Exodus 23:2

KJV1611 – Modern English

You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; nor shall you testify in a dispute so as to pervert justice by following the majority.

📖 Grammatical Analysis

Original Text

לֹֽא־תִהְיֶ֥ה אַחֲרֵֽי־רַבִּ֖ים לְרָעֹ֑ת וְלֹא־תַעֲנֶ֣ה עַל־רִ֗ב לִנְטֹ֛ת אַחֲרֵ֥י רַבִּ֖ים לְהַטֹּֽת׃

Transliteration

Not-tihyeh after-rabbîm for-rāʿōt and-not-taʿăneh on-rīb to-nĕṭōt after rabbîm to-haṭṭōt

Grammar Details

• *tihyeh*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular - be/become/follow
• *rabbîm*: adjective masculine plural - many/great/numerous
• *rāʿōt*: verb qal infinitive construct - to do evil/harm
• *taʿăneh*: qal imperfect 2nd person masculine singular - answer/respond/testify
• *rīb*: noun masculine singular - dispute/controversy/case
• *nĕṭōt*: qal infinitive construct - to stretch out/turn aside/incline
• *haṭṭōt*: hiphil infinitive construct - to turn/pervert/bend

Word Meanings

• *tihyeh*: be/become/follow/go after
• *rabbîm*: many/great/numerous/majority
• *rāʿōt*: do evil/harm/wrong/wickedness
• *rīb*: dispute/controversy/legal case/lawsuit
• *nĕṭōt*: turn aside/incline/stretch out/bend
• *haṭṭōt*: turn/bend/pervert/distort

Other Translations

• Linguistic Bible Translation from Source Texts

  Do not follow the majority to do evil, and do not testify in a dispute to turn aside after the majority to pervert justice.

• King James Version 1769 (Standard Version)

  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest judgment:

• American Standard Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thou shalt not follow{H310} a multitude{H7227} to do evil;{H7451} neither shalt thou speak{H6030} in a cause{H7379} to turn aside{H5186} after{H310} a multitude{H7227} to wrest{H5186} [justice]:

• King James Version with Strong's Numbers

  Thou shalt not follow{H310} a multitude{H7227} to do evil{H7451}; neither shalt thou speak{H6030}{(H8799)} in a cause{H7379} to decline{H5186}{(H8800)} after{H310} many{H7227} to wrest{H5186}{(H8687)} judgment:

• Tyndale Bible (1526/1534)

  Thou shalt not folowe a multitude to do euell: nether answere in a mater of plee that thou woldest to folow many turne a syde from the trueth,

• Coverdale Bible (1535)

  Thou shalt not folowe the multitude vnto euell, ner answere at the lawe that thou woldest (to folowe the multitude) turne a syde from the right.

• Geneva Bible (1560)

  Thou shalt not followe a multitude to do euil, neither agree in a controuersie to decline after many and ouerthrowe the trueth.

• Bishops' Bible (1568)

  Thou shalt not folow a multitude to do euill, neither shalt thou speake in a matter of iustice according to the greater number, for to peruert iudgement.

• Authorized King James Version (1611)

  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to [do] evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to decline after many to wrest [judgment]:

• Webster's Bible (1833)

  You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice;

• Young's Literal Translation (1862/1898)

  `Thou art not after many to evil, nor dost thou testify concerning a strife, to turn aside after many to cause `others' to turn aside;

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest `justice':

• American Standard Version (1901)

  Thou shalt not follow a multitude to do evil; neither shalt thou speak in a cause to turn aside after a multitude to wrest [justice] :

• Bible in Basic English (1941)

  Do not be moved to do wrong by the general opinion, or give the support of your words to a wrong decision:

• World English Bible (2000)

  "You shall not follow a crowd to do evil; neither shall you testify in court to side with a multitude to pervert justice;

• NET Bible® (New English Translation)

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

Referenced Verses

• Prov 1:10-11 : 10 My son, if sinners entice you, do not consent. 11 If they say, "Come with us, let us lie in wait for blood, let us lurk secretly for the innocent without cause;
• Prov 1:15 : 15 My son, do not walk in the way with them, hold back your foot from their path;
• Exod 23:6-7 : 6 You shall not pervert the justice due to your poor in his dispute. 7 Keep far from a false matter, and do not kill the innocent and righteous, for I will not acquit the wicked.
• Exod 32:1-5 : 1 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, they gathered around Aaron and said to him, "Arise, make us gods to go before us; for as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." 2 Aaron said to them, "Break off the golden earrings that are in the ears of your wives, your sons, and your daughters, and bring them to me." 3 So all the people broke off the golden earrings which were in their ears and brought them to Aaron. 4 He received them from their hand, and fashioned it with an engraving tool, and made it a molten calf: and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt." 5 When Aaron saw it, he built an altar in front of it, and proclaimed, "Tomorrow is a feast to the LORD."
• Lev 19:15 : 15 You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness you shall judge your neighbor.
• Deut 1:17 : 17 You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small as well as the great; you shall not be afraid of anyone, for the judgment is God's. The case that is too difficult for you, bring to me, and I will hear it.
• Josh 24:15 : 15 And if it seems evil to you to serve the LORD, choose this day whom you will serve; whether the gods which your fathers served that were on the other side of the river, or the gods of the Amorites, in whose land you dwell: but as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD.
• Job 31:34 : 34 Did I fear a great multitude, or did the contempt of families terrify me, so that I kept silent and went not out of the door?
• Ps 72:2 : 2 He shall judge your people with righteousness, and your poor with justice.
• 1 Sam 15:9 : 9 But Saul and the people spared Agag, and the best of the sheep, and of the oxen, and of the fatlings, and the lambs, and all that was good, and were not willing to utterly destroy them: but everything that was vile and refuse, that they destroyed utterly.
• 1 Kgs 19:10 : 10 And he said, I have been very zealous for the LORD God of hosts, for the children of Israel have forsaken your covenant, thrown down your altars, and killed your prophets with the sword; and I, even I only, am left, and they seek my life, to take it away.
• Deut 16:19 : 19 You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe: for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise, and perverts the words of the righteous.
• Deut 24:17 : 17 You shall not pervert the judgment of the stranger, nor of the fatherless; nor take a widow's clothing as a pledge:
• Num 14:1-9 : 1 And all the congregation lifted up their voices and cried; and the people wept that night. 2 And all the children of Israel murmured against Moses and against Aaron: and the whole congregation said to them, Would that we had died in the land of Egypt! or would that we had died in this wilderness! 3 Why has the LORD brought us to this land, to fall by the sword, that our wives and our children should be prey? Would it not be better for us to return to Egypt? 4 And they said to one another, Let us choose a captain, and let us return to Egypt. 5 Then Moses and Aaron fell on their faces before all the assembly of the congregation of the children of Israel. 6 And Joshua the son of Nun, and Caleb the son of Jephunneh, who were among those that searched the land, tore their clothes: 7 And they spoke to all the company of the children of Israel, saying, The land, which we passed through to search it, is an exceedingly good land. 8 If the LORD delights in us, then he will bring us into this land, and give it to us; a land which flows with milk and honey. 9 Only do not rebel against the LORD, neither fear the people of the land; for they are bread for us: their protection is removed from them, and the LORD is with us: fear them not. 10 But all the congregation threatened to stone them with stones. And the glory of the LORD appeared in the tabernacle of the congregation before all the children of Israel.
• Gen 6:12 : 12 And God looked upon the earth, and indeed it was corrupt; for all flesh had corrupted their way on the earth.
• Gen 7:1 : 1 And the LORD said to Noah, "Go, you and all your household, into the ark; for I have seen you as righteous before Me in this generation."
• Gen 19:4 : 4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, even the men of Sodom, surrounded the house, both young and old, all the people from every quarter.
• Gen 19:7-9 : 7 And said, I pray you, brothers, do not do so wickedly. 8 Behold now, I have two daughters who have not known a man; let me, I pray you, bring them to you, and do to them as seems good in your eyes: only do nothing to these men; for they have come under the shadow of my roof. 9 And they said, Stand back. And they said again, This one came here to stay, and he will act as a judge: now we will deal worse with you than with them. And they pressed hard against Lot, and came near to break the door.
• Prov 4:14 : 14 Do not enter the path of the wicked, and do not walk in the way of evil men.
• Jer 37:15 : 15 Therefore the princes were angry with Jeremiah, and struck him, and put him in prison in the house of Jonathan the scribe, for they had made that the prison.
• Jer 37:21 : 21 Then Zedekiah the king commanded that they should commit Jeremiah into the court of the prison, and that they should give him a piece of bread daily out of the bakers' street, until all the bread in the city was spent. Thus Jeremiah remained in the court of the prison.
• Jer 38:5-6 : 5 Then Zedekiah the king said, Behold, he is in your hand; for the king is not anyone who can do anything against you. 6 Then they took Jeremiah, and cast him into the dungeon of Malchiah the son of Hammelech, which was in the court of the prison; and they let down Jeremiah with cords. And in the dungeon there was no water, but mire; so Jeremiah sank in the mire.
• Jer 38:9 : 9 My lord the king, these men have done evil in all that they have done to Jeremiah the prophet, whom they have cast into the dungeon; and he is likely to die from hunger in the place where he is, for there is no more bread in the city.
• Ezek 9:9 : 9 Then he said to me, The iniquity of the house of Israel and Judah is exceedingly great, and the land is full of blood, and the city full of perverseness: for they say, The LORD has forsaken the earth, and the LORD does not see.
• Hag 1:4 : 4 Is it time for you, yourselves, to dwell in your paneled houses while this house lies in ruins?
• Matt 27:24-26 : 24 When Pilate saw that he could nothing prevail, but rather a tumult was made, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this just person. See to it yourselves. 25 Then answered all the people, and said, His blood be on us and on our children. 26 Then he released Barabbas to them, and when he had scourged Jesus, he delivered him to be crucified.
• Mark 15:15 : 15 And so Pilate, wanting to satisfy the crowd, released Barabbas to them, and he delivered Jesus, after scourging him, to be crucified.
• Luke 23:23-24 : 23 But they persisted with loud voices, demanding that He be crucified. And their voices and those of the chief priests prevailed. 24 And Pilate sentenced that it should be as they requested.
• Luke 23:51 : 51 He had not consented to their decision and action. He was from Arimathea, a city of the Jews, who also himself was waiting for the kingdom of God.
• John 7:50-51 : 50 Nicodemus (he who came to Jesus by night, being one of them) said to them, 51 Does our law judge a man before it hears him and knows what he is doing?
• Acts 24:27 : 27 But after two years Porcius Festus succeeded Felix; and Felix, wanting to grant a favor to the Jews, left Paul bound.
• Acts 25:9 : 9 But Festus, willing to do the Jews a favor, answered Paul and said, Will you go up to Jerusalem, and there be judged regarding these things before me?
• Rom 1:32 : 32 Who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same, but also approve of those who practice them.
• Gal 2:11-13 : 11 But when Peter came to Antioch, I opposed him to his face, because he was to be blamed. 12 For before certain men came from James, he ate with the Gentiles; but when they came, he withdrew and separated himself, fearing those who were of the circumcision. 13 And the other Jews also played the hypocrite with him, so that even Barnabas was carried away with their hypocrisy.