Exodus 23:1-9

Further Ordinances Regarding Social Relations

v. 1. Thou shalt not raise a false report, undertake to testify of a promise or agreement which was not heard with your own ears. Put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness, to charge your neighbor with any form of wickedness, to involve him in quarrels before court. Testimony should never be given in favor of some criminal act.

v. 2. Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment. The thought of the first half of the sentence is emphasized in the second part; for to yield to the hasty judgment of the multitude merely because of the great numbers that hold an opinion, if this means deviating from the way of truth and of justice, is sharply condemned by the Lord. A witness in any case should speak the full truth to the best of his knowledge.

v. 3. Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. To pretend to be moved by sympathy for the poor in favoring them in each and every suit is an affectation; God wanted His people to stand on the side of justice, regardless of consequences.

v. 4. If thou meet thine enemy's ox or his ass going astray, thou shalt surely bring it back to him again; for difficulties and differences with any person should not set aside the love for him as a neighbor, and for this reason the command is made emphatic.

v. 5. If thou see the ass of him that hateth thee lying under his burden, borne down to the ground by the greatness of the load upon him, and wouldest forbear to help him, thou shalt surely help with him, literally: "Wouldest thou hold back from helping?" Surely no man's feeling of revenge would reach the point of permitting a dumb beast to suffer. There is only one thing to do in such an extremity: relieve the beast of its load, help him to arise, assist his master in saving the burden. That such conduct requires self-denial is implied, but the Lord wants such self-denial to be practiced.

v. 6. Thou shalt not wrest the Judgment of thy poor, of the poor dependent upon thee, in his cause. This ordinance supplements v. 3, bidding the mighty beware of violating their position and the rights of those that are defenseless before them, since the Lord is their Protector.

v. 7. Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and the righteous slay thou not; for I will not justify the wicked. This is said to the selfish, unrighteous judge, whose perversion of justice may, under circumstances, bring death to an innocent, righteous man. The form of the threat is particularly effective in setting forth the certain condemnation of the wicked judge.

v. 8. And thou shalt take no gift, no judge should ever accept a bribe, even in the form of an innocent-looking present; for the gift blindeth the wise, acts as a hood before the eyes of him who otherwise may see well in any case brought to his attention, and perverteth the words of the righteous, making right wrong and causing the judge to render false decisions.

v. 9. Also thou shalt not oppress a stranger, an injunction which in this connection refers chiefly to court cases; for ye know the heart of a stranger, just how he feels in the midst of humiliation and oppression, seeing ye were strangers in the land of Egypt. So much the Christians will also heed, especially such as are in positions of authority, where they must judge, render decisions, set forth the truth, that they be strictly impartial, not permitting themselves to be influenced by the social status of any persons with whom they have dealings, but frankly reproving the evil and acknowledging the good.