Isaiah 1:23

23 Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. They all accept money for doing wrong, and they are paid to cheat people. They don't seek justice for the orphans or listen to the widows' needs.

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 The city of Jerusalem once followed the Lord, but she is no longer loyal to him. She used to be filled with fairness; people there lived the way God wanted. But now, murderers live there.

22 Jerusalem, you have become like the scum left when silver is purified; you are like wine mixed with water.

23 Your rulers are rebels and friends of thieves. They all accept money for doing wrong, and they are paid to cheat people. They don't seek justice for the orphans or listen to the widows' needs.

24 So the Lord God All-Powerful, the Mighty One of Israel, says: "You, my enemies, will not cause me any more trouble. I will pay you back for what you did.

25 I will turn against you and clean away all your wrongs as if with soap; I will take all the worthless things out of you.