Exodus 23:7
in Exodus 23Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
KJV
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
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This verse in Exodus 23
Commentary
3 notes on this verseThis site's exposition
Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor
on Exodus 23:6-8
These three verses govern the men who sit in judgment, forbidding them to bend a poor man's case, to take any part in a false matter, and to receive a gift. The reason given for the last is that the gift blindeth the wise and perverteth the words of the righteous, so the warning is aimed at the honest judge as much as at the corrupt one. Deuteronomy 16:19 repeats the sentence almost word for word, and 1 Samuel 8:3 records Samuel's own sons taking bribes and perverting judgment.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening2 voices
The innocent and righteous thou wouldest not, for all the world, slay with thy own hands; keep far therefore from a false matter, for thou knowest not but it may end in that, and the righteous God will not leave such wickedness unpunished: I will not justify the wicked, " that is, "I will condemn him that unjustly condemns others." Judges themselves are accountable to the great judge.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — odd-straight-quotes
Keep thee far from a false matter,.... Or "word" (z); 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 words behind it
11 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| מִדְּבַר־ | midevar- | from a word of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| שֶׁ֖קֶר | sheker | falsehood | H8267 → | 113 times |
| תִּרְחָ֑ק | tirchak | you will be distant | H7368 → | 57 times |
| וְנָקִ֤י | venaki | and an innocent [person] | H5355 → | |
| וְצַדִּיק֙ | vetzadik | and a righteous [person] | H6662 → | 206 times |
| אַֽל־ | ʾal- | may not | H408 → | 724 times |
| תַּהֲרֹ֔ג | taharog | you kill | H2026 → | 167 times |
| כִּ֥י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| אַצְדִּ֖יק | ʾatzdik | I will declare righteous | H6663 → | |
| רָשָֽׁע׃ | rasha' | a wicked [person] | H7563 → | 263 times |
מִדְּבַר־from a word of
midevar-H1697 →1440 times
שֶׁ֖קֶרfalsehood
shekerH8267 →113 times
תִּרְחָ֑קyou will be distant
tirchakH7368 →57 times
וְנָקִ֤יand an innocent [person]
venakiH5355 →
וְצַדִּיק֙and a righteous [person]
vetzadikH6662 →206 times
אַֽל־may not
ʾal-H408 →724 times
תַּהֲרֹ֔גyou kill
taharogH2026 →167 times
כִּ֥יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
אַצְדִּ֖יקI will declare righteous
ʾatzdikH6663 →
רָשָֽׁע׃a wicked [person]
rasha'H7563 →263 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Romans 1:18The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
it leads to
- Ephesians 5:6
Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of such things the wrath of God is coming on the sons of disobedience.
- 1 Timothy 4:1–2
Now the Spirit expressly states that in later times some will abandon the faith to follow deceitful spirits and the teachings of demons,
- Romans 1:32
Although they know God’s righteous decree that those who do such things are worthy of death, they not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.
- Ephesians 5:6
Through
Ephesians 4:25Therefore each of you must put off falsehood and speak truthfully to his neighbor, for we are all members of one another.
it leads to
- Colossians 3:9
Do not lie to one another, since you have taken off the old self with its practices,
- Zechariah 8:16
These are the things you must do: Speak truth to one another, render true and sound judgments in your gates,
- Proverbs 12:22
Lying lips are detestable to the LORD, but those who deal faithfully are His delight.
- Colossians 3:9
Through
Exodus 34:7maintaining loving devotion to a thousand generations, forgiving iniquity, transgression, and sin. Yet He will by no means leave the guilty unpunished; He will visit the iniquity of the fathers on their children and…
it leads to
- Exodus 20:5–6
You shall not bow down to them or worship them; for I, the LORD your God, am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on their children to the third and fourth…
- Psalms 103:3
He who forgives all your iniquities and heals all your diseases,
- Exodus 20:5–6
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies1
About Exodus
This page draws on John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.