Ulangan 16:19

16:19 You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort ¹  the words of the righteous. ² 

Ulangan 27:19

27:19 ‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’

Keluaran 22:21-22

22:21 “You must not wrong ³  a foreigner ⁴  nor oppress him, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

22:22 “You must not afflict ⁵  any widow or orphan.

Keluaran 23:2

23:2 “You must not follow a crowd ⁶  in doing evil things; ⁷  in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice, ⁸ 

Keluaran 23:6

23:6 “You must not turn away justice for your poor people in their lawsuits.

Keluaran 23:9

23:9 “You must not oppress ⁹  a foreigner, since you know the life ¹⁰  of a foreigner, for you were foreigners in the land of Egypt.

Keluaran 23:1

Justice

23:1 ¹¹ “You must not give ¹²  a false report. ¹³  Do not make common cause ¹⁴  with the wicked ¹⁵  to be a malicious ¹⁶  witness.

1 Samuel 12:3-4

12:3 Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. ¹⁷  Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, ¹⁸  and I will return it to you!”

12:4 They replied, “You have not wronged us or oppressed us. You have not taken anything from the hand of anyone.”

Ayub 22:8-9

22:8 Although you were a powerful man, ¹⁹  owning land, ²⁰ 

an honored man ²¹  living on it, ²² 

22:9 you sent widows away empty-handed,

and the arms ²³  of the orphans you crushed. ²⁴ 

Ayub 29:11-17

Job’s Benevolence

29:11 “As soon as the ear heard these things, ²⁵  it blessed me, ²⁶ 

and when the eye saw them, it bore witness to me,

29:12 for I rescued the poor who cried out for help,

and the orphan who ²⁷  had no one to assist him;

29:13 the blessing of the dying man descended on me, ²⁸ 

and I made the widow’s heart rejoice; ²⁹ 

29:14 I put on righteousness and it clothed me, ³⁰ 

my just dealing ³¹  was like a robe and a turban;

29:15 I was eyes for the blind

and feet for the lame;

29:16 I was a father ³²  to the needy,

and I investigated the case of the person I did not know;

29:17 I broke the fangs ³³  of the wicked,

and made him drop ³⁴  his prey from his teeth.

Mazmur 82:1-5

Psalm 82 ³⁵ 

A psalm of Asaph.

82:1 God stands in ³⁶  the assembly of El; ³⁷ 

in the midst of the gods ³⁸  he renders judgment. ³⁹ 

82:2 He says, ⁴⁰  “How long will you make unjust legal decisions

and show favoritism to the wicked? ⁴¹  (Selah)

82:3 Defend the cause of the poor and the fatherless! ⁴² 

Vindicate the oppressed and suffering!

82:4 Rescue the poor and needy!

Deliver them from the power ⁴³  of the wicked!

82:5 They ⁴⁴  neither know nor understand.

They stumble ⁴⁵  around in the dark,

while all the foundations of the earth crumble. ⁴⁶ 

Mazmur 94:3-6

94:3 O Lord, how long will the wicked,

how long will the wicked celebrate? ⁴⁷ 

94:4 They spew out threats ⁴⁸  and speak defiantly;

all the evildoers boast. ⁴⁹ 

94:5 O Lord, they crush your people;

they oppress the nation that belongs to you. ⁵⁰ 

94:6 They kill the widow and the one residing outside his native land,

and they murder the fatherless. ⁵¹ 

Mazmur 94:20-21

94:20 Cruel rulers ⁵²  are not your allies,

those who make oppressive laws. ⁵³ 

94:21 They conspire against ⁵⁴  the blameless, ⁵⁵ 

and condemn to death the innocent. ⁵⁶ 

Amsal 22:22-23

22:22 Do not exploit ⁵⁷  a poor person because he is poor

and do not crush the needy in court, ⁵⁸ 

22:23 for the Lord will plead their case ⁵⁹ 

and will rob those who are robbing ⁶⁰  them.

Amsal 31:5

31:5 lest they drink and forget what is decreed,

and remove ⁶¹  from all the poor ⁶²  their legal rights. ⁶³ 

Pengkhotbah 5:8

Government Corruption

5:8 If you see the extortion ⁶⁴  of the poor,

or the perversion ⁶⁵  of justice and fairness in the government, ⁶⁶ 

do not be astonished by the matter.

For the high official is watched by a higher official, ⁶⁷ 

and there are higher ones over them! ⁶⁸ 

Yesaya 1:23

1:23 Your officials are rebels, ⁶⁹ 

they associate with ⁷⁰  thieves.

All of them love bribery,

and look for ⁷¹  payoffs. ⁷² 

They do not take up the cause of the orphan, ⁷³ 

or defend the rights of the widow. ⁷⁴ 

Yesaya 3:15

3:15 Why do you crush my people

and grind the faces of the poor?” ⁷⁵ 

The sovereign Lord who commands armies ⁷⁶  has spoken.

Yesaya 33:15

33:15 The one who lives ⁷⁷  uprightly ⁷⁸ 

and speaks honestly;

the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures

and rejects a bribe; ⁷⁹ 

the one who does not plot violent crimes ⁸⁰ 

and does not seek to harm others ⁸¹  –

Yeremia 5:28

5:28 That is how ⁸²  they have grown fat and sleek. ⁸³ 

There is no limit to the evil things they do. ⁸⁴ 

They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it.

They do not defend the rights of the poor.

Yeremia 22:3

22:3 The Lord says, “Do what is just and right. Deliver those who have been robbed from those ⁸⁵  who oppress them. Do not exploit or mistreat foreigners who live in your land, children who have no fathers, or widows. ⁸⁶  Do not kill innocent people ⁸⁷  in this land.

Yehezkiel 22:7

22:7 They have treated father and mother with contempt ⁸⁸  within you; they have oppressed the foreigner among you; they have wronged the orphan and the widow ⁸⁹  within you.

Yehezkiel 22:29

22:29 The people of the land have practiced extortion and committed robbery. They have wronged the poor and needy; they have oppressed the foreigner who lives among them and denied them justice. ⁹⁰ 

Amos 5:7-12

5:7 The Israelites ⁹¹  turn justice into bitterness; ⁹² 

they throw what is fair and right ⁹³  to the ground. ⁹⁴ 

5:8 (But there is one who made the constellations Pleiades and Orion;

he can turn the darkness into morning

and daylight ⁹⁵  into night.

He summons the water of the seas

and pours it out on the earth’s surface.

The Lord is his name!

5:9 He flashes ⁹⁶  destruction down upon the strong

so that destruction overwhelms ⁹⁷  the fortified places.)

5:10 The Israelites ⁹⁸  hate anyone who arbitrates at the city gate; ⁹⁹ 

they despise anyone who speaks honestly.

5:11 Therefore, because you make the poor pay taxes on their crops ¹⁰⁰ 

and exact a grain tax from them,

you will not live in the houses you built with chiseled stone,

nor will you drink the wine from the fine ¹⁰¹  vineyards you planted. ¹⁰² 

5:12 Certainly ¹⁰³  I am aware of ¹⁰⁴  your many rebellious acts ¹⁰⁵ 

and your numerous sins.

You ¹⁰⁶  torment the innocent, you take bribes,

and you deny justice to ¹⁰⁷  the needy at the city gate. ¹⁰⁸ 

Mikha 2:1-2

Land Robbers Will Lose their Land

2:1 Those who devise sinful plans are as good as dead, ¹⁰⁹ 

those who dream about doing evil as they lie in bed. ¹¹⁰ 

As soon as morning dawns they carry out their plans, ¹¹¹ 

because they have the power to do so.

2:2 They confiscate the fields they desire,

and seize the houses they want. ¹¹² 

They defraud people of their homes, ¹¹³ 

and deprive people of the land they have inherited. ¹¹⁴ 

Mikha 7:3

7:3 They are determined to be experts at doing evil; ¹¹⁵ 

government officials and judges take bribes, ¹¹⁶ 

prominent men make demands,

and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them. ¹¹⁷ 

Zakharia 7:10

7:10 You must not oppress the widow, the orphan, the foreigner, or the poor, nor should anyone secretly plot evil against his fellow human being.’

Maleakhi 3:5

3:5 “I ¹¹⁸  will come to you in judgment. I will be quick to testify against those who practice divination, those who commit adultery, those who break promises, ¹¹⁹  and those who exploit workers, widows, and orphans, ¹²⁰  who refuse to help ¹²¹  the immigrant ¹²²  and in this way show they do not fear me,” says the Lord who rules over all.

Lukas 3:14

3:14 Then some soldiers ¹²³  also asked him, “And as for us – what should we do?” ¹²⁴  He told them, “Take money from no one by violence ¹²⁵  or by false accusation, ¹²⁶  and be content with your pay.”

Yakobus 2:6

2:6 But you have dishonored the poor! ¹²⁷  Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts?

[16:19]  ¹ tn Heb “twist, overturn”; NRSV “subverts the cause.”

[16:19]  ² tn Or “innocent”; NRSV “those who are in the right”; NLT “the godly.”

[22:21]  ³ tn Or “oppress.”

[22:21]  ⁴ tn Or “alien,” both here and in 23:9. This individual is a resident foreigner; he lives in the land but, aside from provisions such as this, might easily be without legal rights.

[22:22]  ⁵ tn The verb “afflict” is a Piel imperfect from עָנָה (’anah); it has a wide range of meanings: “afflict, oppress, humiliate, rape.” These victims are at the mercy of the judges, businessmen, or villains. The righteous king and the righteous people will not mistreat them (see Isa 1:17; Job 31:16, 17, 21).

[23:2]  ⁶ tn The word רָבִּים (rabbim), here rendered “crowd,” is also used infrequently to refer to the “mighty,” people of importance in society (Job 35:9; cf. Lev 19:15).

[23:2]  ⁷ tn For any individual to join a group that is bent on acting wickedly would be a violation of the Law and would incur personal responsibility.

[23:2]  ⁸ tn Heb “you will not answer in a lawsuit to turn after the crowd to turn.” The form translated “agrees with” (Heb “to turn after”) is a Qal infinitive construct from נָטָה (natah); the same root is used at the end of the verse but as a Hiphil infinitive construct, “to pervert [justice].”

[23:9]  ⁹ tn The verb means “to crush.” S. R. Driver notes that in this context this would probably mean with an unfair judgment in the courts (Exodus, 239).

[23:9]  ¹⁰ tn Heb “soul, life” – “you know what it feels like.”

[23:1]  ¹¹ sn People who claim to worship and serve the righteous judge of the universe must preserve equity and justice in their dealings with others. These verses teach that God’s people must be honest witnesses (1-3); God’s people must be righteous even with enemies (4-5); and God’s people must be fair in dispensing justice (6-9).

[23:1]  ¹² tn Heb “take up, lift, carry” (נָשָׂא, nasa’). This verb was also used in the prohibition against taking “the name of Yahweh in vain.” Sometimes the object of this verb is physical, as in Jonah 1:12 and 15. Used in this prohibition involving speech, it covers both originating and repeating a lie.

[23:1]  ¹³ tn Or “a groundless report” (see Exod 20:7 for the word שָׁוְא, shav’).

[23:1]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “do not put your hand” (cf. KJV, ASV); NASB “join your hand.”

[23:1]  ¹⁵ tn The word “wicked” (רָשָׁע, rasha’) refers to the guilty criminal, the person who is doing something wrong. In the religious setting it describes the person who is not a member of the covenant and may be involved in all kinds of sin, even though there is the appearance of moral and spiritual stability.

[23:1]  ¹⁶ tn The word חָמָס (khamas) often means “violence” in the sense of social injustices done to other people, usually the poor and needy. A “malicious” witness would do great harm to others. See J. W. McKay, “Exodus 23:1-43, 6-8: A Decalogue for Administration of Justice in the City Gate,” VT 21 (1971): 311-25.

[12:3]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “anointed [one].”

[12:3]  ¹⁸ tn The words “tell me” are supplied in the translation for stylistic reasons.

[22:8]  ¹⁹ tn The idiom is “a man of arm” (= “powerful”; see Ps 10:15). This is in comparison to the next line, “man of face” (= “dignity; high rank”; see Isa 3:5).

[22:8]  ²⁰ tn Heb “and a man of arm, to whom [was] land.” The line is in contrast to the preceding one, and so the vav here introduces a concessive clause.

[22:8]  ²¹ tn The expression is unusual: “the one lifted up of face.” This is the “honored one,” the one to whom the dignity will be given.

[22:8]  ²² tn Many commentators simply delete the verse or move it elsewhere. Most take it as a general reference to Job, perhaps in apposition to the preceding verse.

[22:9]  ²³ tn The “arms of the orphans” are their helps or rights on which they depended for support.

[22:9]  ²⁴ tn The verb in the text is Pual: יְדֻכָּא (yÿdukka’, “was [were] crushed”). GKC 388 §121.b would explain “arms” as the complement of a passive imperfect. But if that is too difficult, then a change to Piel imperfect, second person, will solve the difficulty. In its favor is the parallelism, the use of the second person all throughout the section, and the reading in all the versions. The versions may have simply assumed the easier reading, however.

[29:11]  ²⁵ tn The words “these things” and “them” in the next colon are not in the Hebrew text, but have been supplied in the translation for clarity.

[29:11]  ²⁶ tn The main clause is introduced by the preterite with the vav (ו) consecutive (see GKC 327 §111.h); the clause before it is therefore temporal and circumstantial to the main clause.

[29:12]  ²⁷ tn The negative introduces a clause that serves as a negative attribute; literally the following clause says, “and had no helper” (see GKC 482 §152.u).

[29:13]  ²⁸ tn The verb is simply בּוֹא (bo’, “to come; to enter”). With the preposition עַל (’al, “upon”) it could mean “came to me,” or “came upon me,” i.e., descended (see R. Gordis, Job, 320).

[29:13]  ²⁹ tn The verb אַרְנִן (’arnin) is from רָנַן (ranan, “to give a ringing cry”) but here “cause to give a ringing cry,” i.e., shout of joy. The rejoicing envisioned in this word is far greater than what the words “sing” or “rejoice” suggest.

[29:14]  ³⁰ tn Both verbs in this first half-verse are from לָבַשׁ (lavash, “to clothe; to put on clothing”). P. Joüon changed the vowels to get a verb “it adorned me” instead of “it clothed me” (Bib 11 [1930]: 324). The figure of clothing is used for the character of the person: to wear righteousness is to be righteous.

[29:14]  ³¹ tn The word מִשְׁפָּטִי (mishpati) is simply “my justice” or “my judgment.” It refers to the decisions he made in settling issues, how he dealt with other people justly.

[29:16]  ³² sn The word “father” does not have a wide range of meanings in the OT. But there are places that it is metaphorical, especially in a legal setting like this where the poor need aid.

[29:17]  ³³ tn The word rendered “fangs” actually means “teeth,” i.e., the molars probably; it is used frequently of the teeth of wild beasts. Of course, the language is here figurative, comparing the oppressing enemy to a preying animal.

[29:17]  ³⁴ tn “I made [him] drop.” The verb means “to throw; to cast,” throw in the sense of “to throw away.” But in the context with the figure of the beast with prey in its mouth, “drop” or “cast away” is the idea. Driver finds another cognate meaning “rescue” (see AJSL 52 [1935/36]: 163).

[82:1]  ³⁵ sn Psalm 82. The psalmist pictures God standing in the “assembly of El” where he accuses the “gods” of failing to promote justice on earth. God pronounces sentence upon them, announcing that they will die like men. Having witnessed the scene, the psalmist then asks God to establish his just rule over the earth.

[82:1]  ³⁶ tn Or “presides over.”

[82:1]  ³⁷ tn The phrase עֲדַת אֵל (’adat ’el, “assembly of El”) appears only here in the OT. (1) Some understand “El” to refer to God himself. In this case he is pictured presiding over his own heavenly assembly. (2) Others take אֵל as a superlative here (“God stands in the great assembly”), as in Pss 36:6 and 80:10. (3) The present translation assumes this is a reference to the Canaanite high god El, who presided over the Canaanite divine assembly. (See Isa 14:13, where El’s assembly is called “the stars of El.”) In the Ugaritic myths the phrase ’dt ’ilm refers to the “assembly of the gods,” who congregate in King Kirtu’s house, where Baal asks El to bless Kirtu’s house (see G. R. Driver, Canaanite Myths and Legends, 91). If the Canaanite divine assembly is referred to here in Ps 82:1, then the psalm must be understood as a bold polemic against Canaanite religion. Israel’s God invades El’s assembly, denounces its gods as failing to uphold justice, and announces their coming demise. For an interpretation of the psalm along these lines, see W. VanGemeren, “Psalms,” EBC 5:533-36.

[82:1]  ³⁸ sn The present translation assumes that the Hebrew term אֱלֹהִים (’elohim, “gods”) here refers to the pagan gods who supposedly comprise El’s assembly according to Canaanite religion. Those who reject the polemical view of the psalm prefer to see the referent as human judges or rulers (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to officials appointed by God, see Exod 21:6; 22:8-9; Ps 45:6) or as angelic beings (אֱלֹהִים sometimes refers to angelic beings, see Gen 3:5; Ps 8:5).

[82:1]  ³⁹ sn The picture of God rendering judgment among the gods clearly depicts his sovereign authority as universal king (see v. 8, where the psalmist boldly affirms this truth).

[82:2]  ⁴⁰ tn The words “he says” are supplied in the translation to indicate that the following speech is God’s judicial decision (see v. 1).

[82:2]  ⁴¹ tn Heb “and the face of the wicked lift up.”

[82:3]  ⁴² tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 94:6; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[82:4]  ⁴³ tn Heb “hand.”

[82:5]  ⁴⁴ sn Having addressed the defendants, God now speaks to those who are observing the trial, referring to the gods in the third person.

[82:5]  ⁴⁵ tn Heb “walk.” The Hitpael stem indicates iterative action, picturing these ignorant “judges” as stumbling around in the darkness.

[82:5]  ⁴⁶ sn These gods, though responsible for justice, neglect their duty. Their self-imposed ignorance (which the psalmist compares to stumbling around in the dark) results in widespread injustice, which threatens the social order of the world (the meaning of the phrase all the foundations of the earth crumble).

[94:3]  ⁴⁷ tn Or “exult.”

[94:4]  ⁴⁸ tn Heb “they gush forth [words].”

[94:4]  ⁴⁹ tn The Hitpael of אָמַר (’amar) occurs only here (and perhaps in Isa 61:6).

[94:5]  ⁵⁰ tn Or “your inheritance.”

[94:6]  ⁵¹ tn The Hebrew noun יָתוֹם (yatom) refers to one who has lost his father (not necessarily his mother, see Ps 109:9). Because they were so vulnerable and were frequently exploited, fatherless children are often mentioned as epitomizing the oppressed (see Pss 10:14; 68:5; 82:3; 146:9; as well as Job 6:27; 22:9; 24:3, 9; 29:12; 31:17, 21).

[94:20]  ⁵² tn Heb “a throne of destruction.” “Throne” stands here by metonymy for rulers who occupy thrones.

[94:20]  ⁵³ tn Heb “Is a throne of destruction united to you, one that forms trouble upon a statute?” The rhetorical question anticipates the answer, “Of course not!” The translation, while not preserving the interrogative form of the statement, reflects its rhetorical force.

[94:21]  ⁵⁴ tn Or “attack.”

[94:21]  ⁵⁵ tn Heb “the life of the blameless.”

[94:21]  ⁵⁶ tn Heb “and the blood of the innocent they declare guilty.”

[22:22]  ⁵⁷ tn Two negated jussives form the instruction here: אַל־תִּגְזָל (’al-tigzal, “do not exploit”) and וְאַל־תְּדַכֵּא (ve’al-tÿdakke’, “do not crush”).

[22:22]  sn Robbing or oppressing the poor is easy because they are defenseless. But this makes the crime tempting as well as contemptible. What is envisioned may be in bounds legally (just) but out of bounds morally.

[22:22]  ⁵⁸ tn Heb “in the gate” (so KJV); NAB, NASB, NRSV “at the gate.” The “gate” of the city was the center of activity, the place of business as well as the place for settling legal disputes. The language of the next verse suggests a legal setting, so “court” is an appropriate translation here.

[22:23]  ⁵⁹ tn The construction uses the verb יָרִיב (yariv) with its cognate accusative. It can mean “to strive,” but here it probably means “to argue a case, plead a case” (cf. KJV, NASB, NIV, NRSV). How the Lord will do this is not specified – either through righteous people or by direct intervention.

[22:23]  ⁶⁰ tn The verb קָבַע (qava’, “to rob; to spoil; to plunder”) is used here in both places to reflect the principle of talionic justice. What the oppressors did to the poor will be turned back on them by the Lord.

[31:5]  ⁶¹ tn The verb means “change,” perhaps expressed in reversing decisions or removing rights.

[31:5]  ⁶² tn Heb “all the children of poverty.” This expression refers to the poor by nature. Cf. KJV, NASB, NRSV “the afflicted”; NIV “oppressed.”

[31:5]  ⁶³ sn The word is דִּין (din, “judgment”; so KJV). In this passage it refers to the cause or the plea for justice, i.e., the “legal rights.”

[5:8]  ⁶⁴ tn Alternately, “oppression.” The term עֹשֶׁק (’osheq) has a basic two-fold range of meaning: (1) “oppression; brutality” (e.g., Isa 54:14); and (2) “extortion” (e.g., Ps 62:11); see HALOT 897 s.v. עֹשֶׁק; BDB 799 s.v. עֹשֶׁק. The LXX understands the term as “oppression,” as the translation συκοφαντίαν (sukofantian, “oppression”) indicates. Likewise, HALOT 897 s.v. עֹשֶׁק 1 classifies this usage as “oppression” against the poor. However, the context of 5:8-9 [7-8 HT] focuses on corrupt government officials robbing people of the fruit of their labor through extortion and the perversion of justice.

[5:8]  ⁶⁵ tn Heb “robbery.” The noun גֵזֶל (gezel, “robbery”) refers to the wrestling away of righteousness or the perversion of justice (HALOT 186 s.v. גֵּזֶל). The related forms of the root גזל mean “to rob; to loot” (HALOT 186 s.v. גֵּזֶל). The term “robbery” is used as a figure for the perversion of justice (hypocatastasis): just as a thief robs his victims through physical violence, so corrupt government officials “rob” the poor through the perversion of justice.

[5:8]  ⁶⁶ tn Heb “in the province.”

[5:8]  ⁶⁷ tn The word “official” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is supplied in the translation for clarity.

[5:8]  ⁶⁸ sn And there are higher ones over them! This may describe a corrupt system of government in which each level of hierarchy exploits its subordinates, all the way down to the peasants: “Set in authority over the people is an official who enriches himself at their expense; he is watched by a more authoritative governor who also has his share of the spoils; and above them are other officers of the State who likewise have to be satisfied”; see A. Cohen, The Five Megilloth (SoBB), 141.

[1:23]  ⁶⁹ tn Or “stubborn”; CEV “have rejected me.”

[1:23]  ⁷⁰ tn Heb “and companions of” (so KJV, NASB); CEV “friends of crooks.”

[1:23]  ⁷¹ tn Heb “pursue”; NIV “chase after gifts.”

[1:23]  ⁷² sn Isaiah may have chosen the word for gifts (שַׁלְמוֹנִים, shalmonim; a hapax legomena here), as a sarcastic pun on what these rulers should have been doing. Instead of attending to peace and wholeness (שָׁלוֹם, shalom), they sought after payoffs (שַׁלְמוֹנִים).

[1:23]  ⁷³ sn See the note at v. 17.

[1:23]  ⁷⁴ sn The rich oppressors referred to in Isaiah and the other eighth century prophets were not rich capitalists in the modern sense of the word. They were members of the royal military and judicial bureaucracies in Israel and Judah. As these bureaucracies grew, they acquired more and more land and gradually commandeered the economy and legal system. At various administrative levels bribery and graft become commonplace. The common people outside the urban administrative centers were vulnerable to exploitation in such a system, especially those, like widows and orphans, who had lost their family provider through death. Through confiscatory taxation, conscription, excessive interest rates, and other oppressive governmental measures and policies, they were gradually disenfranchised and lost their landed property, and with it, their rights as citizens. The socio-economic equilibrium envisioned in the law of Moses was radically disturbed.

[3:15]  ⁷⁵ sn The rhetorical question expresses the Lord’s outrage at what the leaders have done to the poor. He finds it almost unbelievable that they would have the audacity to treat his people in this manner.

[3:15]  ⁷⁶ tn Heb “the master, the Lord who commands armies [traditionally, the Lord of hosts].” On the title “the Lord who commands armies,” see the note at 1:9.

[3:15]  sn The use of this title, which also appears in v. 1, forms an inclusio around vv. 1-15. The speech begins and ends with a reference to “the master, the Lord who commands armies.”

[33:15]  ⁷⁷ tn Heb “walks” (so NASB, NIV).

[33:15]  ⁷⁸ tn Or, possibly, “justly”; NAB “who practices virtue.”

[33:15]  ⁷⁹ tn Heb “[who] shakes off his hands from grabbing hold of a bribe.”

[33:15]  ⁸⁰ tn Heb “[who] shuts his ear from listening to bloodshed.”

[33:15]  ⁸¹ tn Heb “[who] closes his eyes from seeing evil.”

[5:28]  ⁸² tn These words are not in the text but are supplied in the translation to show that this line is parallel with the preceding.

[5:28]  ⁸³ tn The meaning of this word is uncertain. This verb occurs only here. The lexicons generally relate it to the word translated “plate” in Song 5:14 and understand it to mean “smooth, shiny” (so BDB 799 s.v. I עֶשֶׁת) or “fat” (so HALOT 850 s.v. II עֶשֶׁת). The word in Song 5:14 more likely means “smooth” than “plate” (so TEV). So “sleek” is most likely here.

[5:28]  ⁸⁴ tn Heb “they cross over/transgress with respect to matters of evil.”

[5:28]  sn There is a wordplay in the use of this word which has twice been applied in v. 22 to the sea not crossing the boundary set for it by God.

[22:3]  ⁸⁵ tn Heb “from the hand [or power] of.”

[22:3]  ⁸⁶ tn Heb “aliens, orphans, or widows” treating the terms as generic or collective. However, the term “alien” carries faulty connotations and the term “orphan” is not totally appropriate because the Hebrew term does not necessarily mean that both parents have died.

[22:3]  sn These were classes of people who had no one to look out for their rights. The laws of Israel, however, were careful to see that their rights were guarded (cf. Deut 10:18) and that provision was made for meeting their needs (cf. Deut 24:19-21). The Lord promised to protect them (cf. Ps 146:9) and a curse was called down on any who deprived them of justice (cf. Deut 27:19).

[22:3]  ⁸⁷ tn Heb “Do not shed innocent blood.”

[22:3]  sn Do not kill innocent people. For an example of one of the last kings who did this see Jer 36:20-23. Manasseh was notorious for having done this and the book of 2 Kgs attributes the ultimate destruction of Judah to this crime and his sin of worshiping false gods (2 Kgs 21:16; 24:4).

[22:7]  ⁸⁸ tn Heb “treated lightly, cursed.”

[22:7]  ⁸⁹ tn Widows and orphans are often coupled together in the OT (Deut 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:19-21; 26:12-13; Jer 7:6; 22:3). They represented all who were poor and vulnerable to economic exploitation.

[22:29]  ⁹⁰ tn Heb “and the foreigner they have oppressed without justice.”

[5:7]  ⁹¹ tn Heb “Those who”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity. In light of vv. 11-13, it is also possible that the words are directed at a more limited group within the nation – those with social and economic power.

[5:7]  ⁹² tn There is an interesting wordplay here with the verb הָפַךְ (hafakh, “overturn, turn”). Israel “turns” justice into wormwood (cf. 6:12), while the Lord “turns” darkness into morning (v. 8; cf. 4:11; 8:10). Israel’s turning is for evil, whereas the Lord’s is to demonstrate his absolute power and sovereignty.

[5:7]  ⁹³ tn Heb “they throw righteousness.”

[5:7]  ⁹⁴ sn In v. 7 the prophet begins to describe the guilty Israelites, but then interrupts his word picture with a parenthetical, but powerful, description of the judge they must face (vv. 8-9). He resumes his description of the sinners in v. 10.

[5:8]  ⁹⁵ tn Heb “darkens the day into night.”

[5:9]  ⁹⁶ tn The precise meaning of the Hebrew verb בָּלַג (balag, translated here “flashes”) is uncertain.

[5:9]  ⁹⁷ tn Heb “comes upon.” Many prefer to repoint the verb as Hiphil and translate, “he brings destruction upon the fortified places.”

[5:10]  ⁹⁸ tn Heb “they”; the referent (the Israelites) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:10]  ⁹⁹ sn In ancient Israelite culture, legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.

[5:11]  ¹⁰⁰ tn Traditionally, “because you trample on the poor” (cf. KJV, ASV, NAB, NIV, NRSV, NLT). The traditional view derives the verb from בּוּס (bus, “to trample”; cf. Isa. 14:25), but more likely it is cognate to an Akkadian verb meaning “to exact an agricultural tax” (see H. R. Cohen, Biblical Hapax Legomena [SBLDS], 49; S. M. Paul, Amos [Hermeneia], 172-73).

[5:11]  ¹⁰¹ tn Or “lovely”; KJV, NASB, NRSV “pleasant”; NAB “choice”; NIV “lush.”

[5:11]  ¹⁰² tn Heb “Houses of chiseled stone you built, but you will not live in them. Fine vineyards you planted, but you will not drink their wine.”

[5:12]  ¹⁰³ tn Or “for.”

[5:12]  ¹⁰⁴ tn Or “I know” (so most English versions).

[5:12]  ¹⁰⁵ tn Or “transgressions,” “sins.” See the note on the word “crimes” in 1:3 and on the phrase “covenant violations” in 2:4.

[5:12]  ¹⁰⁶ tn Heb “Those who.”

[5:12]  ¹⁰⁷ tn Heb “turn aside.” They “turn aside” the needy by denying them the justice they deserve at the city gate (where legal decisions were made, and therefore where justice should be done).

[5:12]  ¹⁰⁸ sn Legal disputes were resolved in the city gate, where the town elders met.

[2:1]  ¹⁰⁹ tn Heb “Woe to those who plan sin.” The Hebrew term הוֹי (hoy, “woe”; “ah”) was a cry used in mourning the dead.

[2:1]  ¹¹⁰ tn Heb “those who do evil upon their beds.”

[2:1]  ¹¹¹ tn Heb “at the light of morning they do it.”

[2:2]  ¹¹² tn Heb “they desire fields and rob [them], and houses and take [them] away.”

[2:2]  ¹¹³ tn Heb “and they oppress a man and his home.”

[2:2]  ¹¹⁴ tn Heb “and a man and his inheritance.” The verb עָשַׁק (’ashaq, “to oppress”; “to wrong”) does double duty in the parallel structure and is understood by ellipsis in the second line.

[7:3]  ¹¹⁵ tn Heb “upon evil [are their] hands to do [it] well.”

[7:3]  ¹¹⁶ tn Heb “the official asks – and the judge – for a bribe.”

[7:3]  ¹¹⁷ tn More literally, “the great one announces what his appetite desires and they weave it together.” Apparently this means that subordinates plot and maneuver to make sure the prominent man’s desires materialize.

[3:5]  ¹¹⁸ tn The first person pronoun (a reference to the Lord) indicates that the Lord himself now speaks (see also v. 1). The prophet speaks in vv. 2-4 (see also 2:17).

[3:5]  ¹¹⁹ tn Heb “those who swear [oaths] falsely.” Cf. NIV “perjurers”; TEV “those who give false testimony”; NLT “liars.”

[3:5]  ¹²⁰ tn Heb “and against the oppressors of the worker for a wage, [the] widow and orphan.”

[3:5]  ¹²¹ tn Heb “those who turn aside.”

[3:5]  ¹²² tn Or “resident foreigner”; NIV “aliens”; NRSV “the alien.”

[3:14]  ¹²³ tn Grk “And soldiers.”

[3:14]  ¹²⁴ tn Grk “And what should we ourselves do?”

[3:14]  ¹²⁵ tn Or “Rob no one.” The term διασείσητε (diaseishte) here refers to “shaking someone.” In this context it refers to taking financial advantage of someone through violence, so it refers essentially to robbery. Soldiers are to perform their tasks faithfully. A changed person is to carry out his tasks in life faithfully and without grumbling.

[3:14]  ¹²⁶ tn The term translated “accusation” (συκοφαντήσητε, sukofanthshte) refers to a procedure by which someone could bring charges against an individual and be paid a part of the fine imposed by the court. Soldiers could do this to supplement their pay, and would thus be tempted to make false accusations.

[2:6]  ¹²⁷ tn This is singular: “the poor person,” perhaps referring to the hypothetical one described in vv. 2-3.