Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Parallel translations
- WEB “Keep far from a false charge, and don’t kill the innocent and righteous: for I will not justify the wicked.
- BSB Stay far away from a false accusation. Do not kill the innocent or the just, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- NKJV Keep yourself far from a false matter; do not kill the innocent and righteous. For I will not justify the wicked.
- NASB Keep far from a false charge, and do not kill the innocent or the righteous, for I will not acquit the guilty.
- NLT “Be sure never to charge anyone falsely with evil. Never sentence an innocent or blameless person to death, for I never declare a guilty person to be innocent.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Keep far from false charges and never kill the innocent, for God will not acquit the wicked. God Himself guarantees that injustice will not stand.
Overview
This solemn command warns against condemning the innocent and assures that God will hold the guilty accountable even if human courts fail. It places all justice under the watchful eye of the righteous Judge. The God who will not justify the wicked nonetheless justifies the guilty who trust in Christ, who bore their condemnation (Romans 4:5).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Eph 4:25Wherefore putting away lying, speak every man truth with his neighbour: for we are members one of another.
- Exod 23:1Thou shalt not raise a false report: put not thine hand with the wicked to be an unrighteous witness.
- Deut 27:25Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person. And all the people shall say, Amen.
- Exod 34:7Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children’s children, unto the third and to the fourth generation.
- Rom 1:18For the wrath of God is revealed from heaven against all ungodliness and unrighteousness of men, who hold the truth in unrighteousness;
- Lev 19:11Ye shall not steal, neither deal falsely, neither lie one to another.
- 1 Th 5:22Abstain from all appearance of evil.
- Deut 19:16–21If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong;
- Nah 1:3The LORD is slow to anger, and great in power, and will not at all acquit the wicked: the LORD hath his way in the whirlwind and in the storm, and the clouds are the dust of his feet.
- Exod 20:13Thou shalt not kill.
- Prov 4:14–15Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men.
- Job 22:23If thou return to the Almighty, thou shalt be built up, thou shalt put away iniquity far from thy tabernacles.
- Prov 17:15He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
- Luke 3:14And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.
- Isa 33:15He that walketh righteously, and speaketh uprightly; he that despiseth the gain of oppressions, that shaketh his hands from holding of bribes, that stoppeth his ears from hearing of blood, and shutteth his eyes from seeing evil;
- Rom 2:5–6But after thy hardness and impenitent heart treasurest up unto thyself wrath against the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God;
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
The Passover lamb whose blood turns away death, the exodus through the sea, the manna, the rock, and the tabernacle where God dwells with his people all foreshadow Jesus — our Passover, our redemption, the bread from heaven, and God-with-us in the flesh.
How Exodus 23:7 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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