תהלים, פרק נ׳, פסוק י״ח

Choosing to walk alongside those who do wrong is a profound moral failure. When a person encounters wrongdoing, the expected response is to step away. Yet, in this sharp rebuke, the focus is on an individual who actively decides to join the sinners and participate in their deeds.

Upon seeing a thief, rather than turning away, the person aligns with the criminal. The primary approach among commentators understands this reaction as a matter of desire and consent. In this view, the individual willingly and freely chooses to partner in the thief's actions [רש״י, רד״ק, מצודת ציון, מצודת דוד]. Another perspective interprets the response as a physical eagerness, suggesting that the person literally runs and hurries to join the thief [אבן עזרא, מלבי״ם, ביאור שטיינזלץ]. However, because the language of physical running is unusual in this context, the concept of internal willingness remains the preferred explanation [המאירי].

This eager association with corruption does not stop at theft. The destructive path continues as the individual links their fate with adulterers. It is a conscious decision to cast one's lot with those who commit immoral acts, fully deciding to participate in their forbidden behavior [מצודת דוד, ביאור שטיינזלץ].