Exodus 23:2

“You must not follow a crowd ¹  in doing evil things; ²  in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice, ³ 

Ge 6:12; Ge 7:1; Ge 19:4,7-9; Ex 23:6,7; Ex 32:1-5; Le 19:15; Nu 14:1-10; De 1:17; Jos 24:15; 1Sa 15:9; 1Ki 19:10; Job 31:34; Ps 72:2; Pr 1:10,11,15; Pr 4:14; Jer 37:15,21; Jer 38:5,6,9; Eze 9:9; Hag 1:4; Mt 27:24-26; Mr 15:15; Lu 23:23,24,51; Joh 7:50,51; Ac 24:27; Ac 25:9; Ro 1:32; Ga 2:11-13

¹ tn The word רָבִּים (rabbim), here rendered “crowd,” is also used infrequently to refer to the “mighty,” people of importance in society (Job 35:9; cf. Lev 19:15).

² tn For any individual to join a group that is bent on acting wickedly would be a violation of the Law and would incur personal responsibility.

³ tn Heb “you will not answer in a lawsuit to turn after the crowd to turn.” The form translated “agrees with” (Heb “to turn after”) is a Qal infinitive construct from נָטָה (natah); the same root is used at the end of the verse but as a Hiphil infinitive construct, “to pervert [justice].”