Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Exodus 23:3
Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
3. Judgement to be given with strict impartiality.
favour ] lit. adorn, i.e. honour (Lev 19:15; Lev 19:32, Lam 5:12) in a bad sense, honour unduly = favour, viz. out of false sympathy, or antipathy to the rich and powerful. ‘The sense is good, and supported by Lev 19:15: one would expect, however, a warning against the far more common fault of favouring a great man, if not in place of the present warning, at least (as in Lev 19:15) by the side of it’ (Di.). Kn., B. and others, by a very slight change ( for ), would read, ‘Thou shalt not honour a great man in his cause.’
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 3. Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.] The word dal, which we translate poor man, is probably put here in opposition to rabbim, the great, or noble men, in the preceding verse: if so, the meaning is, Thou shalt neither be influenced by the great to make an unrighteous decision, nor by the poverty or distress of the poor to give thy voice against the dictates of justice and truth. Hence the ancient maxim, FIAT JUSTITIA, RUAT COELUM. “Let justice be done, though the heavens should be dissolved.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Heb. honour, i.e. respect, or prefer his cause when the richer mans cause is more just: the meaning of this and the former verse is, there shall be no respect of persons, whether rich or poor, but an impartial consideration of the cause. See Lev 19:15; Psa 72:1,2.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
3. countenanceadorn,embellishthou shalt not varnish the cause even of a poor man togive it a better coloring than it merits.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause. Because he is a poor man, and for that reason endeavour to carry his cause for him, right or wrong, from a foolish pity to him as a poor man, and from an affectation of gaining the applause of people on that account; or “thou shalt not honour” or “adorn” a poor man u, by a set speech in favour of his cause, though wrong, dressed up in the best manner, and set off with all the colourings of art, to make it appear in the most plausible manner; the law is against respect of persons, as not the person of the rich, so neither is the person of the poor to be accepted, but the justice of their cause is to be regarded; so the Targum of Jonathan,
“the poor that is guilty in his judgment or cause, his face (or person) thou shalt not accept to have pity on him, for no person is to be accepted in judgment.”
u “non honorabis”, Pagninus, Vatablus, Drusius, Cartwright; “non decorabis”, Montanus; “ne ornes”, Tigurine version; “ne honorato”, Junius Tremellius “ne ornato”, Piscator.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
(3) Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.We must not pervert judgment either in favour of the rich or of the poor. Justice must hold her scales even, and be proof equally against a paltry fear of the rich and a weak compassion for the indigent. The cause alone is to be considered, not the persons. (Comp. Lev. 19:15.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
This is a beautiful precept. Hence in our courts of judicature, the figure of justice is painted blind, as if to show, that strict justice respects not persons. Act 10:34 .
Fuente: Hawker’s Poor Man’s Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
Exo 23:3 Neither shalt thou countenance a poor man in his cause.
Ver. 3. Neither shalt thou countenance. ] Spare not the great for their might, nor the mean for their misery.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
countenance = prefer, or favour.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Psa 82:2, Psa 82:3, Jam 3:17
Reciprocal: Exo 23:6 – General Lev 19:15 – General Deu 1:16 – Hear Deu 1:17 – ye shall hear Job 13:8 – General Isa 56:11 – all look 1Co 15:15 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Exo 23:3. Neither shalt thou countenance Hebrew, honour or favour; a poor man in his cause. Thus we are properly cautioned against an opposite error which we may be also in danger of falling into, that of respecting the poor mans cause, out of pity and compassion, when the cause of the richer man is more just. For however great the compassion of God may be for the poor, and how much soever he may recommend them to our care and protection, he would not have our tenderness for them carry us to countenance them unjustly, or give a wrong judgment for their sakes. The meaning of this and the former verse is, that there must be no respect of persons, whether rich or poor, but an impartial consideration of the cause.