Albert Barnes Commentary Isaiah 1:23

"Thy princes are rebellious, and companions of thieves; every one loveth bribes, and followeth after rewards: they judge not the fatherless, neither doth the cause of the widow come unto them." — Isaiah 1:23 (ASV)

Your princes ... - This is an explanation of the previous verse. Princes here mean those attached to the royal family; those who by rank or office had an influence over the people.

Rebellious - Against God. The corruption of a nation commonly begins with the rulers.

Companions of thieves - That is, they collude with robbers; they do not bring them to justice; they are their accomplices and are easily bribed to acquit them.

Everyone loves gifts - Every magistrate can be bribed.

Follows after rewards - רדף rodēph. This word denotes the act of pursuing after in order to obtain something, and means here that they made it their objective to obtain rewards by selling or betraying justice. They sell justice to the highest bidder.

No more distressing condition of a people can be conceived than this, where justice could not be secured between individuals, and where the wicked could oppress the poor, the widow, and the orphan as much as they pleased, because they knew they could bribe the judge.

They judge not - They do not render justice to the fatherless (Isaiah 1:17). The Chaldee has well expressed the sense of a part of this verse: ‘They say, each one to his neighbor, Favor me in my judgment, or do me good in it, and I will repay you in your case.’

The cause of the widow come to them - Or, rather, comes before them. They would not take up her cause, but rather the cause of those who were considered able to offer a bribe, and from whom a gift might be expected, if a decision was made in their favor.