Exodus 23:6-9

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

Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause. These verses contain a series of cautions to rulers and magistrates to take careful heed that the fountains of justice should not be polluted, through favour and partiality on the one hand, through hasty and careless decisions, or through secret bribery and corruption.

Verse 7. Keep thee far from a false matter - i:e., as the context suggests, from unjust judgments, inflicting capital punishment upon 'the innocent and righteous,' while the real criminals are allowed to escape.

For I will not justify the wicked - or absolve the guilty, although a human tribunal may give a verdict of acquittal.

Verse 8. Thou shalt take no gift - namely, from litigants whose cases are in dependence before you.

For the gift blindeth the wise, х piqchiym (H6493)] - literally, those seeing, the open-eyed, the acute and penetrating, who, through the dazzling influence of the bribe, cannot see what their sagacity in other circumstances would easily discern.

And perverteth the words of the righteous - i:e., the decisions of upright judges. Septuagint, lumainetai reemata dikaia, destroys righteous words (verdicts). The universal practice in Oriental countries still, of offering presents to magistrates to procure a favourable decision, affords a good commentary on the necessity and importance of the prohibition in this passage.