Leviticus 19:15 You shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: you shall not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty… The Grecians placed justice betwixt Leo and Libra, thereby signifying that there must not be only courage in executing, but also indifferency in determining. The Egyptians express the same by the hieroglyphical figure of man without hands, winking with his eyes; whereby is meant an uncorrupt judge, who hath no hands to receive bribes, no eyes to behold the person of the poor, or respect the person of the rich. And before our tribunals, we commonly have the picture of a man holding a balance in one hand, and a sword in the other, signfying by the balance, just judgment; by the sword, execution of judgment. For as the balance putteth no difference between gold and lead, but giveth an equal or unequal poise to them both, not giving a greater weight to the gold for the excellency of the metal because it is gold, nor a less to the lead for the baseness of it because it is lead: so they were with an even hand to weigh the poor man's cause as well as the rich. But it is most notably set out by the throne of the house of David (Psalm 122:5), which was placed in the gate of the city toward the sun rising; in the gate, to signify that all which came in and out by the gate of the city might indifferently be heard, the poor as well as the rich, and might have free access and regress to and from the judgment-seat; and toward the rising of the sun, in token that their judgment should be as clear from corruption as the sun is clear in his chiefest brightness. (J. Spencer.) Parallel Verses KJV: Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honour the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour. |
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