Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version “Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. New Living Translation “In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor. English Standard Version “You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Berean Standard Bible You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. King James Bible Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. New King James Version “You shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute. New American Standard Bible “You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. NASB 1995 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. NASB 1977 “You shall not pervert the justice due to your needy brother in his dispute. Legacy Standard Bible “You shall not cause the justice due to your needy brother to be turned aside in his case. Amplified Bible “You shall not pervert (bend) the justice due to your poor in his dispute. Christian Standard Bible “You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit. Holman Christian Standard Bible You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit. American Standard Version Thou shalt not wrest the justice due to thy poor in his cause. Contemporary English Version Make sure that the poor are given equal justice in court. English Revised Version Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. GOD'S WORD® Translation "Never deny justice to poor people in court. Good News Translation "Do not deny justice to a poor person when he appears in court. International Standard Version "You are not to pervert justice for the poor among you in their lawsuits. Majority Standard Bible You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. NET Bible "You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits. New Heart English Bible "You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Webster's Bible Translation Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. World English Bible “You shall not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionYou do not turn aside the judgment of your poor in his strife; Young's Literal Translation 'Thou dost not turn aside the judgment of thy needy one in his strife; Smith's Literal Translation Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of thy needy in his cause. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThou shalt not go aside in the poor man's judgment. Catholic Public Domain Version You shall not deviate in judgment of the poor. New American Bible You shall not pervert justice for the needy among you in a lawsuit. New Revised Standard Version You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in their lawsuits. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleYou shall not pervert the justice due to a poor man in his lawsuit. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated You shall not decline the justice of the poor in his judgment. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. Brenton Septuagint Translation Thou shalt not wrest the sentence of the poor in his judgment. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Justice and Mercy…5If you see the donkey of one who hates you fallen under its load, do not leave it there; you must help him with it. 6You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits. 7Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.… Cross References Deuteronomy 16:19 Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. Proverbs 17:23 A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice. Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them. Amos 5:12 For I know that your transgressions are many and your sins are numerous. You oppress the righteous by taking bribes; you deprive the poor of justice in the gate. Micah 3:9 Now hear this, O leaders of the house of Jacob and rulers of the house of Israel, who despise justice and pervert all that is right, Leviticus 19:15 You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly. Deuteronomy 27:19 ‘Cursed is he who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless, or the widow.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’ Psalm 82:2-4 “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah / Defend the cause of the weak and fatherless; uphold the rights of the afflicted and oppressed. / Rescue the weak and needy; save them from the hand of the wicked. Isaiah 10:1-2 Woe to those who enact unjust statutes and issue oppressive decrees, / to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder. Jeremiah 5:28 They have grown fat and sleek, and have excelled in the deeds of the wicked. They have not taken up the cause of the fatherless, that they might prosper; nor have they defended the rights of the needy. Ezekiel 22:29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have oppressed the poor and needy and have exploited the foreign resident without justice. Matthew 23:23 Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites! You pay tithes of mint, dill, and cumin. But you have disregarded the weightier matters of the law: justice, mercy, and faithfulness. You should have practiced the latter, without neglecting the former. Luke 11:42 Woe to you Pharisees! For you pay tithes of mint, rue, and every herb, but you disregard justice and the love of God. You should have practiced the latter without neglecting the former. James 2:6 But you have dishonored the poor. Is it not the rich who oppress you and drag you into court? James 5:1-6 Come now, you who are rich, weep and wail over the misery to come upon you. / Your riches have rotted and moths have eaten your clothes. / Your gold and silver are corroded. Their corrosion will testify against you and consume your flesh like fire. You have hoarded treasure in the last days. ... Treasury of Scripture You shall not wrest the judgment of your poor in his cause. Exodus 23:2,3 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: … Deuteronomy 16:19 Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous. Deuteronomy 27:19 Cursed be he that perverteth the judgment of the stranger, fatherless, and widow. And all the people shall say, Amen. Jump to Previous Cause Decisions Deny Dispute Due Judgment Justice Lawsuits Needy Pervert Poor Strife Suit Turn Wrest WrongJump to Next Cause Decisions Deny Dispute Due Judgment Justice Lawsuits Needy Pervert Poor Strife Suit Turn Wrest WrongExodus 23 1. Of slander, false witness, and partiality4. Of charitableness 6. Of justice in judgment 8. Of taking bribes 9. Of oppressing a stranger 10. Of the year of rest 12. Of the Sabbath 13. Of idolatry 14. Of the three feasts 18. Of the blood and the fat of the sacrifice 20. An angel is promised, with a blessing, if they obey him You shall not deny justice This command underscores the importance of justice as a fundamental principle in the Mosaic Law. Justice is a recurring theme throughout the Bible, reflecting God's character as a just and righteous judge (Deuteronomy 32:4). The Hebrew word for justice, "mishpat," implies fairness, equity, and the proper administration of the law. This commandment aligns with other biblical injunctions against partiality and corruption (Leviticus 19:15, Deuteronomy 16:19). The emphasis on justice is also seen in the prophetic literature, where prophets like Isaiah and Amos call out the leaders of Israel for failing to uphold justice (Isaiah 1:17, Amos 5:24). to the poor in their lawsuits Persons / Places / Events 1. MosesThe leader of the Israelites who received the Law from God on Mount Sinai, including the instructions found in Exodus 23. 2. Israelites The chosen people of God, who were given the Law to guide their conduct and relationship with God and each other. 3. Mount Sinai The place where God delivered the Law to Moses, including the commandments and ordinances found in Exodus. 4. The Poor A group specifically mentioned in this verse, representing those who are vulnerable and often marginalized in society. 5. Judicial System in Ancient Israel The context in which this command was given, emphasizing fairness and justice in legal matters. Teaching Points Justice as a Divine MandateGod’s command to not deny justice to the poor reflects His character as a just God. Believers are called to mirror this attribute in their dealings with others. Impartiality in Judgment The verse underscores the importance of impartiality, especially in legal matters. Christians are encouraged to uphold fairness and integrity, resisting the temptation to favor the wealthy or powerful. Advocacy for the Vulnerable This command highlights the need for advocacy on behalf of those who are marginalized. Believers are called to be voices for the voiceless and to ensure that justice is accessible to all, regardless of their socio-economic status. Reflection of Christ’s Teachings Jesus’ ministry often focused on the marginalized, and His followers are called to continue this mission by ensuring justice and mercy are extended to all. Practical Justice in Today’s World Applying this principle today involves engaging in social justice initiatives, supporting fair legal practices, and being aware of the systemic issues that affect the poor.(6) Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor.--If we are not to favour the poor man in a court of justice on account of his poverty (Exodus 23:3), much less are we to treat him with disfavour. (Comp. Deuteronomy 24:17; Deuteronomy 27:19; Jeremiah 5:28, &c.)Verse 6. - As in verse 3 men were warned not to favour the poor unduly in courts of justice out of compassion for them, so here there is a warning against the opposite, and far more usual error, of leaning against the poor man in our evidence or in our decisions The scales of justice are to be held even; strict right is to be done; our feelings are not be allowed to influence us, much less our class prejudices. Parallel Commentaries ... Hebrew You shall notלֹ֥א (lō) Adverb - Negative particle Strong's 3808: Not, no deny תַטֶּ֛ה (ṯaṭ·ṭeh) Verb - Hifil - Imperfect - second person masculine singular Strong's 5186: To stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend justice מִשְׁפַּ֥ט (miš·paṭ) Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 4941: A verdict, a sentence, formal decree, divine law, penalty, justice, privilege, style to the poor אֶבְיֹנְךָ֖ (’eḇ·yō·nə·ḵā) Adjective - masculine singular construct | second person masculine singular Strong's 34: In want, needy, poor in their lawsuits. בְּרִיבֽוֹ׃ (bə·rî·ḇōw) Preposition-b | Noun - masculine singular construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 7379: Strife, dispute Links Exodus 23:6 NIVExodus 23:6 NLT Exodus 23:6 ESV Exodus 23:6 NASB Exodus 23:6 KJV Exodus 23:6 BibleApps.com Exodus 23:6 Biblia Paralela Exodus 23:6 Chinese Bible Exodus 23:6 French Bible Exodus 23:6 Catholic Bible OT Law: Exodus 23:6 You shall not deny justice to your (Exo. Ex) |
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