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Exodus 23:8

King James Version (KJV)

“In our prayers we talk to God, in our Bible study God talks to us, and we had better let God do most of the talking.”
— D.L. Moody

Scripture focus

And thou shalt take no gift: for the gift blindeth the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.

Exodus 23:8 — KJV

Commentary

Commentary on Exodus 23:8

Theological / Devotional

Take no gift. The acceptance of a bribe from one of the parties in a suit, and the shaping of justice accordingly, has ever been one of the most common and reprehensible sins of judges in the East. Bribery defeats the whole purpose for which the administration of justice exists, for its weight in the scales of justice tips them the wrong way. For this reason it has generally carried the death penalty. While the Mosaic code fixes no penalty for this evil (Deut. 16:18–20), Josephus affirms that the Jews put the offender to death (Against Apion ii. 28). Nevertheless, whatever the penalty was it must have been ignored (1 Sam. 8:3; Ps. 26:10; Prov. 17:23; Isa. 1:23; Micah 3:9–11).

By SdaBc