John Calvin Commentary Leviticus 19:33

"And if a stranger sojourn with thee in your land, ye shall not do him wrong." — Leviticus 19:33 (ASV)

And if a stranger sojourn with you in your land. Before I pass on to the other iniquities, I have seen fit to introduce this precept, in which the people are commanded to cultivate equity towards all without exception.

For if no mention had been made of strangers, the Israelites would have thought that, provided they had not injured anyone of their own nation, they had fully discharged their duty. But when God recommends guests and sojourners to them, just as if they had been their own kindred, they therefore understand that equity is to be cultivated constantly and towards all people.

Nor is it without cause that God interposes Himself and His protection to prevent injury from being done to strangers. For since they have no one who would endure ill-will to defend them, they are more exposed to the violence and various oppressions of the ungodly than if they were under the protection of their own households.

The same rule is to be observed towards widows and orphans. A woman, on account of the weakness of her sex, is exposed to many evils unless she dwells under the protection of a husband; and many plot against orphans, as if they were their prey, because they have no one to advise them. Since, then, they are so destitute of human aid, God interposes to assist them; and if they are unjustly oppressed, He declares that He will be their avenger.

In the first passage He includes widows and orphans together with strangers; in the latter He enumerates strangers only. Yet the substance is the same: namely, that all those who are destitute and deprived of earthly aid are under the guardianship and protection of God, and preserved by His hand. Thus, the audacity of those who trust that they may commit any wickedness with impunity, provided no earthly being resists them, is restrained. Indeed, no iniquity will be left unavenged by God, but there is a special reason why He declares that strangers, widows, and orphans are taken under His care, because the more flagrant the evil is, the greater need there is for an effectual remedy.

He recommends strangers to them on the ground that the people, who had themselves been sojourners in Egypt, being mindful of their ancient condition, should deal more kindly with strangers. For although they were at last oppressed by cruel tyranny, still they were bound to consider their entrance there: namely, that poverty and hunger had driven their forefathers there, and that they had been received hospitably when they were in need of aid from others.

When He threatens that if the afflicted widows and orphans cry to Him, their cry will be heard, He does not mean that He will not interfere if they endure their wrongs in silence. Rather, He speaks in accordance with the ordinary practice that those who find no consolation elsewhere are accustomed to appeal to Him. Meanwhile, let us be sure that although those who are injured abstain from complaining, God does not by any means forget His office, so as to overlook their wrongs. Indeed, there is nothing that incites Him more to inflict punishment on the ungodly than the endurance of His servants.

The nature of the punishment is also expressed: those who have afflicted widows and orphans will perish by the sword, so that their own widows and orphans may be exposed to the audacity, violence, and deceit of the ungodly.

Moreover, it must be observed that, in the second passage, they are commanded to love strangers and foreigners as themselves. Therefore, it appears that the name of neighbor is not confined to our kindred or other persons with whom we are closely connected, but extends to the whole human race, as Christ shows in the person of the Samaritan, who had compassion on an unknown man and performed towards him the duties of humanity neglected by a Jew and even a Levite (Luke 10:30).