Christian Standard Bible
Isaiah 5:23
23who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
Isaiah 5:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
- New International Version (NIV)who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.
- English Standard Version (ESV)who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!
- New King James Version (NKJV)Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!
Context of Isaiah 5:23
21Woe to those who consider themselves wise and judge themselves clever. 22Woe to those who are heroes at drinking wine, who are champions at pouring beer, who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice. 24Therefore, as a tongue of fire consumes straw and as dry grass shrivels in the flame, so their roots will become like something rotten and their blossoms will blow away like dust, for they have rejected the instruction of the Lord of Armies, and they have despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore the Lord’s anger burned against his people. He raised his hand against them and struck them; the mountains quaked, and their corpses were like garbage in the streets. In all this, his anger has not turned away, and his hand is still raised to strike.
Read all of Isaiah 5Isaiah 5:23 word by word
מַצְדִּיקֵ֥י רָשָׁ֖ע עֵ֣קֶב שֹׁ֑חַד וְצִדְקַ֥ת צַדִּיקִ֖ים יָסִ֥ירוּ מִמֶּֽנּוּ׃ סRead the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Isaiah 5:23
- Exodus 23:6“You must not deny justice to a poor person among you in his lawsuit.
- Proverbs 17:15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the just — both are detestable to the Lord.
- Proverbs 24:24Whoever says to the guilty, “You are innocent” — peoples will curse him, and nations will denounce him;
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine or for rulers to desire beer.
- Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love graft and chase after bribes. They do not defend the rights of the fatherless, and the widow’s case never comes before them.
- Deuteronomy 16:19Do not deny justice or show partiality to anyone. Do not accept a bribe, for it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7And now, may the terror of the Lord be on you. Watch what you do, for there is no injustice or partiality or taking bribes with the Lord our God.”
- Proverbs 17:23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.
- Micah 3:11Her leaders issue rulings for a bribe, her priests teach for payment, and her prophets practice divination for silver. Yet they lean on the Lord, saying, “Isn’t the Lord among us? No disaster will overtake us.”
- Micah 7:3Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.
- Isaiah 10:2to keep the poor from getting a fair trial and to deprive the needy among my people of justice, so that widows can be their spoil and they can plunder the fatherless.
- 1 Kings 21:13The two wicked men came in and sat opposite him. Then the wicked men testified against Naboth in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has cursed God and the king!” So they took him outside the city and stoned him to death with stones.
- Psalms 94:21They band together against the life of the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
- Matthew 23:35So all the righteous blood shed on the earth will be charged to you, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the sanctuary and the altar.
- Matthew 27:24When Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but that a riot was starting instead, he took some water, washed his hands in front of the crowd, and said, “I am innocent of this man’s blood. See to it yourselves!”
- James 5:6You have condemned, you have murdered the righteous, who does not resist you.
Commentaries on Isaiah 5:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23The righteous - צדיק tsaddik, singular, Sept. Vulg., and two editions.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23Which justify - This refers, doubtless, to magistrates. They gave unjust decisions. For reward - For bribes. And take away the righteousness - That is, they do not decide the cause in favor of those who have just claims, but are determined by a bribe; see the note at Isaiah 1:23. It is remarkable, that this is introduced in immediate connection with their being mighty to mingle strong drink. One effect of intemperance is to make a man ready to be…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8-23Verses 8-23 Here is a woe to those who set their hearts on the wealth of the world. Not that it is sinful for those who have a house and a field to purchase another; but the fault is, that they never know when they have enough. Covetousness is idolatry; and while many envy the prosperous, wretched man, the Lord denounces awful woes upon him. How applicable to many among us! God has many ways to empty the most populous cities. Those who set their hearts…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 22-24Woe: The sixth threat of judgment was against the indulgent lifestyle of the wicked.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22-2322-23. Sixth Woe--against corrupt judges, who, "mighty" in drinking "wine" (a boast still not uncommon), if not in defending their country, obtain the means of self-indulgence by taking bribes ("reward"). The two verses are closely joined [Maurer]. mingle strong drink--not with water, but spices to make it intoxicating (Pr 9:2, 5; So 8:2). take away the righteousness--set aside the just claims of those having a righteous cause.Read the comment
Topics related to Isaiah 5:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Isaiah 5
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Calvin’s Commentaries
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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