Justice

How Nave’s arranged it

• General scriptures concerningExodus 23:1–3Exodus 23:6–8Leviticus 19:13–15Deuteronomy 16:18–20Deuteronomy 25:1–4Ezra 7:26Psalms 72:1Psalms 72:2Psalms 82:2–4Proverbs 17:15Proverbs 17:26Proverbs 18:5Proverbs 18:17Proverbs 20:8Proverbs 22:27Proverbs 24:23Proverbs 28:21Proverbs 29:26Ecclesiastes 3:16Ecclesiastes 3:17
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• See Lawyers

The passages, in Bible order (40)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Exodus 23:1–3

   “You shall not spread a false report. Do not join the wicked by being a malicious witness.

   ›Commentary on Exodus 23:1–32 voices

   “These four commands, addressed to the conscience, are illustrations of the ninth commandment, mainly in reference to the giving of evidence in legal causes. Compare 1Ki 21:10; Act 6:11. Exo 23:2 This verse might be more strictly rendered, “Thou shalt not follow the many to evil; neither shalt thou bear witness in a cause so as to incline after the many to pervert justice.” Exo 23:3 Countenance - Rather, show partiality to a man’s cause because he is poor (compare Lev 19:15).

   “Thou shalt not raise, the margin reads, Thou shalt not receive a false report, for sometimes the receiver in this case is as bad as the thief; and a backbiting tongue would not do so much mischief, if it were not countenanced.

   Everything gathered on Exodus 23:1–3→

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Exodus 23:6–8

   You shall not deny justice to the poor in their lawsuits.

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Leviticus 19:13–15

   You must not defraud your neighbor or rob him. You must not withhold until morning the wages due a hired hand.

   ›Commentary on Leviticus 19:13–152 voices

   “Let no one deny the hireling the wage he is owed, since we too are hirelings of our God, and from him we look forward to the reward of our labor. And if you indeed, whatever type of businessman you are, deny your hireling a monetary payment that is a perishable trifle, you shall be denied the reward of heaven that has been promised. You shall not defraud, as the law says, the hireling of his pay.

   “Let the day-labourer have his wages as soon as he has done his day's work, if he desire it. It is a great sin to deny the payment of it, nay, to defer it, to his damage, a sin that cries to heaven for vengeance, Jam. v. 4 .

   Everything gathered on Leviticus 19:13–15→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Deuteronomy 16:18–20

   You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 16:18–202 voices

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make - Judges, שפטים shophetim, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates or justices of the peace. Officers, שטרים shoterim, seem to have been the same as our inquest sergeants, beadles, etc., whose office it was to go into the houses, shops, etc., and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate, and he was punished by the officer on the spot. They seem also to have acted as heralds in the army, Deu 20:

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make--These last meant heralds or bailiffs, employed in executing the sentence of their superiors. in all thy gates--The gate was the place of public resort among the Israelites and other Eastern people, where business was transacted and causes decided.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 16:18–20→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Deuteronomy 25:1–4

   If there is a dispute between men, they are to go to court to be judged, so that the innocent may be acquitted and the guilty condemned.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 25:1–41 voice

   “Render it: (1) If there be a controversy between men, and they come to judgment, and the judges judge them, and justify the righteous and condemn the wicked (compare the marginal reference. and Exo 23:7; Pro 17:15); (2) then it shall be, etc. Deu 25:2 Scourging is named as a penalty in Lev 19:20. The beating here spoken of would be on the back with a rod or stick (compare Pro 10:13; Pro 19:29; Pro 26:3).

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 25:1–4→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. Ezra 7:26

   If anyone does not keep the law of your God and the law of the king, let a strict judgment be executed against him, whether death, banishment, confiscation of property, or imprisonment.

   ›Commentary on Ezra 7:261 voice

   “Whether it be unto death - These include almost every species of punishment which should be inflicted on culprits in any civilized state. With this verse the Chaldee part of this chapter ends.

   Everything gathered on Ezra 7:26→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. Psalms 72:1

   Endow the king with Your justice, O God, and the son of the king with Your righteousness.

   ›Commentary on Psalms 72:12 voices

   “And I support this from Psalm 71 [LXX], which says, "Give to the king your judgment, O God; and your justice to the king's son, to judge your people with justice, and your poor with judgment." For clearly the psalm, which has been ascribed to Solomon, prophesies of Christ.

   “Give the king thy judgments, O God. The right to reign was transmitted by descent from David to Solomon, but not by that means alone: Israel was a theocracy, and the kings were but the viceroys of the greater King; hence the prayer that the new king might be enthroned by divine right, and then endowed with divine wisdom. Our glorious King in Zion hath all judgment committed unto him. He rules in the name of God over all lands. He is king "Dei Gratia" as well as by right of inheritance. And thy righteousness unto the king's son.

   Everything gathered on Psalms 72:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. Psalms 72:2

   May he judge Your people with righteousness and Your afflicted with justice.

   ›Commentary on Psalms 72:22 voices

   “He shall judge thy people with righteousness. Clothed with divine authority, he shall use it on the behalf of the favoured nation, for whom he shall show himself strong, that they be not misjudged, slandered, or in any way treated maliciously. His sentence shall put their accusers to silence, and award the saints their true position as the accepted of the Lord. What a consolation to feel that none can suffer wrong in Christ's kingdom: he sits upon the great white throne, unspotted by a single deed of injustice, or even mistake of judgment: reputations are safe enough with him.

   “And I support this from Psalm 71 [LXX], which says, "Give to the king your judgment, O God; and your justice to the king's son, to judge your people with justice, and your poor with judgment." For clearly the psalm, which has been ascribed to Solomon, prophesies of Christ.

   Everything gathered on Psalms 72:2→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Psalms 82:2–4

   “How long will you judge unjustly and show partiality to the wicked? Selah

   ›Commentary on Psalms 82:2–41 voice

   “What the sin is they are here charged with; they judge unjustly, contrary to the rules of equity and the dictates of their consciences, giving judgment against those who have right on their side, out of malice and ill-will, or for those who have an unrighteous cause, out of favour and partial affection.

   Everything gathered on Psalms 82:2–4→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Proverbs 17:15

    Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 17:151 voice

    “People need to be warned against an unjust acquittal, no less than against unjust condemnation. The word “justifieth” has its forensic sense, “to declare righteous,” to acquit.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 17:15→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Proverbs 17:26

    It is surely not good to punish the innocent or to flog a noble for his honesty.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 17:262 voices

    “Nor to strike princes for equity - To fall out with the ruler of the people, and to take off his head under pretense of his not being a just or equitable governor, is unjust. To kill a king on the ground of justice is a most dreadful omen to any land. Where was it ever done, that it promoted the public prosperity? No experiment of this kind has ever yet succeeded, howsoever worthless the king might be.

    “It is not good to inflict harm on the just, etc. This can be understood of the very Prince and Judge of the ages, who willed to be struck for our salvation, and of all the rulers of the Church generally, who are either stripped …

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 17:26→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Proverbs 18:5

    Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 18:51 voice

    “To accept the person of the wicked - We must not, in judicial cases, pay any attention to a man’s riches, influence, friends, offices, etc., but judge the case according to its own merits. But when the wicked rich man opposes and oppresses the poor righteous, then all those things should be utterly forgotten.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 18:5→

    Verse page →Original language →

13. Proverbs 18:17

    The first to state his case seems right until another comes and cross-examines him.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 18:171 voice

    “A protest against another fault in judging. Haste is hardly less evil than corruption. “Audi alteram partern “should be the rule of every judge. His neighbor - The other party to the suit “searcheth,” i. e., scrutinizes and detects him.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 18:17→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Proverbs 20:8

    A king who sits on a throne to judge sifts out all evil with his eyes.

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Proverbs 22:27

    If you have nothing with which to pay, why should your bed be taken from under you?

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 22:271 voice

    “He - i. e., The man to whom the surety has been given. The practice of distraining for payment of a debt, seems, though prohibited Exo 22:27, to have become common.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 22:27→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Proverbs 24:23

    These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 24:232 voices

    “These . . . wise--literally, "are of the wise," as authors (compare "Psalms of David," Hebrew). "These" refers to the verses following, Pr 24:24-34. to have respect--literally, "to discern faces," show partiality, 24, 25. of which an example is justifying the wicked, to which is opposed, rebuking him, which has a blessing.

    “Belong to the wise - Either “are fitting for the wise, addressed to them,” or (as in the superscriptions of many of the Psalms) “are written by the wise.” Most recent commentators take it in the latter sense, and look on it as indicating the beginning of a fresh section, containing proverbs not ascribed to Solomon’s authorship. Compare the introduction to Proverbs.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 24:23→

    Verse page →Original language →