Deuteronomy 24:17

Thou shalt not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow’s raiment to pledge:

Cross-references

Deuteronomy 24:12 commands not to sleep in a poor man's pledge, expanding the same principle of protecting the needy.

Deuteronomy 16:19 commands impartial justice without bribes, paralleling the call here to protect the vulnerable from injustice.

Deuteronomy 27:19 pronounces a curse for the very same injustice — denying legal protection to the foreigner, orphan, and widow.

Exodus 22:22 addresses the same vulnerable groups — widows and orphans — with a command not to take advantage of them.

Malachi 3:5 Parallel

Malachi 3:5 lists oppressing the widow, fatherless, and sojourner as sins God will judge, showing the law's enduring relevance.

Zechariah 7:10 echoes the same command not to oppress the widow, fatherless, or sojourner, reinforcing God's heart for the vulnerable.

Ezekiel 22:29 Related theme

Ezekiel 22:29 condemns extortion and robbery against the poor and sojourner—extending the law's protection to additional vulnerable groups.

Ezekiel 22:7 names sojourner, fatherless, and widow as victims of extortion and wrong—repeating the same triad of vulnerable people.

Jeremiah 22:3 commands to do no wrong to the resident alien, fatherless, and widow—the exact same three vulnerable groups protected here.

Jeremiah 5:28 explicitly accuses Israel of failing to plead the cause of the orphan or defend the needy—directly echoing this law's concern.

Isaiah 1:23 Parallel

Isaiah 1:23 condemns princes who do not defend the fatherless and widow, directly violating the command.

Proverbs 31:5 warns kings not to pervert the rights of the afflicted, a specific application of the principle.

Proverbs 22:23 Related theme

Proverbs 22:23 promises that the Lord pleads the cause of the poor, reinforcing the reason for the command.

Proverbs 22:22 gives a parallel command: do not rob the poor or crush the afflicted at the gate.

Psalm 94:21 Related theme

Psalm 94:21 describes condemning the innocent to death, a form of perverting justice for the vulnerable.

Psalm 94:20 Related theme

Psalm 94:20 speaks of rulers who frame injustice by statute, a perversion of justice like that warned against.

Psalm 82:1-5 rebukes unjust judges who pervert justice for the weak, directly echoing the command.

Job 29:11-17 exemplifies the righteous judge who defends the fatherless and needy, the opposite of perverting justice.

Exodus 22:21 gives the foundational command not to oppress foreigners, grounded in Israel's own experience in Egypt — directly underlying this justice command.

Job 22:9 Contrast

Job 22:9 accuses Job of sending widows away empty-handed and breaking the arms of orphans — directly mirroring the vulnerable groups protected in Deut 24:17.

Exodus 22:26 gives a specific law about returning a neighbor's cloak taken in pledge, directly paralleling the garment pledge rule.

Exodus 22:27 explains the compassionate reason behind returning the pledge, grounding the garment law in mercy.

Exodus 23:6 Parallel

Exodus 23:6 commands not to deny justice to the poor in lawsuits — a parallel concern for the disadvantaged in legal settings.

Psalm 94:3-6 laments the wicked who kill widows, sojourners, and fatherless — the very oppression forbidden.

Exodus 23:9 Parallel

Exodus 23:9 repeats the command not to oppress foreigners, reminding Israel of their own experience in Egypt — reinforcing Deut 24:17's call for justice.

Jeremiah 7:6 directly repeats the prohibition against oppressing the sojourner, fatherless, and widow, calling for repentance.

Ezekiel 18:7 describes a righteous man who restores pledges and does not oppress, embodying the law's ideal.

Job 24:3 Parallel

Job 24:3 describes the wicked taking the widow's ox and fatherless donkey as pledges, illustrating the very oppression forbidden.

In Ezekiel 33:15, restoring the pledge is a sign of repentance, directly echoing the command not to take a widow's garment in pledge.

Micah 7:3 Parallel

Micah 7:3 describes judges and princes asking for bribes—a direct corruption of justice as prohibited by this command.

Isaiah 33:15 describes the righteous person who avoids oppression and bribes—the ethical antithesis of the injustice forbidden here.

Isaiah 3:15 Related theme

Isaiah 3:15 condemns those who 'crush' God's people and 'grind the face of the poor'—parallel to the command against perverting justice for the vulnerable.

1 Samuel 12:3 has Samuel defend his integrity by listing sins like oppression and bribery — echoing the justice obligations in Deut 24:17.

Ecclesiastes 5:8 Related theme

Ecclesiastes 5:8 observes oppression of the poor and injustice, a reality that the command seeks to prevent.

Amos 5:7–12 Related theme

Amos 5:7-12 denounces turning justice to wormwood, taking bribes, and turning aside the needy—a broader indictment of corrupt courts.

Micah 2:2 Related theme

Micah 2:2 condemns coveting fields and oppressing families—a concrete example of perverting justice against the powerless, like here.

1 Samuel 12:4 records the people affirming that Samuel did not cheat or oppress them — a positive example of upholding justice.

James 2:6 Related theme

James 2:6 condemns dishonoring the poor and notes that the rich oppress them, connecting to justice for the vulnerable.

Exodus 23:2 Related theme

Exodus 23:2 warns against perverting justice by following the crowd — a related principle for fair trials that protects the vulnerable.