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Biblical Teaching on False Judges and Judgment

The Bible consistently condemns false judgment and those who render it, emphasizing that true judgment belongs to God alone [1, 3]. The concept of false judges encompasses various forms of perversion of justice, from intentional deceit to negligence and ignorance.

One aspect of false judgment involves the deliberate act of rendering a verdict based on deceit or fraud. Proverbs states that "the thoughts of the righteous are judgments, but the counsels of the wicked are fraudulent" (Proverbs 12:5). This highlights the contrast between righteous discernment and the deceptive intentions of those who judge falsely. Similarly, a faithful witness delivers souls, but a deceitful person utters lies (Proverbs 14:25). Swearing falsely is explicitly forbidden and is hateful to God, leading to judgment and curses upon those who engage in it [2]. The prophet Micah, in contrast to false prophets who spoke to please men, was "full of power... and of judgment, and of might, to declare unto Jacob his transgression, and to Israel his sin" [6].

False judges can also be characterized by their internal disposition. James condemns those who judge "among yourselves, and become judges of evil thoughts" (James 2:4). This suggests that internal biases and corrupt intentions can lead to unjust external judgments. The Babylonian Talmud, drawing from Exodus 23:7 ("Distance yourself from a false matter"), teaches that a judge should not advocate for his own erroneous rulings or devise pretexts to justify them [8, 9]. It also states that an ignorant student should not sit before a judge to discuss proceedings, as such a student is apt to cause a "false matter" [8, 9].

The consequences for false judges are severe. God is depicted as one who "causes counselors to go away a spoil, and judges He makes foolish" (Job 12:17, YLT) [4]. The prophet Zephaniah links the removal of judgment and the casting out of enemies to the cessation of deceitful judges (Zephaniah 3:15) [10]. New Testament warnings against false teachers, who are essentially false judges of spiritual truth, indicate that their judgment "lingereth not" and that God has determined their fate [5, 11]. These false teachers, though they may prosper for a time, are condemned, and God's wrath abides on them [5].

Even well-intentioned human judgments can be flawed due to human ignorance. Augustine notes the error of human judgments when the truth is hidden, observing that innocent people can be condemned or suffer during torture, and accusers, even those seeking justice, can be condemned if they cannot prove their true accusations [7]. Lactantius emphasizes the importance of hearing both sides before rendering judgment, warning that judging without hearing both parties makes one guilty of the condemned person's destruction and a partaker with the false accuser [12]. The Babylonian Talmud also discusses cases where judges might err in their rulings, even if unknowingly, and the implications for atonement [13].

Sources

  1. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Judgments — Are from God -- De 32:39; Job 12:23; Am 3:6; Mic 6:9. Different kinds of Blotting out the name. -- De 29:20. Abandonment by God. -- Ho 4:17. Cursing men's blessings. -- Mal 2:2. Pestilence. -- De 28:21,22; Am 4:10. Enemies. -- 2Sa 24:13. Famine. -- De 28:38-40; Am 4:7-9. Famine of hearing the word. -- Am 8:11. The sword. -- Ex 22:24; Jer 19:7. Captivity. -- De 28:41; Eze 39:23. Continued sorrows. -- Ps 32:10; 78:32,33; Eze 24:23. Desolation. -- Eze 33:29; Joe 3:19. Destruction. -- Job 31:3; Ps 34:16; Pr 2:22; Isa 11:4. Inflicted upon Nations. -- Ge 15:14;”
  2. Torrey's Topical Textbook “Torrey's Topical Textbook: Swearing Falsely — Forbidden -- Le 19:12; Nu 30:2; Mt 5:33. Hateful to God -- Zec 8:17. We should not love -- Zec 8:17. Fraud often leads to -- Le 6:2,3. Saints abstain from -- Jos 9:20; Ps 15:4. Blessedness of abstaining from -- Ps 24:4,5. The wicked Addicted to. -- Jer 5:2; Ho 10:4. Plead excuses for. -- Jer 7:9,10. Shall be judged on account of. -- Mal 3:5. Shall be cut off for. -- Zec 5:3. Shall have a curse upon their houses for. -- Zec 5:4. False witnesses guilty of -- De 19:16,18. Exemplified Saul. -- 1Sa 19:6,10. Shimei. -- 1Ki 2:41-43. Jews. -- Eze 16:59. Ze”
  3. Genesis “Be it far from you to do things like that, to kill the righteous with the wicked, so that the righteous should be like the wicked. May that be far from you. Shouldn’t the Judge of all the earth do right?” -- Genesis 18:25”
  4. Job “Job 12:17 (YLT) — Causing counsellors to go away a spoil, And judges He maketh foolish.”
  5. 2 Peter (Nonconformist/Puritan) “Matthew Henry on 2 Peter 2:3: Men are apt to think that a reprieve is the forerunner of a pardon, and that if judgment be not speedily executed it is, or will be, certainly reversed. But the apostle tells us that how successful and prosperous soever false teachers may be, and that for a time, yet their judgment lingereth not. God has determined long ago how he will deal with them. Such unbelievers, who endeavour to turn others from the faith, are condemned already, and the wrath of God abideth on them. The righteous Judge will speedily take vengeance; the day of their calamity is at hand, and ”
  6. Micah (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Micah 3:8: I--in contrast to the false prophets (Mic 3:5, Mic 3:7). full of power--that which "the Spirit of Jehovah" imparts for the discharge of the prophetical function (Luk 1:17; Luk 24:49; Act 1:8). judgment--a sense of justice [MAURER]; as opposed to the false prophets' speaking to please men, not from a regard to truth. Or, "judgment" to discern between graver and lighter offenses, and to denounce punishments accordingly [GROTIUS]. might--moral intrepidity in speaking the truth at all costs (Ti2 1:7). to declare unto Jacob his . . . sin-- (Isa 58:1).”
  7. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “NPNF1 Vol 2: Augustine — City of God, Christian Doctrine — CHAP. 6.--OF THE ERROR OF HUMAN JUDGMENTS WHEN THE TRUTH IS HIDDEN. (part 2): false confessions regarding themselves, and are punished; or that, though they be not condemned to die, they often die during, or in consequence of, the torture; or that sometimes the accusers, who perhaps have been prompted 405 by a desire to benefit society by bringing criminals to justice, are themselves condemned through the ignorance of the judge, because they are unable to prove the truth of their accusations though they are true, and because the witnes”
  8. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Shevuot 30b.13: The Sages taught: From where is it derived that a judge should not engage in advocacy [ saneigeron ] for his own statements and devise various pretexts to justify his erroneous rulings? It is derived as the verse states: “Distance yourself from a false matter” (Exodus 23:7). And from where is it derived with regard to a judge that a student who is an ignoramus should not sit before him to discuss the proceedings? It is derived as the verse states: “Distance yourself from a false matter.” When an ignorant student engages in the proceedings, he is apt to cause ”
  9. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Shevuot 99b.60:13: The Sages taught: From where is it derived that a judge should not engage in advocacy [ saneigeron ] for his own statements and devise various pretexts to justify his erroneous rulings? It is derived as the verse states: “Distance yourself from a false matter” (Exodus 23:7). And from where is it derived with regard to a judge that a student who is an ignoramus should not sit before him to discuss the proceedings? It is derived as the verse states: “Distance yourself from a false matter.” When an ignorant student engages in the proceedings, he is apt to cau”
  10. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Shabbat 139a.8: He said: If the deceitful judges cease, the royal officers and taskmasters will cease, as it is written: “The Lord has removed your judgment, cast out your enemy” (Zephaniah 3:15).”
  11. 2 Peter (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on 2 Peter 2 (introduction): False teachers foretold, who shall bring in destructive doctrines and shall pervert many, but at last be destroyed by the judgments of God, Pe2 2:1-3. Instances of God's judgments in the rebellious angels, Pe2 2:4. In the antediluvians, Pe2 2:5. In the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha, Pe2 2:6-8. The Lord knoweth how to deliver the godly, as well as to punish the ungodly, Pe2 2:9. The character of those seducing teachers and their disciples; they are unclean, presumptuous, speak evil of dignities, adulterous, covetous, and cursed, Pe2 2:10-14. Have forsaken”
  12. Schaff ANF/NPNF (Patristic) “ANF Vol 7: Lactantius, Venantius, Asterius, Victorinus, Dionysius — AGAINST JUDGING WITHOUT HEARING BOTH SIDES.: LI. We said before that judgment ought not to be given upon hearing only one of the parties; for if you hear one of them when the other is not there, and so cannot make his defence to the accusation brought against him, and rashly 419 give your votes for condemnation, you will be found guilty of that man's destruction, and partaker with the false accuser before God, the just Judge. For "as he that holdeth the tail of a dog, so is he that presides at unjust judgment." But if ye becom”
  13. Babylonian Talmud (Jewish (Rabbinic)) “Babylonian Talmud, Horayot 28b.9:4: GEMARA: The Gemara elaborates on the dispute cited in the mishna. The Sages taught in a baraita : In a case where the judges knew that they issued an erroneous ruling, and erred in remembering which erroneous ruling they issued, one might have thought that they would be liable to bring an offering for this. The verse states: “And the sin that they sinned became known, the congregation shall sacrifice” (Leviticus 4:14), indicating that liability is only in a case where the sin became known to the court that issued the erroneous ruling, and not in a case where”
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