Bible Strands
Isaiah 5:23
who acquit the guilty for a bribe and deprive the innocent of justice.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The prophet Isaiah pronounces a woe against Israelite leaders who have become intoxicated by wine and strong drink. This declaration occurs within a broader judgment sequence that links moral decay with national destruction.
The words — מַצְדִּיקֵי (matzdikē) means "those who justify" and identifies the corrupt judges who pervert legal rulings. שֹׁחַד (šōḥad) translates to "a bribe," the payment that enables them to acquit the wicked.
The thread — The same judicial corruption appears in Isaiah 10:2, which condemns withholding justice from the oppressed, and Proverbs 17:15, which declares both acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous detestable.
Why it lands — The text states that officials acquit the wicked for payment and strip the innocent of their rightful justice. It requires readers to reject financial corruption in judgment and uphold impartial legal standards.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
Cross-references
- Isaiah 10:2 to deprive the poor of fair treatment and withhold justice from the oppressed of My people, to make widows their prey and orphans their plunder.
- Psalms 94:21 They band together against the righteous and condemn the innocent to death.
- Proverbs 17:15 Acquitting the guilty and condemning the righteous—both are detestable to the LORD.
- James 5:6 You have condemned and murdered the righteous, who did not resist you.
- Proverbs 31:4 It is not for kings, O Lemuel, it is not for kings to drink wine, or for rulers to crave strong drink,
- Isaiah 1:23 Your rulers are rebels, friends of thieves. They all love bribes and chasing after rewards. They do not defend the fatherless, and the plea of the widow never comes before them.
- Micah 3:11 Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster can come upon us.”
- Micah 7:3 Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
- Deuteronomy 16:19 Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.
- 2 Chronicles 19:7 And now, may the fear of the LORD be upon you. Be careful what you do, for with the LORD our God there is no injustice or partiality or bribery.”