Not wrest judgment, i.e. not give a perverse, forced, and unjust sentence. See Poole on "Exodus 23:8". Not respect persons, i.e. not give sentence according to the quality of the person, his riches or poverty, friendship or enmity, but according to the justice of the cause. A gift doth blind the eyes of the wise; corrupts and biasseth his mind, that as he will not, so ofttimes he cannot, discern between right and wrong. The words of the righteous; either,
1. The words, i.e. the sentence, of those judges who are inclined and used to do righteous things, and have the repute of righteous men, it makes them give wrong judgment. Or,
2. The words, i.e. the matters, or causes, (as word oft signifies,) of righteous persons, or of them whose cause is just.