Exodus 23:6

Thou shalt not bow [away] from truth in the doom of a poor man. (Thou shalt not turn away from the truth in the judgement of a poor person.)

Wycliffe Modern Spelling

In The King James Version

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.

In Context

5If thou seest that the ass of him that hateth thee lieth under a burden, thou shalt not pass, but thou shalt raise up it with him. (If thou seest that the donkey of him who hateth thee lieth under a burden, thou shalt not pass by, but thou shalt raise it up with him.)

7Thou shalt flee leasing. Thou shalt not slay an innocent man, and just; for I am adversary to a wicked man. (Thou shalt flee from lies. Thou shalt not kill the innocent, or the just; for I am the adversary to the wicked.)

Read all of Exodus 23

Cross References

Leviticus 19:15Thou shalt not do that, that is wicked, neither thou shalt deem unjustly; behold thou not the person of a poor man, neither honour thou the face of a mighty man; deem thou justly to thy neighbour (or simply judge thy neighbour justly).

Deuteronomy 27:19He is cursed that perverteth the doom of a comeling, of a fatherless, either motherless child, and of a widow; and all the people shall say, Amen! (Cursed is anyone who withholdeth justice, or their rights, from the newcomer, the fatherless or the motherless child, and the widow; and all the people shall say, Amen!)

2 Chronicles 19:7the dread of the Lord be with you (or let the fear of the Lord or let reverence for the Lord be with you), and do ye all things with diligence, that is, with discretion; forsooth with the Lord your God (there) is no wickedness, neither taking, or accepting, of persons, neither covetousness of gifts.

Job 31:21if I raised up mine hand upon a fatherless child, yea, when I saw me the higher (one) in the gate; (if I raised my hand against a fatherless child, when I knew that the higher men would overlook it;)

Proverbs 18:5It is not good to take the person of a wicked man in doom, that thou bow away from the truth of doom. (It is not good to favour a wicked person, so that thou turn away from the truth in judgement.)

Ecclesiastes 5:8If thou seest false challenges of needy men, and violent dooms, (or If thou seest the poor oppressed, and grave injustice), and that rightfulness is destroyed in the province, wonder thou not on this doing; for another is higher than an high man, and also other men be more high above these men;

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 23:6