Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
The verse condemns taking a reward, bribe, payment, or gain to declare the wicked innocent and right, while at the same time taking away justice and right from the righteous and innocent. It identifies those who do this as those who are mighty to drink wine and strong to mingle and mix strong drink. In this it applies to corrupt rulers and judges whose judgment is clouded by strong drink, so that they reward the wicked and deny justice to the innocent and righteous. It applies likewise to all who take part in judging — lawmakers, witnesses, jurors, lawyers, and judges — when strong drink clouds their judgment, producing oppressive laws and the condemnation of innocent people.
Such perversion is a departing from God's commandments and a failure to put a difference between common and holy things, confusing good and evil, calling evil good and good evil and putting darkness for light, arising from being wise in one's own eyes. It is a rejecting, casting away, and throwing away of the law of the Lord of hosts and a despising of His word and the word of the Holy One of Israel, and for this reason it brings God's woe and curse and His judgment and destruction. The threatened outcome is that as fire devours stubble and flame burns chaff, their root shall become rottenness and their blossom shall go up as dust.
The verse implies that God must be approached with reverence and awe in His own appointed manner and way. He accepts only strict and complete obedience and will accept no substitute for what He has required. Doing nearly all that is directed is not enough, for no part of His requirements and commandments is nonessential. Choosing any path other than strict obedience leads to death.
The verse condemns taking a reward, bribe, payment, or gain to declare the wicked innocent and right, while at the same time taking away justice and right from the righteous and innocent.
It identifies those who do this as those who are mighty to drink wine and strong to mingle and mix strong drink.
In this it applies to corrupt rulers and judges whose judgment is clouded by strong drink, so that they reward the wicked and deny justice to the innocent and righteous.
It applies likewise to all who take part in judging — lawmakers, witnesses, jurors, lawyers, and judges — when strong drink clouds their judgment, producing oppressive laws and the condemnation of innocent people.
Such perversion is a departing from God's commandments and a failure to put a difference between common and holy things, confusing good and evil, calling evil good and good evil and putting darkness for light, arising from being wise in one's own eyes.
It is a rejecting, casting away, and throwing away of the law of the Lord of hosts and a despising of His word and the word of the Holy One of Israel, and for this reason it brings God's woe and curse and His judgment and destruction.
The threatened outcome is that as fire devours stubble and flame burns chaff, their root shall become rottenness and their blossom shall go up as dust.
The verse implies that God must be approached with reverence and awe in His own appointed manner and way.
He accepts only strict and complete obedience and will accept no substitute for what He has required.
Doing nearly all that is directed is not enough, for no part of His requirements and commandments is nonessential.
Choosing any path other than strict obedience leads to death.