Exodus 23:3

Also thou shalt not have mercy of a poor man in a cause, or doom. (And thou shalt not favour a poor person in his case, or in its judgement.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.

In Context

2Thou shalt not follow a company to do evil, neither thou shalt assent to the sentence of full many men in doom, that thou go away from truth. (Thou shalt not follow a crowd and do evil, nor shalt thou agree with the sentence, or the decree, of a great many men in judgement, and in doing so, go away from the truth.)

4If thou meetest thine enemy’s ox, either his ass, straying, lead it again to him. (If thou seest thy enemy’s ox, or his donkey, straying, lead it back to him.)

Read all of Exodus 23

Cross References

Deuteronomy 1:17No difference shall be in doom of persons; ye shall hear so a little man, that is, poor, as a great man, neither ye shall take heed to the person of any man, for it is the doom of God. That if anything seemeth hard to you, tell ye that to me, and I shall hear it. (No difference shall be in the judging of persons; ye shall hear the poor, just like the rich, nor shall ye take heed of anyone’s rank, or status, for judgement cometh from God. And if anything seemeth hard to you, tell ye that to me, and I shall hear it.)

Psalms 82:3Deem ye to the needy man, and to the motherless child; justify ye the meek man and poor. (Judge ye for the needy, and for the motherless; give ye justice to the weak, and to the poor.)

Proverbs 22:22Do thou not violence to a poor man, for he is poor; neither defoul thou a needy man in the gate. (Do not thou do violence to a poor person, because he is poor; and do not take advantage of a needy person in court or at the city gates.)

Amos 5:12For I knew your great trespasses many, and your strong sins; enemies of the rightwise man, taking a gift, and bearing down poor men in the gate. (For I know of your great many trespasses, and of your strong, or your mighty, sins; ye, the enemies of the righteous, taking bribes, and oppressing the poor in the courts.)

Matthew Henry on Exodus 23:2-10

Judicial Laws. ( b. c. 1491.) 1 Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness. 2 Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment: 3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. 4 If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again. 5 If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, and wouldest forbear to help… Read the whole commentary →

This Verse In Other Editions

Study Exodus 23:3