20 See, I am sending an angel before you, to keep you on your way and to be your guide into the place which I have made ready for you. 21 Give attention to him and give ear to his voice; do not go against him; for your wrongdoing will not be overlooked by him, because my name is in him. 22 But if you truly give ear to his voice, and do whatever I say, then I will be against those who are against you, fighting those who are fighting you. 23 And my angel will go before you, guiding you into the land of the Amorite and the Hittite and the Perizzite and the Canaanite and the Hivite and the Jebusite, and they will be cut off by my hand. 24 Do not go down on your faces and give worship to their gods, or do as they do; but overcome them completely, and let their pillars be broken down. 25 And give worship to the Lord your God, who will send his blessing on your bread and on your water; and I will take all disease away from among you. 26 All your animals will give birth without loss, not one will be without young in all your land; I will give you a full measure of life. 27 I will send my fear before you, putting to flight all the people to whom you come; all those who are against you will go in flight, turning their backs before you. 28 I will send hornets before you, driving out the Hivite and the Canaanite and the Hittite before your face. 29 I will not send them all out in one year, for fear that their land may become waste, and the beasts of the field be increased overmuch against you. 30 Little by little I will send them away before you, till your numbers are increased and you take up your heritage in the land. 31 I will let the limits of your land be from the Red Sea to the sea of the Philistines, and from the waste land to the river Euphrates: for I will give the people of those lands into your power; and you will send them out before you. 32 Make no agreement with them or with their gods. 33 Let them not go on living in your land, or they will make you do evil against me: for if you give worship to their gods, it will certainly be a cause of sin to you.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on Exodus 23:20-33
Commentary on Exodus 23:20-33
(Read Exodus 23:20-33)
It is here promised that they should be guided and kept in their way through the wilderness to the land of promise, Behold, I send an angel before thee, mine angel. The precept joined with this promise is, that they be obedient to this angel whom God would send before them. Christ is the Angel of Jehovah; this is plainly taught by St. Paul, 1 Corinthians 10:9. They should have a comfortable settlement in the land of Canaan. How reasonable are the conditions of this promise; that they should serve the only true God; not the gods of the nations, which are no gods at all. How rich are the particulars of this promise! The comfort of their food, the continuance of their health, the increase of their wealth, the prolonging their lives to old age. Thus hath godliness the promise of the life that now is. It is promised that they should subdue their enemies. Hosts of hornets made way for the hosts of Israel; such mean creatures can God use for chastising his people's enemies. In real kindness to the church, its enemies are subdued by little and little; thus we are kept on our guard, and in continual dependence on God. Corruptions are driven out of the hearts of God's people, not all at once, but by little and little. The precept with this promise is, that they should not make friendship with idolaters. Those that would keep from bad courses, must keep from bad company. It is dangerous to live in a bad neighbourhood; others' sins will be our snares. Our greatest danger is from those who would make us sin against God.