him and will not falter, much like God promises to be an adversary to Israel's adversaries if they obey Him in Exodus 23:22.
Psalm 18:44This psalm describes enemies submitting to the psalmist, reflecting the divine assurance in Exodus 23:22 that God will actively fight against those who oppose His obedient people.
Romans 8:31Paul asks, 'If God is for us, who can be against us?' This New Testament affirmation powerfully reflects the sentiment of Exodus 23:22, where God's active opposition to His people's enemies is contingent on their obedience.
1 Samuel 15:22This verse highlights that obedience is more valued than sacrifice, underscoring the fundamental principle behind God's promise in Exodus 23:22 – that loyal obedience is the key to receiving His powerful intervention.
gillExodus 23:22: "But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries."
But, if thou shall indeed obey his voice,.... Or "hearkening hearken", (n) to it attentively, listen to it, and diligently and constantly observe and obey in whatever he shall direct and order: and do all that I speak; by him; or whatsoever he had spoke, or was about to speak; for as yet all the laws and statutes were not delivere…
pooleExodus 23:22: "But if thou shalt indeed obey his voice, and do all that I speak; then I will be an enemy unto thine enemies, and an adversary unto thine adversaries."
All that I speak; all that I have already commanded, and shall further prescribe by him unto Moses.
The verse doesn't just promise divine protection; it reveals a profound unity between God the Father and the messenger He sends. When it says "all that I speak," it's not just referring to Moses, but highlighting that God's message, delivered through His chosen representatives, is in essence His own word, demanding the same obedience. This implies that listening to the divine messenger is synonymous with listening to God Himself.
This verse is part of a larger covenantal discourse where God is laying out the terms for Israel's entrance into the promised land. It immediately follows God's promise to send an angel to guide and protect them, emphasizing that this divine assistance is contingent upon their obedience to God’s voice. The passage continues by detailing the consequences of obedience, including God’s active opposition to Israel's enemies and the eventual conquest of the land.
This verse is part of a larger covenantal discourse where God is laying out the terms for Israel's entrance into the promised land. It immediately follows God's promise to send an angel to guide and protect them, emphasizing that this divine assistance is contingent upon their obedience to God’s voice. The passage continues by detailing the consequences of obedience, including God’s active opposition to Israel's enemies and the eventual conquest of the land.
"“But if you carefully obey his voice and do all that I say, then I will be an enemy to your enemies and an adversary to your adversaries." — The verse doesn't just promise divine protection; it reveals a profound unity between God the Father and the messenger He sends. When it says "all that I speak," it's not just referring to Moses, but…
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Last reviewed October 2026