John Gill Commentary Proverbs 24:23

"These also are [sayings] of the wise. To have respect of persons in judgment is not good." — Proverbs 24:23 (ASV)

These [things] also [belong] to the wise
Both what is said before concerning fearing God and the king; these belong to the wise and unwise, rich and poor, great and small; particularly judges and civil magistrates, and all subordinate governors, who have, or ought to have, a competency of wisdom; these ought to fear God and the king, as well as private subjects; and also what follows after, especially in this verse and (Proverbs 24:24–26) . Some render the words, "these things also [are the sayings] of wise men" ^F21 ; not of Solomon, but of other wise men in his time, or who lived after him, and before the men of Hezekiah copied out the proverbs in the following chapters; see (Proverbs 25:1) ; but it seems more than probable that what follows to the end of the chapter are the words of Solomon, as (Proverbs 24:33Proverbs 24:34) most clearly are, compared with (Proverbs 6:10Proverbs 6:11) ;

[it is] not good to have respect of persons in judgment ;
in trying causes in a court of judicature, no regard should be had to the persons of men by the judge on the bench, as the rich more than to the poor; or to a relation, a friend, an intimate acquaintance, more than to a stranger; but the justice of the cause ought to be attended to, and sentence given according to it, let it fall as it will: God does not accept persons, nor regard the rich more than the poor; nor should they that stand in his stead, and who in some sense represent him, (Leviticus 19:15) (Deuteronomy 1:17) (Job 34:19) ; nor should Christians in their communities act such a partial part, (James 2:1–3) .

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FOOTNOTES:

• F21: (Mymkxl hla Mg) "haec quoqne sapientum sunt", Tigurine version; "etiam haec sapientibus profecta sunt", Piscator; "etiam haecce sapientum", Cocceius, Schultens, so Grotius.