Esodo 23:7

7 Allontanati dal parlar falso; e non far morir l’innocente nè il giusto; perciocchè io non assolverò l’empio.

Esodo 23:7 Meaning and Commentary

Exodus 23:7

Keep thee far from a false matter
Or "word" F26; from receiving a false testimony, or taking the false or wrong side of a cause, or engaging in a bad one; keep aloof off from it, as much at a distance from it as possible:

and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not;
that is, do not condemn them to death, nor join with the majority in their condemnation, if they appear to be innocent and righteous; nor give orders, or join in giving orders to the executioner to put such to death. The Targum of Jonathan is,

``he that goes righteous out of the house of thy judgment (out of the sanhedrim, to which he belonged), and they find out his sin (afterwards), and he that goes out guilty, and they (afterwards) find out his righteousness, do not slay:''

for I will not justify the wicked:
the wicked judge in pronouncing an unjust sentence on innocent and righteous men, or if they absolve wicked men, at the same time they put to death the innocent and righteous, God will not justify those wicked men cleared by them, but will, in his own time and way, sooner or later, inflict the deserved punishment on them: this is not contrary to ( Romans 4:5 ) for though God justifies the ungodly, he does not justify ungodliness in them, or them in ungodliness, but from it, and that by the imputation of the righteousness of his Son.


FOOTNOTES:

F26 (rqv rbdm) "a verbo mendacii", Pagninus, Montanus, Vatablus, Drusius, Junius & Tremellius, Tigurine version, Fagius.

Esodo 23:7 In-Context

5 Se tu vedi l’asino di colui che ti odia giacer sotto il suo carico, mentre tu ti rimani di aiutarlo a farglielo andare oltre, del tutto fa’ con lui sì che possa andare oltre.
6 Non far torto al tuo bisognoso nella sua lite.
7 Allontanati dal parlar falso; e non far morir l’innocente nè il giusto; perciocchè io non assolverò l’empio.
8 E non prender presenti; perciocchè il presente accieca coloro che hanno chiara vista, e sovverte le parole de’ giusti.
9 E non oppressare il forestiere; perciocchè voi sapete in quale stato è l’anima del forestiere, essendo stati forestieri nel paese di Egitto.
The Giovanni Diodati Bible is in the public domain.