New King James Version
Isaiah 5:23
23Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!
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 Living Translation (NLT)They take bribes to let the wicked go free, and they punish the innocent.
Context of Isaiah 5:23
21Woe to those who are wise in their own eyes, And prudent in their own sight! 22Woe to men mighty at drinking wine, Woe to men valiant for mixing intoxicating drink, Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man! 24Therefore, as the fire devours the stubble, And the flame consumes the chaff, So their root will be as rottenness, And their blossom will ascend like dust; Because they have rejected the law of the Lord of hosts, And despised the word of the Holy One of Israel. 25Therefore the anger of the Lord is aroused against His people; He has stretched out His hand against them And stricken them, And the hills trembled. Their carcasses were as refuse in the midst of the streets. For all this His anger is not turned away, But His hand is stretched out still.
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 shall not pervert the judgment of your poor in his dispute.
- Proverbs 17:15He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just, Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
- Proverbs 24:24He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,” Him the people will curse; Nations will abhor him.
- Proverbs 31:4It is not for kings, O Lemuel, It is not for kings to drink wine, Nor for princes intoxicating drink;
- Isaiah 1:23Your princes are rebellious, And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes, And follows after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the cause of the widow come before them.
- Deuteronomy 16:19You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7Now therefore, let the fear of the Lord be upon you; take care and do it, for there is no iniquity with the Lord our God, no partiality, nor taking of bribes.”
- Proverbs 17:23A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice.
- Micah 3:11Her heads judge for a bribe, Her priests teach for pay, And her prophets divine for money. Yet they lean on the Lord, and say, “Is not the Lord among us? No harm can come upon us.”
- Micah 7:3That they may successfully do evil with both hands— The prince asks for gifts, The judge seeks a bribe, And the great man utters his evil desire; So they scheme together.
- Isaiah 10:2To rob the needy of justice, And to take what is right from the poor of My people, That widows may be their prey, And that they may rob the fatherless.
- 1 Kings 21:13And two men, scoundrels, came in and sat before him; and the scoundrels witnessed against him, against Naboth, in the presence of the people, saying, “Naboth has blasphemed God and the king!” Then they took him outside the city and stoned him with stones, so that he died.
- Psalms 94:21They gather together against the life of the righteous, And condemn innocent blood.
- Matthew 23:35that on you may come all the righteous blood shed on the earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah, son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.
- Matthew 27:24When Pilate saw that he could not prevail at all, but rather that a tumult was rising, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this just Person. You see to it.”
- James 5:6You have condemned, you have murdered the just; he 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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries