A frequent misinterpretation reduces this command to mere procedural advice for ancient tribal disputes, ignoring its broader theological mandate for justice rooted in God's moral law rather than human preference; others erroneously exclude modern 'strangers' like immigrants from its equity principle, using it to justify discrimination, or twist it into support for relativistic judging where 'righteously' means whatever pleases the majority, contrary to its call for objective, divine-standard impartiality.
Deuteronomy 1:16
King James Version (1769)
16 And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
This passage captures Moses' directive to the judges appointed over Israel, establishing a foundational principle of impartial justice: leaders must listen carefully to disputes between fellow Israelites and foreigners alike, rendering decisions that are righteous and unbiased by favoritism, status, or origin, thereby reflecting God's own character of fairness and equity in governance.