Exodus 23:7
Keep thee far from a false matter; and the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked.
Cross-references
Exodus 23:1 commands against false reports and malicious witness — a specific prohibition that underlies the broader command here to stay far from false charges.
Exodus 23:2 warns against perverting justice by following the crowd, reinforcing the call to uphold righteousness in legal matters here.
Exodus 34:7 echoes the same declaration: God will not acquit the guilty, reinforcing divine justice proclaimed here.
Exodus 20:16 forbids bearing false witness, providing the foundational command that the instruction here expands upon.
Exodus 18:16 describes Moses judging disputes and teaching God's statutes, establishing the legal framework for the command here to avoid false charges.
Ephesians 4:25 commands putting away falsehood and speaking truth — a NT application of the same principle against false charges.
Luke 3:14 explicitly commands soldiers not to make false accusations — a direct NT echo of the OT prohibition.
Nahum 1:3 repeats the key phrase: the Lord will by no means clear the guilty, matching the same divine justice principle.
Isaiah 33:15 lists righteous conduct including rejecting bribes and speaking uprightly — reinforcing the integrity demanded against false charges.
Proverbs 17:15 declares that justifying the wicked and condemning the righteous are abominable, aligning with the command here to avoid false charges.
Deuteronomy 27:25 curses taking bribes to shed innocent blood — directly echoing the prohibition against killing the innocent and false charges.
Deuteronomy 19:16-21 details the penalty for false witnesses — giving legal teeth to the prohibition against false charges.
Leviticus 19:11 expands the command against falsehood — prohibiting lying and dealing falsely, echoing the call to keep far from false charges.
Deuteronomy 25:1 describes acquitting the innocent and condemning the guilty, the very principle Exodus 23:7 upholds.
Deuteronomy 16:19 warns against bribery and partiality that pervert justice, directly relating to not condemning the innocent.
1 Kings 8:32 echoes God's role as righteous judge, condemning the guilty and vindicating the innocent, consistent with Exodus 23:7.
Psalm 15:5 describes the righteous person who does not take a bribe against the innocent, matching the command to not condemn the innocent.
Psalm 82:2 rebukes judges who show partiality to the wicked, opposing the call to acquit the innocent in Exodus 23:7.
Psalm 94:21 describes the wicked condemning the innocent, the very thing Exodus 23:7 commands to avoid.
Deuteronomy 1:17 adds impartiality and not fearing human opinion, supporting the command to avoid unjust condemnation.
Proverbs 24:24 warns against acquitting the wicked, aligning with God's refusal to acquit them in Exodus 23:7.
In Ezekiel 22:12, taking bribes to shed blood directly violates the command here against false matters and killing the innocent.
Leviticus 19:16 expands on avoiding false charges — prohibits slander and standing against a neighbor's life, echoing the command to keep far from false charges.
Leviticus 19:15 commands impartial judgment in righteousness, complementing the prohibition here against false charges and killing the innocent.
Deuteronomy 1:16 instructs judges to hear cases righteously, reinforcing the call for fair judgment in Exodus 23:7.