Isaiah 5 23

Isaiah 5:23 kjv

Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!

Isaiah 5:23 nkjv

Who justify the wicked for a bribe, And take away justice from the righteous man!

Isaiah 5:23 niv

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, but deny justice to the innocent.

Isaiah 5:23 esv

who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!

Isaiah 5:23 nlt

They take bribes to let the wicked go free,
and they punish the innocent.

Isaiah 5 verses

Isaiah 5 23 Meaning

Isaiah 5:23 describes a profound societal perversion of justice, where individuals in authority pronounce the wicked guiltless for personal gain and concurrently deny righteous people their rightful due. It exposes a system corrupted by bribes, leading to an inversion of moral order where justice is subverted and the innocent are wronged. This practice directly violates God's established standards for fairness and equity among His people.

Isaiah 5 23 Context

Isaiah 5 is a chapter predominantly occupied by a series of "Woes," divine condemnations against the spiritual and social decay prevalent in Judah during the 8th century BCE. The chapter opens with the "Song of the Vineyard" (5:1-7), illustrating God's loving care for His people (the vineyard) and their failure to yield righteousness, producing only "wild grapes" (injustice and bloodshed). This sets the stage for the specific accusations that follow. Verse 23 is the concluding point of the fifth woe, which began in verse 20: "Woe to those who call evil good and good evil...". This specific woe condemns moral relativism and the deliberate reversal of ethical and legal standards. It highlights that the judicial system, a pillar of society meant to uphold divine order, had become a primary instrument of oppression and injustice, serving the wealthy and corrupt rather than God's covenant principles.

Isaiah 5 23 Word analysis

• מַצְדִּיקֵי (matz'dikhei): This word means "those who acquit," or "those who declare righteous." It comes from the Hebrew root צדק (tzadaq), meaning "to be righteous, just." The irony here is profound: those whose role is to declare what is just and true use their power to declare רָשָׁע (rasha') - the wicked – as righteous. This highlights the complete inversion of their societal function. In a just society, צדק would be applied to declare the צַדִּיק (tzaddiq) righteous, not the רָשָׁע (rasha').
• רָשָׁע (rasha'): "The wicked," "the guilty." This term frequently refers to those who transgress God's laws and moral standards. In a legal context, it denotes the guilty party.
• עֵקֶב (ekev): "for the sake of," "in return for," "because of." This prepositive indicates the motivation or cause. Here, the cause of their perversion of justice is explicitly the שֹׁחַד (shochad).
• שֹׁחַד (shochad): "bribe," "gift," "present." In the Old Testament, shochad carries a consistently negative connotation when associated with judicial or administrative matters, always implying corruption or perversion. It refers to something given or received that distorts judgment, even if outwardly presented as a legitimate 'gift.' The emphasis is on its corrupting effect, not merely the transaction itself.
• וְצִדְקַת (v'tzidqat): "and the righteousness of." Again, from the root צדק (tzadaq). This word is now applied to the innocent. It refers to the justified status, rights, or uprightness belonging to the צַדִּיקִים.
• צַדִּיקִים (tzadiqim): "righteous ones," "innocent people." The plural form of צַדִּיק (tzaddiq), meaning a righteous or innocent person. These are the victims of the perverted justice system, contrasting starkly with the רָשָׁע who are acquitted.
• יַסִּירוּ (yassiru): "they turn aside," "remove," "deprive," "cause to depart." This verb signifies the active removal or denial of what is due. It’s a deliberate act of obstruction.
• מִמֶּנּוּ (mimenu): "from him" or "from them." In this context, it refers to depriving the צַדִּיקִים (righteous ones) of their justice or rightful standing.

Word Groups Analysis:

• מַצְדִּיקֵי רָשָׁע עֵקֶב שֹׁחַד (matz'dikhei rasha ekev shochad): "Those who acquit the wicked for a bribe": This phrase directly indicts those holding judicial or administrative power. It's not merely a passive acceptance of a bribe; it’s an active act of perversion – using their legal authority to legitimize wrongdoing. The payment (shochad) isn't just an incidental byproduct but the very motivation for the unjust acquittal. This reflects a deep moral failure and abuse of entrusted authority.
• וְצִדְקַת צַדִּיקִים יַסִּירוּ מִמֶּנּוּ (v'tzidqat tzadiqim yassiru mimenu): "and deprive the righteous of their rights/justice": This part emphasizes the dual impact of corruption. It's not only that the guilty are let off, but the innocent are actively harmed. "Deprive...of their rights/justice" (literally, "their righteousness they cause to depart from them") implies a systemic stripping away of their rightful standing, their protection under the law, and their ability to receive a just verdict. This reveals a calculated assault on fundamental justice.

Isaiah 5 23 Bonus section

The widespread nature of this corruption suggests a judicial system that was not merely broken by individual lapses, but had become fundamentally dysfunctional due to systemic avarice. This societal ill goes beyond simple injustice; it demonstrates a profound moral blindness that Isaiah addresses in verse 20. Those who "call evil good and good evil" (Isa 5:20) are precisely the ones capable of justifying the wicked. This passage underscores that social justice is inextricably linked to divine judgment. God's character of righteousness demands that justice flow like a river (Amos 5:24). When the legal channels are dammed up by greed and prejudice, it inevitably leads to divine intervention and consequence. Furthermore, this verse stands as a powerful testament to the Bible's consistent and unyielding stance against bribery and partiality in judgment, reflecting the character of a God who is Himself perfectly just and without partiality (Deut 10:17). The consequences for such actions would not only be internal societal decay but also the direct punitive hand of God, leading to the severe judgment described later in Isaiah.

Isaiah 5 23 Commentary

Isaiah 5:23 presents a searing indictment against the systemic corruption that had infiltrated the very core of Judah's society: its judicial system. It describes not mere human fallibility, but a deliberate, mercenary inversion of justice. The sin is two-fold: pronouncing the guilty innocent and condemning the innocent guilty. Both actions are fueled by the corrupting power of shochad, the bribe. This highlights that for Isaiah, justice was not merely a social construct but a reflection of God's own character (צדק). When judges acquit the wicked, they effectively make a mockery of righteousness, calling good evil and evil good, as condemned in Isaiah 5:20. When they deprive the righteous of their rights, they rob God's covenant people of the very protections and fairness that His law ordained. This profound moral degradation at the highest levels of society meant that those entrusted to uphold justice were, in fact, dismantling it piece by piece, setting the stage for divine judgment on a nation that had utterly failed to bear the fruits of righteousness. This passage serves as a timeless warning that societies that allow justice to be bought and sold stand in opposition to God's nature and invite His just recompense.

• Example: A judge ruling in favor of a powerful, guilty individual despite clear evidence, because of a "gift" received.
• Example: A poor, innocent person being found guilty because they cannot afford legal representation or cannot "grease the palms" of officials, losing their property or freedom.