Exodus 23:6

6 "You must not deny justice to the poor among you in his lawsuit.

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 you come across your enemy's stray ox or donkey, you must return it to him.

5 "If you see the donkey of someone who hates you lying [helpless] under its load, and you want to refrain from helping it, you must help with it.

6 "You must not deny justice to the poor among you in his lawsuit.

7 Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent and the just, because I will not justify the guilty.

8 You must not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words of the righteous.