“Thou shalt not wrest the judgment of thy poor in his cause.”
Do not deny justice to your poor people in their lawsuits. Having prohibited favoritism to the poor in verse 3, the law now prohibits the opposite: denying justice to the poor because they are poor. Both distortions are prohibited. The poor person who comes to court with a legitimate grievance must receive the same hearing and the same standard of justice as anyone else. Isaiah 10:1–2 pronounces woe on those who make unjust laws and issue oppressive decrees that deprive the poor of their rights. Amos 5:12 says he knows that you oppress the innocent and take bribes and deprive the poor of justice in the courts. The prophets assume the covenant law of Exodus 23:6 as the standard against which Israel's judicial failures are measured.
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