Exodus 23:6

6 Thou shalt not bow [away] from truth in the doom of a poor man. (Thou shalt not turn away from the truth in the judgement of a poor person.)

Exodus 23:6 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:6

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.
] As the poor man was not to be favoured when his cause was bad through an affected pity for him as a poor man, so his judgment was not to be wrested or perverted, when his cause was good, because of his poverty; which is too often the case, through the power of rich men, and the prevalence of their gifts and bribes, and to curry favour with them: the phrase, "thy poor", is very emphatic, and intended to engage judges to regard them, as being of the same flesh and blood with them, of the same nation and religion; and who were particularly committed to their care and protection under God, who is the Judge and protector of the poor, of the widow and the fatherless.

Exodus 23:6 In-Context

4 If thou meetest thine enemy's ox, either his ass, straying, lead it again to him. (If thou seest thy enemy's ox, or his donkey, straying, lead it back to him.
5 If thou seest that the ass of him that hateth thee lieth under a burden, thou shalt not pass, but thou shalt raise up it with him. (If thou seest that the donkey of him who hateth thee lieth under a burden, thou shalt not pass by, but thou shalt raise it up with him.)
6 Thou shalt not bow [away] from truth in the doom of a poor man. (Thou shalt not turn away from the truth in the judgement of a poor person.)
7 Thou shalt flee leasing. Thou shalt not slay an innocent man, and just; for I am adversary to a wicked man. (Thou shalt flee from lies. Thou shalt not kill the innocent, or the just; for I am the adversary to the wicked.)
8 Take thou not gifts, that blind, yea, prudent men, and destroy the words of just men. (Do not take gifts, or bribes, that blind, yea, the prudent, and that destroy the words of the just.)
Copyright © 2001 by Terence P. Noble. For personal use only.