Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
The verse highlights a subtle but profound corruption: the "princes" love "gifts" (bribes) and "rewards," words that evoke a sense of transaction for "peace" or "completion." This indicates that justice itself has become a commodity, twisted from its intended purpose into a means of personal gain, leaving the vulnerable without any hope of redress.
Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.
English Standard Version (ESV)
Isaiah's prophecy begins with God lamenting Judah's spiritual waywardness and the corruption within its leadership. This verse sharply criticizes the ruling princes for their rebellion against God and their unfaithfulness in dispensing justice. Instead of upholding righteousness, they are depicted as complicit with wrongdoers, driven by greed for bribes and rewards, utterly neglecting the vulnerable—the fatherless and the widow.
When those in power turn away from God, their corruption seeps down, poisoning the entire nation.
Isaiah doesn't just point out individual wrongdoers; he indicts the leadership. The 'princes' are described as 'rebellious' and 'companions of thieves.' This isn't just about them being bad people; it's about their active opposition to God's rule and their embrace of criminal activity. They are not merely neglectful but actively partnering with those who exploit and steal, showing a deep-seated defiance of divine authority. This sets the stage for the entire society to suffer from injustice.
When love for bribes overshadows the pursuit of justice, the most vulnerable are inevitably crushed.
The core of the princes' failure, as Isaiah points out, is their insatiable greed. 'Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts.' This isn't just about occasional acts of corruption; it's a systemic issue where personal gain is prioritized over fairness. The consequence is devastating: 'They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them.' The very people who most need the legal system's protection are shut out because they cannot afford to pay. Justice becomes a commodity, not a right, leaving the most vulnerable defenseless.
Understand the original words
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yathom · Hebrew Noun
In the Old Testament, the fatherless, widow, and sojourner represent the most vulnerable members of society. Their protection and fair treatment were mandated by the Mosaic Law as a primary test of a nation's righteousness.
Isaiah's scathing indictment in this verse reflects a deep-seated corruption within Judah's leadership, particularly evident during the tumultuous periods leading up to and during the Assyrian invasions, where compromised officials prioritized personal gain over justice for the vulnerable.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Prophetic Ministry Begins
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah during the reign of King Uzziah, a time of prosperity but also growing social and spiritual decay.
c. 734-732 BC
Syro-Ephraimitic War
The northern kingdom of Israel (Ephraim) and Syria attack Judah. Isaiah advises King Ahaz to trust God, not foreign alliances, but Ahaz seeks Assyrian help, increasing Judah's entanglement.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria and Northern Kingdom
Assyria conquers the northern kingdom of Israel and exiles its people. This event serves as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of disobedience.
c. 705-681 BC
Reign of King Hezekiah and Assyrian Threat
King Hezekiah, a more righteous ruler, attempts reforms. However, the Assyrian threat under Sennacherib looms large, culminating in the siege of Jerusalem.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Assyrian Invasion and Siege of Jerusalem
Sennacherib invades Judah, devastating many cities. Jerusalem is besieged, but miraculously delivered by divine intervention, though tribute is paid.
This passage echoes Isaiah's condemnation of corrupt leadership, stating that leaders 'judge for a bribe, and the priests thereof teach for hire, and the prophets thereof divine for money.' It highlights the pervasive nature of greed and injustice among those in power.
Ezekiel 22:23-29This extensive passage describes a society rife with corruption, where princes act like ravenous wolves, prophets deceive, and priests profane what is holy. It paints a picture of systemic injustice, mirroring the 'rebellious princes' and their disregard for the vulnerable found in Isaiah.
Luke 18:1-8Jesus tells the parable of the persistent widow and the unjust judge. This story illustrates the very problem Isaiah addresses: judges who neither fear God nor respect man, showing extreme reluctance to help those in need, particularly widows, unless they are relentlessly pursued.
Jeremiah 5:25-28Jeremiah laments that the people's wickedness has prevented blessings and brought punishment. He specifically calls out that 'among my people are found wicked men... they have grown rich and sleek, and yet they do not establish the cause, the cause of the fatherless, to make it succeed, and, the justice due to the needy, they do not defend.'
pooleIsaiah 1:23: "Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them."
Thy princes are rebellious against me, their sovereign Lord; they cast off my yoke, and make their own wills and lusts the rule of their life and government. Companions of thieves; partly by giving them connivance and countenance, and receiving a recompence from them for it; and partly by pra…
ellicottIsaiah 1:23: "Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves: every one loveth gifts, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them."
(23) Thy princes are rebellious. —The Hebrew words present an alliterative paronomasia ( sārim, sôrerîm ) , which may be represented by “Thy rulers are rebels.” Here, as before, we note the “influence of Hosea ( Hosea 9:15 ), from whom the words are cited. Companions of thieves.—We seem almos…
The verse highlights a subtle but profound corruption: the "princes" love "gifts" (bribes) and "rewards," words that evoke a sense of transaction for "peace" or "completion." This indicates that justice itself has become a commodity, twisted from its intended purpose into a means of personal gain, leaving the vulnerable without any hope of redress.
Isaiah's prophecy begins with God lamenting Judah's spiritual waywardness and the corruption within its leadership. This verse sharply criticizes the ruling princes for their rebellion against God and their unfaithfulness in dispensing justice. Instead of upholding righteousness, they are depicted as complicit with wrongdoers, driven by greed for bribes and rewards, utterly neglecting the vulnerable—the fatherless and the widow.
Isaiah's prophecy begins with God lamenting Judah's spiritual waywardness and the corruption within its leadership. This verse sharply criticizes the ruling princes for their rebellion against God and their unfaithfulness in dispensing justice. Instead of upholding righteousness, they are depicted as complicit with wrongdoers, driven by greed for bribes and rewards, utterly neglecting the vulnerable—the fatherless and the widow.
"Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves. Everyone loves a bribe and runs after gifts. They do not bring justice to the fatherless, and the widow’s cause does not come to them." — The verse highlights a subtle but profound corruption: the "princes" love "gifts" (bribes) and "rewards," words that evoke a sense of transaction for "peace" or "completion." This indicates that just…
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Last reviewed October 2026