Exodus 23:7Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Avoid falsehood, as it is essential for those entrusted with the authority to judge to be impeccable in their statements. The one who is to render judgment on each matter of accusation, in accordance with the will of the Lawgiver, must communicate the truth.

Commentators unanimously agree that verses 6, 7, and 8 serve as directives for the judges. Some scholars, like Knobel, suggest that verse 9 addresses them as well. In verse 6, which connects with verse 3, there is a caution directed at both the witnesses and judges; verse 7 emphasizes the necessity for judges to exercise utmost care when administering any form of punishment, particularly capital punishment. The Lord Himself is the avenger of wrongdoing. Jewish tradition maintains the recollection of the extreme care taken in executing sentences. Verse 8 warns against a longstanding human failing—disregarding God's sanctity and the integrity of justice in judgment for the sake of dishonorable profit. The process of judgment is a divine undertaking, an embodiment of God's righteousness to the fullest extent possible for humanity. Therefore, judges are figuratively referred to as Elohim.