Exodus 22:28Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

The phrase "Let not your gods be evil spoken against" refers not to idols but to leaders, as it continues with the admonition "And to the prince of your people, let not evil be spoken."

See Psalm 49:1.

What is the significance of the phrase, "Let not your gods be blasphemed"? In this context, "gods" refers to judges, who are entrusted with the authority to make decisions, similar to the Sovereign Lord. The prophet David elucidated this further. When God proclaimed, "God stands in the congregation of the mighty; He judges among the gods" (Psalm 81:1), David implored, "How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Defend the poor and fatherless; do justice to the afflicted and needy" (Psalm 81:2-4). He continues the rebuke by stating that they do not know or perceive the truth and wander in darkness (Psalm 81:5). Yet, he also emphasizes God’s grace, noting, "I said, 'You are gods, and all of you are children of the Most High. But you shall die like men and fall like one of the princes" (Psalm 81:6-7). Therefore, it is similarly asserted, let not the judges be spoken of with contempt, nor let the rulers of humanity bring reproach upon you.

Moses states that you shall not speak disrespectfully of the gods, referring to the Priests. Anyone designated, as previously discussed, or appointed to exemplify righteousness, can be regarded as a god, but notably, He holds the title of God in a figurative sense.

God instructs you not to speak ill of your own rulers: You shall not defame the divine nor disparage the leader of your nation. In the Gospel, Christ referred to Herod as a fox and condemned his wickedness (Luke 13:32), saying, ‘Come, you shall speak ill of that fox.’ This indicates that the common people, through their bias and disdain, should refrain from uttering words that undermine the authority of governance. However, Christ, the Redeemer, was no naive individual; in calling out Herod’s deceitful intentions, which aimed to undermine the Gospel and true faith, He made it clear that He held no fear of Herod in this matter.

In place of judges, the term used in Hebrew is ‘Elogim’. However, as noted earlier in chapter 16, the act of judgment is attributed to God, and the phrase used in the Pentateuch to indicate presenting a case is to bring it before God. This is particularly significant as, in ancient practices, legal matters were often resolved based on oaths from either parties or witnesses. Consequently, as observed by Cook and others, various translations, including the Targums, Saadia, the Syriac version, and Theodoret, interpret the word Elogim in this context as judges. Some scholars have argued for the translation of verse 28 as “Thou shalt not malign God,” as supported by de Wette, Knobel, and Keil.