English Standard Version
Exodus 23:7
7Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
Exodus 23:7 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
- New International Version (NIV)Have nothing to do with a false charge and do not put an innocent or honest person to death, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- New King James Version (NKJV)Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
- New Living Translation (NLT)“Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.
Context of Exodus 23:7
5If you see the donkey of one who hates you lying down under its burden, you shall refrain from leaving him with it; you shall rescue it with him. 6"You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his lawsuit. Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked. 8And you shall take no bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. 9"You shall not oppress a sojourner. You know the heart of a sojourner, for you were sojourners in the land of Egypt.
Read all of Exodus 23Exodus 23:7 word by word
מִדְּבַר־שֶׁ֖קֶר תִּרְחָ֑ק וְנָקִ֤י וְצַדִּיק֙ אַֽל־תַּהֲרֹ֔ג כִּ֥י לֹא־אַצְדִּ֖יק רָשָֽׁע׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
- Keep thee farרָחַקrâchaq · to removeH7368
- from a falseשֶׁ֫קֶרsheqer · deceptionH8267
- matterדָּבָרdâbâr · wordH1697
- and the innocentנָקִיnâqîy nâqîy' · innocentH5355
- and righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662
- slayהָרַגhârag · to killH2026
- thou not: for I will not justifyצָדֵקtsâdaq · to justifyH6663
- the wickedרָשָׁעrâshâ‛ · wickedH7563
Cross-references for Exodus 23:7
- Exodus 23:1"You shall not spread a false report. You shall not join hands with a wicked man to be a malicious witness.
- Leviticus 19:11"You shall not steal; you shall not deal falsely; you shall not lie to one another.
- Deuteronomy 19:16If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing,
- Job 22:23If you return to the Almighty you will be built up; if you remove injustice far from your tents,
- Proverbs 4:14Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of the evil.
- Isaiah 33:15He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises the gain of oppressions, who shakes his hands, lest they hold a bribe, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes from looking on evil,
- Luke 3:14Soldiers also asked him, "And we, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages."
- Ephesians 4:25Therefore, having put away falsehood, let each one of you speak the truth with his neighbor, for we are members one of another.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22Abstain from every form of evil.
- Deuteronomy 27:25"'Cursed be anyone who takes a bribe to shed innocent blood.' And all the people shall say, 'Amen.'
- Exodus 34:7keeping steadfast love for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, but who will by no means clear the guilty, visiting the iniquity of the fathers on the children and the children's children, to the third and the fourth generation."
- Proverbs 17:15He who justifies the wicked and he who condemns the righteous are both alike an abomination to the Lord.
- Nahum 1:3The Lord is slow to anger and great in power, and the Lord will by no means clear the guilty. His way is in whirlwind and storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
- Romans 1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who by their unrighteousness suppress the truth.
- Romans 2:5But because of your hard and impenitent heart you are storing up wrath for yourself on the day of wrath when God's righteous judgment will be revealed.
Commentaries on Exodus 23:7
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 6-9Verses 6-9 Four precepts evidently addressed to those in authority as judges: (a) To do justice to the poor. Comparing Exodus 23:6 with Exodus 23:3, it was the part of the judge to defend the poor against the oppression of the rich, and the part of the witness to take care lest his feelings of natural pity should tempt him to falsify evidence. (b) To be cautious of inflicting capital punishment on one whose guilt was not clearly proved. A doubtful case…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 7God's character inspires people to act righteously (see 22:22–24, 27).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-331. put not thine hand--join not hands.Read the comment
Topics related to Exodus 23:7
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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Commentaries