Proverbs 17:15 and 2011 commentary

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KyleB
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Proverbs 17:15 and 2011 commentary

Post by KyleB » Thu May 10, 2012 7:14 pm

He who justifies the wicked, and he who condemns the just,
Both of them alike are an abomination to the Lord.
In the 2011 Proverbs verse-by-verse commentary, Steve mentions a couple times having heard Benjamin Franklin's re-stating of William Blackstone's principle "it is better [one hundred] guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer" when he was in school. He said that it seemed to him at the time a very good principle, but upon later reflection in light of Proverbs 17:15, it actually is rather unjust.

I believe that Blackstone/Franklin and Proverbs 17 are actually speaking about two different issues. Proverbs is talking about a judge who knows that someone is guilty/innocent, but perverts justice on purpose. Blackstone/Franklin are discussing guiding principles for a nation's judicial system. They are saying that if a judge doesn't know beyond doubt if someone is guilty/innocent, then it is better that the law leans toward release rather punishment. We often refer to this as "innocent until proven guilty."

Steve, if you're reading this, I don't think you need to feel bad for having originally favored this quotation. In fact, Pol Pot's regime had slogans exactly contrary [http://www.mekong.net/cambodia/redbook.htm]:

"Better to kill an innocent by mistake than spare an enemy by mistake."

"Better to arrest ten innocent people by mistake than free a single guilty party."

-Kyle

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