New Living Translation
Exodus 23:7
7“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.
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.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
- 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.
Context of Exodus 23:7
5If you see that the donkey of someone who hates you has collapsed under its load, do not walk by. Instead, stop and help. 6“In a lawsuit, you must not deny justice to the poor. “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. 8“Take no bribes, for a bribe makes you ignore something that you clearly see. A bribe makes even a righteous person twist the truth. 9“You must not oppress foreigners. You know what it’s like to be a foreigner, for you yourselves were once foreigners 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 must not pass along false rumors. You must not cooperate with evil people by lying on the witness stand.
- Leviticus 19:11“Do not steal. “Do not deceive or cheat one another.
- Deuteronomy 19:16“If a malicious witness comes forward and accuses someone of a crime,
- Job 22:23If you return to the Almighty, you will be restored— so clean up your life.
- Proverbs 4:14Don’t do as the wicked do, and don’t follow the path of evildoers.
- Isaiah 33:15Those who are honest and fair, who refuse to profit by fraud, who stay far away from bribes, who refuse to listen to those who plot murder, who shut their eyes to all enticement to do wrong—
- Luke 3:14“What should we do?” asked some soldiers. John replied, “Don’t extort money or make false accusations. And be content with your pay.”
- Ephesians 4:25So stop telling lies. Let us tell our neighbors the truth, for we are all parts of the same body.
- 1 Thessalonians 5:22Stay away from every kind of evil.
- Deuteronomy 27:25‘Cursed is anyone who accepts payment to kill an innocent person.’ And all the people will reply, ‘Amen.’
- Exodus 34:7I lavish unfailing love to a thousand generations. I forgive iniquity, rebellion, and sin. But I do not excuse the guilty. I lay the sins of the parents upon their children and grandchildren; the entire family is affected— even children in the third and fourth generations.”
- Proverbs 17:15Acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent— both are detestable to the Lord.
- Nahum 1:3The Lord is slow to get angry, but his power is great, and he never lets the guilty go unpunished. He displays his power in the whirlwind and the storm. The billowing clouds are the dust beneath his feet.
- Romans 1:18But God shows his anger from heaven against all sinful, wicked people who suppress the truth by their wickedness.
- Romans 2:5But because you are stubborn and refuse to turn from your sin, you are storing up terrible punishment for yourself. For a day of anger is coming, 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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