John 7:24

Judge not. Better, “stop judging.” That is, stop your habit of judging by outward appearance.

The appearance. Compare Deut. 16:18-20; 1 Sam. 16:7.

Righteous judgment. Such judgments would have led to the conclusion that acts of mercy such as Jesus had performed on the Sabbath were not a violation of Sabbath law. Jewish traditional law with regard to the Sabbath contained numerous provisions whereby the law could be circumvented. For example, there were stringent laws prohibiting the carrying of burdens on the Sabbath, yet if the Jews desired to transport an object on that day, they had means of legally accomplishing their objective. The following statement from the Mishnah illustrates their legal fiction: “If one canies out [an article] whether with his right hand or with his left hand, in his lap or on his shoulder, he is culpable, because thus was the carrying of the children of Kohath. In a back-handed manner, [e.g.], with his foot, in his mouth, with his elbow, in his ear, in his hair, in his belt with its opening downwards, between his belt and his shirt, in the hem of his shirt, in his shoe or sandals, he is not culpable, because he has not carried [it] as people [generally] carry out” (Shabbath 10. 3, Soncino ed. of the Talmud, pp. 339, 440).