who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!
English Standard Version (ESV)
What's easy to miss is the subtle shift from "righteousness" (the state of being right) to "righteous" (the person who is right). The verse condemns those who strip the person who is in the right of their standing and their claim. This highlights how injustice isn't just about abstract principles, but about tangible harm inflicted upon individuals.
who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!
English Standard Version (ESV)
This passage comes at the end of a series of "woes" that Isaiah pronounces against the people of Judah for their various sins. Following descriptions of greed, revelry, and disregard for God's work, Isaiah now exposes the corruption in their justice system. This verse directly highlights how the leaders, likely judges or officials, have perverted justice for personal gain, leading to the condemnation of the innocent and the exoneration of the guilty.
Imagine a courtroom where fairness is for sale. Isaiah paints a stark picture of leaders who twist justice for personal gain.
This verse highlights a grave sin: the perversion of justice. It describes leaders (likely judges or officials) who are meant to uphold the law but instead twist it for their own benefit.
This isn't just a societal problem; it's a spiritual one. When leaders betray their sacred trust, they not only harm individuals but also undermine the very foundation of a just society and, by extension, God's order.
Jesus later condemned religious leaders for similar actions, showing this isn't just an ancient Israelite problem but a recurring spiritual danger.
While Isaiah specifically addresses civic leaders and the justice system, the principle extends to those who twist truth. Later, Jesus confronts the religious leaders of his day for a similar spiritual corruption.
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This shows how the spiritual and the civic can intertwine. When leaders, whether secular or religious, manipulate truth and righteousness for their own ends, they betray God's calling and harm His people.
Understand the original words
ṣaddîq · Hebrew Adjective
Moral integrity or being free from guilt. It refers to those who are righteous in their conduct and legally innocent in the eyes of God’s law.
This verse directly condemns the corrupt justice system in Judah, where judges were swayed by bribes. This wasn't just a minor issue; it reflected a deep societal rot that Isaiah warned about, contributing to Judah's vulnerability to foreign powers like Assyria.
c. 740 BC
Isaiah's Ministry Begins
Isaiah begins his prophetic ministry in Judah during a time of prosperity but also significant social and spiritual decay, including the rise of corrupt leadership.
c. 739-727 BC
Reign of Ahaz
This period under King Ahaz saw increasing political instability, reliance on Assyria, and a decline in faithfulness to God, marked by corrupt practices in society.
c. 722 BC
Fall of Samaria
The northern kingdom of Israel falls to the Assyrians, serving as a stark warning to Judah about the consequences of unfaithfulness and corrupt governance.
c. 701 BC
Assyrian Invasion of Judah
Under King Hezekiah, Judah faces a massive invasion by the Assyrian Empire led by Sennacherib, testing the nation's spiritual and political fortitude.
c. 701 BC— this verse
Isaiah's Prophecy on Corrupt Justice
Isaiah denounces the corrupt practices within Judah's leadership, particularly judges who pervert justice for personal gain, highlighting the moral decay that contributed to national vulnerability.
This passage speaks of leaders who are skilled in doing evil, seeking dishonest gain and demanding bribes, mirroring the corrupt judges in Isaiah.
Proverbs 17:15This verse directly contrasts acquitting the guilty and condemning the innocent, highlighting the moral perversion that Isaiah is condemning.
Luke 11:52Jesus condemns the religious leaders for taking away the key of knowledge, a parallel to how these corrupt officials unjustly deprived the innocent of their rights and perverted justice.
Ezekiel 22:27This passage describes rulers who shed blood and take bribes, showing that the corruption described in Isaiah was a pervasive problem in ancient Israel and Judah.
gillIsaiah 5:23: "Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"
Which justify the wicked for reward,.... This is either spoken of judges, and civil magistrates, who gave the cause in favour of the wicked, that bribed them, contrary to law, Deuteronomy 16:19 or rather of the Scribes and Pharisees, who pronounced the wicked righteous men, provided they kept the traditions of the elders, and paid tithes of all they possessed, and gave them money for t…
clarkeIsaiah 5:23: "Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!"
The righteous - צדיק tsaddik, singular, Sept. Vulg., and two editions.
What's easy to miss is the subtle shift from "righteousness" (the state of being right) to "righteous" (the person who is right). The verse condemns those who strip the person who is in the right of their standing and their claim. This highlights how injustice isn't just about abstract principles, but about tangible harm inflicted upon individuals.
This passage comes at the end of a series of "woes" that Isaiah pronounces against the people of Judah for their various sins. Following descriptions of greed, revelry, and disregard for God's work, Isaiah now exposes the corruption in their justice system. This verse directly highlights how the leaders, likely judges or officials, have perverted justice for personal gain, leading to the condemnation of the innocent and the exoneration of the guilty.
This passage comes at the end of a series of "woes" that Isaiah pronounces against the people of Judah for their various sins. Following descriptions of greed, revelry, and disregard for God's work, Isaiah now exposes the corruption in their justice system. This verse directly highlights how the leaders, likely judges or officials, have perverted justice for personal gain, leading to the condemnation of the innocent and the exoneration of the guilty.
"who acquit the guilty for a bribe, and deprive the innocent of his right!" — What's easy to miss is the subtle shift from "righteousness" (the state of being right) to "righteous" (the person who is right). The verse condemns those who strip the person who is in the right…
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Last reviewed October 2026