EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Exodus 23:2
2Do not join a group of bad people to do evil things. When you speak in court, tell the truth so that the judges will decide what is right. Do not tell lies to agree with what everyone else says.
Exodus 23:2 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:
- New International Version (NIV)“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,
- English Standard Version (ESV)You shall not fall in with the many to do evil, nor shall you bear witness in a lawsuit, siding with the many, so as to pervert justice,
- New King James Version (NKJV)You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to turn aside after many to pervert justice.
Context of Exodus 23:2
1Do not make false reports. Do not tell lies in court to help wicked people. Do not join a group of bad people to do evil things. When you speak in court, tell the truth so that the judges will decide what is right. Do not tell lies to agree with what everyone else says. 3Do not speak on behalf of a poor man only because you like him. 4Perhaps you may find your enemy's cow or his donkey when he has lost it. If so, you must give it back to him.
Read all of Exodus 23Exodus 23:2 word by word
לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים לְרָעֹ֑ת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Exodus 23:2
- Exodus 32:1The people realized that Moses had been on the mountain for a long time. So they went in a group to Aaron. They said to him, ‘Do something! Make some gods for us who will lead us. This man, Moses, brought us here out of Egypt. But now we do not know what has happened to him.’
- Genesis 6:12God saw how much the earth had become spoiled. Everyone was doing bad things.
- Genesis 7:1Then the Lord said to Noah, ‘Go into the ship. Take your wife and family with you. I can see that you alone do what is right, among all the people on the earth.
- Genesis 19:4After that, they were preparing to go to bed. Then all the men who lived in Sodom came to Lot's house. They were old men and young men, who came from every part of the city. They stood all round the house.
- Numbers 14:1Then all the people started to weep loudly. And they cried all night.
- Joshua 24:15But if you refuse to serve the Lord, then you should choose another god to worship. Decide today! Will you serve the gods that your ancestors worshipped across the river? Will you serve the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you are now living? You choose! But as for me and my family, we will serve the Lord.’
- 1 Samuel 15:9But Saul and the army let King Agag live. Also, they did not kill the best sheep, lambs, cows and fat calves. They kept all the good things and they did not agree to destroy them. But they killed everything that was weak and useless.
- 1 Kings 19:10Elijah replied, ‘The Israelites have turned away from the covenant that you made with them. They have destroyed your altars. They have killed your prophets with swords. But I have always served the Lord God Almighty faithfully. Now I am the only prophet that is still alive and they are trying to kill me too.’
- Job 31:34I am not afraid of what people think about me. Even if a great crowd of people speak against me, I do not stay inside my house and keep quiet.
- Proverbs 1:10My child, if sinners want you to join with them, do not agree!
- Proverbs 4:14Do not join with wicked or evil people. Do not do the things that they do.
- Matthew 27:24Then Pilate knew that he could not do anything to make them quiet. He thought that the people would start to fight his soldiers. So he took a dish of water and he washed his hands in front of the people. He said, ‘It is not because of me that this man will die. You are the people who have caused it to happen.’
- Mark 15:15Pilate decided to do what the crowd wanted. So he let Barabbas go free. He said to his soldiers, ‘Hit Jesus many times with a whip. Then take him and fix him on a cross to die.’
- Luke 23:23But they continued to shout at Pilate, ‘Kill him on a cross.’ They continued to shout very much. So, in the end,
- John 7:50Nicodemus spoke to them. He himself was one of the Pharisees. He was the man who had gone to speak with Jesus before. He said,
- Acts 24:27This happened for two years. Felix left Paul in the prison, because he wanted to make the Jewish leaders happy. Then Porcius Festus became the ruler instead of Felix.
Commentaries on Exodus 23:2
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 2Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil - Be singular. Singularity, if in the right, can never be criminal. So completely disgraceful is the way of sin, that if there were not a multitude walking in that way, who help to keep each other in countenance, every solitary sinner would be obliged to hide his head. But רבים rabbim, which we translate multitude, sometimes signifies the great, chiefs, or mighty ones; and is so understood by some eminent…Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-3Verses 1-3 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 1 Kings 21:10; Acts 6:11. Exodus 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.” Exodus 23:3 Countenance - Rather, show partiality to a man‘s…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-3It is important to speak the truth, even when facing evil people, a crowd, or misguided motives (23:1, 2, 3, 7–8).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 22. decline--depart, deviate from the straight path of rectitude.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 23:2
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Exodus 23
- 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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