Exodus 23:8

“And thou shalt take no gift, etc.] Of the persons whose cause is to be tried in a court of judicature before judges; neither of those on the one side nor on the other, neither before the trial nor after, neither by words, by a promise, nor by facts, by actually receiving money; and not even to judge truly, as Jarchi observes, neither to clear the innocent nor to condemn the guilty: a gift was not to be taken on any consideration whatever: for the gift blindeth the wise; or the “seeing” f725; the open ones, who used to have both their eyes and their ears open, and attentive to the cause before them; and yet a gift so blinds them, by casting such a mist before them, that they are inattentive…”

“Four precepts evidently addressed to those in authority as judges: (a) To do justice to the poor. ComparingExodus 23:6; Exodus 23:6 with Exodus 23:3, it was the part of the judge to defend the poor against the oppression of the rich, and the part of the witness to take care lest his feelings of natural pity should tempt him to falsify evidence. (b) To be cautious of inflicting capital punishment on one whose guilt was not clearly proved. A doubtful case was rather to be left to God Himself, who would “not justify the wicked,” nor suffer him to go unpunished though he might be acquitted by an earthly tribunal. Exodus 23:7. (c) To take no bribe or present which might in any way pervert…”

“thou shalt take: Deu 16:19; Sa1 8:3, Sa1 12:3; Psa 26:10; Pro 15:27, Pro 17:8, Pro 17:23, Pro 19:4; Ecc 7:7; Isa 1:13, Isa 5:23; Eze 22:12; Hos 4:18; Amo 5:12; Mic 7:3 the wise: Heb. the seeing Exodus 23:9”