Isaiah 1:23

23 Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They give no justice to orphans, the widow's complaint doesn't catch their attention.

Isaiah 1:23 Meaning and Commentary

Isaiah 1:23

Thy princes [are] rebellious
Stubborn and obstinate, refused to receive and acknowledge the Messiah; such were the Jewish rulers, civil and ecclesiastical, in the times of Christ. And companions of thieves:
who devoured widows' houses; made the temple, which was a house of prayer, a den of thieves; and took away the key of knowledge from the people, and would not suffer them to attend the ministry of the Gospel, ( Matthew 21:13 ) ( Matthew 23:13 Matthew 23:14 ) ( Luke 11:52 ) everyone loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards.
The Targum paraphrases it,

``everyone says to his neighbour, do me a favour in my cause, I will return "it" to thee in thy cause;''

and so justice was perverted: they judge not the fatherless;
that is, either they do not take their cause in hand at all, or, if they do, do not do them justice, but wrong them of their goods and estates, which, of right, belong to them: neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them;
there being no money to be got by undertaking it; see the case of the unjust judge, a picture of judges in those times, ( Luke 18:2 Luke 18:3 ) .

Isaiah 1:23 In-Context

21 How the faithful city has become a whore! Once she was filled with justice, righteousness lodged in her; but now murderers!

22 Your silver is no longer pure, your wine is watered down.

23 Your leaders are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and run after gifts. They give no justice to orphans, the widow's complaint doesn't catch their attention.

24 "Therefore," says the Lord, ADONAI-Tzva'ot, the Mighty One of Isra'el, "I will free myself of my adversaries, I will take vengeance on my enemies.

25 But I will also turn my hand against you! I will cleanse your impurities as with lye and remove all your alloyed base metal.