The judge who is here pictured had no regard for right, 165 nor pity for suffering. The widow who pressed her case before him was persistently repulsed. Again and again she came to him, only to be treated with contempt, and to be driven from the judgment seat. The judge knew that her cause was righteous, and he could have relieved her at once, but he would not. He wanted to show his arbitrary power, and it gratified him to let her ask and plead and entreat in vain. But she would not fail nor become discouraged. Notwithstanding his indifference and hardheartedness, she pressed her petition until the judge consented to attend to her case. "Though I fear not God, nor regard man," he said, "yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me." To save his reputation, to avoid giving publicity to his partial, one-sided judgment, he avenged the persevering woman.

Den dommer som beskrives her tog ikke noget hensyn til, hvad der var ret, og havde ikke medlidenhed med de lidende. Enken, der trængte ind på ham for at få sin ret, blev hårdnakket vist tilbage. Hun kom til ham den ene gang efter den anden, men blev kun behandlet med foragt og drevet bort fra dommersædet. Dommeren vidste, at hun havde ret, og han kunne have hjulpet hende med det samme, men han ville ikke. Han ønskede at vise sin egenmægtige magt, og det glædede ham at lade hende bede og bønfalde og tigge forgæves. Men hun ville ikke give op eller lade sig afvise. Til trods for hans ligegyldighed og hårdhjertethed blev hun ved at bede, indtil han lovede at tage sig af hendes sag. "Selv om jeg ikke frygter Gud og heller ikke undser mig for mennesker så vil jeg alligevel skaffe denne enke hendes ret, fordi hun plager mig sådan." Han skaffede den udholdende enke ret for at bevare sit eget rygte og for at undgå at få sin egen ensidige dom frem for offentligheden.