Exodus 22:24

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

Exodus 22:24 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 22:24

And my wrath shall wax hot
Against those that afflict them, being so devoid of humanity, compassion, and tenderness, and so guilty of oppression and injustice, which are aggravated by the circumstances of the persons they ill treat, and therefore the more provoking to God:

and I will kill you with the sword;
with the sword of death, says the Targum of Jonathan; it designs one of God's sore judgments, the sword of an enemy; the meaning is, that when such evils should become frequent among them, God would suffer a neighbouring nation to break in upon them in an hostile way, and put them to the sword; hence it follows:

and your wives shall be widows, and your children fatherless;
be in the same circumstances with those they have injured, and therefore should consider not only the destruction that would come upon themselves, being cutoff by the sword, but the case of their families; and how, could they be sensible of it, they would like to have their wives and children used as they have used the widows and fatherless.

Exodus 22:24 In-Context

22 “You must not exploit a widow or an orphan.

23 If you exploit them in any way and they cry out to me, then I will certainly hear their cry.

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

25 “If you lend money to any of my people who are in need, do not charge interest as a money lender would.

26 If you take your neighbor’s cloak as security for a loan, you must return it before sunset.