He will not judge according to the sight of the eyes, nor reprove according to the hearing of the ears. (Is 11:3b)
וְלֹא־לְמַרְאֵה עֵינָיו יִשְׁפּוֹט וְלֹא־לְמִשְׁמַע אָזְנָיו יוֹכִיחַ׃
οὐ κατὰ τὴν δόξαν κρινεῖ οὐδὲ κατὰ τὴν λαλιὰν ἐλέγξει.
Non secundum visionem oculorum iudicabit neque secundum auditum aurium decernet.
The Hebrew verb שׁפַט (shafat) literally means an action aimed at restoring peace (shalom) within the community. It is not limited to judging or issuing verdicts.
When we read in the Bible that God “judges,” it means nothing less than restoring peace. The Lord judges justly, unlike humans, who make judgments based on what they see and hear. God sees far more; He knows us deeply and desires to give us the gift of peace.
The prophet Isaiah presents a vision of this peace, remarkably: animals that are natural enemies live together in harmony. “The wolf will dwell with the lamb, the leopard will lie down with the goat” (Isaiah 11:6). This idyllic image is a symbol of the harmony God wishes to restore to all creation—according to the Creator’s original plan.
Biblical judgment, then, is not so much punishment as it is a path to restoring relationships—with God, with others, and with the world. God desires to lead us into a space of peace, where we can experience His love and closeness.
