Text: Deuteronomy 16:18
OT Text Referred to: Exodus 23:8
Subject: judicial standards
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Reference Type: Allusion
Connection Method(s): None
Significance: Exodus 23:8 prohibits accepting bribes (שֹׁחַד, shochad) because they "blind the clear-sighted" (יְעַוֵּר פִּקְחִים, ye'avver piqchim), and Deuteronomy 16:18 institutionalizes this principle by commanding the appointment of judges and officials "in all your towns... who will judge the people with righteous judgment." Both texts address judicial corruption, but Deuteronomy creates the administrative infrastructure—appointed judges in every town—that makes the Exodus prohibition enforceable within settled community life. The anti-bribery principle moves from a general ethical command to a foundational requirement for Israel's nascent judicial system.