Isaiah 5:23

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge

Summary

Isaiah 5:23

Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Justify

For reward

Take

General references

Deuteronomy 25:1

Isaiah 59:14

John 7:24

Bible References

Justify

“You shall not pervert (bend) the justice due to your poor in his dispute.

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the righteous
Are both repulsive to the Lord.

He who says to the wicked, “You are righteous,”
Peoples will curse him, nations will denounce him;

It is not for kings, O Lemuel,
It is not for kings to drink wine,
Or for rulers to desire strong drink,

For reward

Your rulers are rebels
And companions of thieves;
Everyone loves bribes
And chases after gifts.
They do not defend the fatherless,
Nor does the widow’s cause come before them [instead they delay or turn a deaf ear].

You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

So now let the fear (reverent awe) of the Lord be on you [to keep you from making unjust decisions]; be careful in what you do, for there is no injustice with the Lord our God, or partiality, or acceptance of a bribe.”

A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocket
To pervert the ways of justice.

Her leaders pronounce judgment for a bribe,
Her priests teach for a fee,
And her prophets foretell for money;
Yet they lean on the Lord, saying,
“Is not the Lord among us?
No tragedy or distress will come on us.”

Concerning evil, both of their hands pursue it and do it diligently and thoroughly;
The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe,
And a great man speaks the [evil] desire of his soul.
So they twist the course of justice between them.

Take

So as to deprive the needy of justice
And rob the poor of My people of rightful claims,
So that widows may be their spoil
And that they may plunder the fatherless.

Two worthless and unprincipled men came in and sat down opposite him; and they testified against Naboth before the people, saying, “Naboth cursed and renounced God and the king.” Then they brought him outside the city and stoned him to death.

They band themselves together against the life of the righteous
And condemn the innocent to death.

so that on you will come the guilt of all the blood of the righteous shed on earth, from the blood of righteous Abel to the blood of Zechariah [the priest], the son of Berechiah, whom you murdered between the temple and the altar.

So when Pilate saw that he was getting nowhere, but rather that a riot was breaking out, he took water and washed his hands [to ceremonially cleanse himself of guilt] in the presence of the crowd, saying, “I am innocent of this [righteous] Man’s blood; see to that yourselves.”

You have condemned and have put to death the righteous man; he offers you no resistance.

General references

“If there is a controversy between men, and they go to court, and the judges decide [the issue] between them, and they judge in favor of the innocent and condemn the guilty,

Justice is pushed back,
And righteous behavior stands far away;
For truth has fallen in the city square,
And integrity cannot enter.

Do not judge by appearance [superficially and arrogantly], but judge fairly and righteously.”