Bribery

How Nave’s arranged it

• General scriptures concerningExodus 23:8Deuteronomy 16:18Deuteronomy 16:19Deuteronomy 27:251 Samuel 8:11 Samuel 8:3Job 15:34Psalms 26:9Psalms 26:10Proverbs 15:27Proverbs 17:8Proverbs 17:23Proverbs 18:16Proverbs 21:14Proverbs 25:14Proverbs 28:21Proverbs 29:4Ecclesiastes 7:7Isaiah 1:23Isaiah 5:22
• INSTANCES OF
• DelilahJudges 16:5
• Samuel's sons
• See above
• The false prophet, ShemaiahNehemiah 6:10–13
• Ben-hadad1 Kings 15:19
• Haman bribes Ahasuerus to destroy the JewsEsther 3:9
• Chief priests bribe JudasMatthew 26:15Matthew 27:3–9Mark 14:11Luke 22:5
• Soldiers bribed to declare that the disciples stole the body of JesusMatthew 28:12–15
• Governor Felix seeks a bribe from PaulActs 24:26

The passages, in Bible order (39)

The same references, sorted Genesis to Revelation. The first 16 are quoted in full; the rest are one click beneath them, book by book.

1. Exodus 23:8

   Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.

   Verse page →Original language →

2. Deuteronomy 16:18

   You are to appoint judges and officials for your tribes in every town that the LORD your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 16:182 voices

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make--These last meant heralds or bailiffs, employed in executing the sentence of their superiors. in all thy gates--The gate was the place of public resort among the Israelites and other Eastern people, where business was transacted and causes decided.

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make - Judges, שפטים shophetim, among the Hebrews, were probably the same as our magistrates or justices of the peace. Officers, שטרים shoterim, seem to have been the same as our inquest sergeants, beadles, etc., whose office it was to go into the houses, shops, etc., and examine weights, measures, and the civil conduct of the people. When they found any thing amiss, they brought the person offending before the magistrate, and he was punished by the officer on the spot. They seem also to have acted as heralds in the army, Deu 20:

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 16:18→

   Verse page →Original language →

3. Deuteronomy 16:19

   Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 16:192 voices

   “A gift doth blind the eyes - Biasseth his mind, that he cannot discern between right and wrong. The words - That is the sentence, of those Judges who are used to do righteous things, it makes them give wrong judgment. That which is altogether just - Hebrew. righteousness, righteousness, that is, nothing but righteousness in all causes and times, and to all persons equally.

   “Judges and officers shalt thou make--These last meant heralds or bailiffs, employed in executing the sentence of their superiors. in all thy gates--The gate was the place of public resort among the Israelites and other Eastern people, where business was transacted and causes decided.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 16:19→

   Verse page →Original language →

4. Deuteronomy 27:25

   ‘Cursed is he who accepts a bribe to kill an innocent person.’ And let all the people say, ‘Amen!’

   ›Commentary on Deuteronomy 27:251 voice

   “Cursed be he that taketh reward to slay an innocent person,.... As an assassin, to murder him privately; or as a judge, that takes a bribe to condemn to death an innocent person: so Aben Ezra observes, that according to the sense of some a judge is meant; but, says he, in my opinion a false witness; one that swears a man's life away for the sake of a reward given him: and all the people shall say Amen; at so detestable a crime.

   Everything gathered on Deuteronomy 27:25→

   Verse page →Original language →

5. Judges 16:5

   The lords of the Philistines went to her and said, “Entice him and find out the source of his great strength and how we can overpower him to tie him up and subdue him. Then each one of us will give you eleven hundred shekels of silver.”

   ›Commentary on Judges 16:52 voices

   “Entice him, and see wherein his great strength lieth--They probably imagined that he carried some amulet about his person, or was in the possession of some important secret by which he had acquired such herculean strength; and they bribed Delilah, doubtless by a large reward, to discover it for them.

   “And the lords of the Philistines - See Jdg 3:3 note. His great strength lieth - Rather, “wherein his strength is great.” Eleven hundred pieces of silver - The greatness of the bribe offered to Delilah, 5,500 shekels of silver, nearly two talents (Exo 38:24, note), shows the importance attached to Samson’s capture.

   Everything gathered on Judges 16:5→

   Verse page →Original language →

6. 1 Samuel 8:1

   When Samuel grew old, he appointed his sons as judges over Israel.

   ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 8:12 voices

   “And it came to pass, when Samuel was old,.... The common notion of the Jews is, that he lived but fifty two years (t); when a man is not usually called an old man, unless the infirmities of old age came upon him sooner than they commonly do, through his indefatigable labours from his childhood, and the cares and burdens of government he had long bore; though some think he was about sixty years of age; and Abarbinel is of opinion that he was more than seventy.

   “This verse implies a long period, probably not less than 20 years, of which we have no account except what is contained in the brief notice in 1Sa 7:13-17. The general idea conveyed is of a time of peace and prosperity, analogous to that under other Judges.

   Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 8:1→

   Verse page →Original language →

7. 1 Samuel 8:3

   But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.

   ›Commentary on 1 Samuel 8:32 voices

   “But possibly you flatter yourself that since the bishop who has made you a deacon is a holy man, his merits will atone for your transgressions. I have already told you that the father is not punished for the son or the son for the father. "The soul that sins shall itself die." Samuel too had sons who forsook the fear of the Lord and "turned aside after lucre" and iniquity.

   “His sons walked not in his ways - Their iniquity is pointed out in three words: 1. They turned aside after lucre; the original (בצע batsa) signifies to cut, clip, break off; and therefore Mr. Parkhurst thinks that it means nearly the same with our clipping of coin. It however expresses here the idea of avarice, of getting money by hook or by crook. The Targum says, “They looked after ממון דשקר mamon dishkar, the mammon of unrighteousness;” of which they did not make unto themselves friends but enemies; see the note on Mat 6:24.

   Everything gathered on 1 Samuel 8:3→

   Verse page →Original language →

8. 1 Kings 15:19

   “Let there be a treaty between me and you, between my father and your father. See, I have sent you a gift of silver and gold. Now go and break your treaty with Baasha king of Israel, so that he will withdraw from me.”

   ›Commentary on 1 Kings 15:192 voices

   “There is a league between me and thee - Or, Let there be a league between me and thee; as there was between my father and thy father. There was no reason why Asa should have emptied his treasures at this time to procure the aid of the Syrian king; as it does not appear that there was any danger which himself could not have turned aside. He probably wished to destroy the kingdom of Israel; and to effect this purpose, even robbed the house of the Lord.

   “Here he sinned, (1.) In tempting Benhadad to break his league, and so to violate the public faith. If he did wrong in doing it, as certainly he did, Asa did wrong in persuading him to do it. (2.) In that he could not trust God, who had done so much for him, to free him out of this strait, without using such indirect means to help himself.

   Everything gathered on 1 Kings 15:19→

   Verse page →Original language →

9. Nehemiah 6:10–13

   Later, I went to the house of Shemaiah son of Delaiah, the son of Mehetabel, who was confined to his house. He said: “Let us meet at the house of God inside the temple. Let us shut the temple doors because they are coming to kill you—by night they are coming to kill you!”

   ›Commentary on Nehemiah 6:10–131 voice

   “Who was shut up - Lived in a sequestered, solitary state; pretending to sanctity, and to close intercourse with God. Let us meet together in the house of God - The meaning is, “Shut yourself up in the temple; appear to have taken sanctuary there, for in it alone can you find safety.” This he said to discourage and disgrace him, and to ruin the people; for, had Nehemiah taken his advice, the people would have been without a leader, their enemies would have come upon them at once, and they would have been an easy prey.

   Everything gathered on Nehemiah 6:10–13→

   Verse page →Original language →

10. Esther 3:9

    If it pleases the king, let a decree be issued to destroy them, and I will deposit ten thousand talents of silver into the royal treasury to pay those who carry it out.”

    ›Commentary on Esther 3:92 voices

    “Ten thousand talents of silver - According to Herodotus, the regular revenue of the Persian king consisted of 14,560 silver talents; so that, if the same talent is intended, Haman’s offer would have exceeded two-thirds of one year’s revenue (or two and one-half million British pound sterling). Another Persian subject, Pythius, once offered to present Xerxes with four millions of gold darics, or about four and one-half pounds.

    “This, he thought, would be a powerful inducement to the king to consent, and would obviate the strongest objection against him, which was that the government must needs sustain loss in its revenues by the destruction of so many of its subjects; so great a sum, he hoped, would be equivalent for that.

    Everything gathered on Esther 3:9→

    Verse page →Original language →

11. Job 15:34

    For the company of the godless will be barren, and fire will consume the tents of bribery.

    ›Commentary on Job 15:342 voices

    “Rather, The binding together of the hypocrites (wicked) shall be fruitless [UMBREIT]. tabernacles of bribery--namely, dwellings of unjust judges, often reprobated in the Old Testament (Isa 1:23). The "fire of God" that consumed Job's possessions (Job 1:16) Eliphaz insinuates may have been on account of Job's bribery as an Arab sheik or emir.

    “The congregation of hypocrites - 11. Job is here classed with hypocrites, or rather the impious of all kinds. The congregation, or עדת adath, society, of such, shall be desolate, or a barren rock, גלמוד galmud. See this Arabic word explained in the note on Job 3:7 (note). Fire shall consume the tabernacles of bribery - 12. Another insinuation against Job, that he had perverted justice and judgment, and had taken bribes.

    Everything gathered on Job 15:34→

    Verse page →Original language →

12. Psalms 26:9

    Do not take my soul away with sinners, or my life with men of bloodshed,

    ›Commentary on Psalms 26:91 voice

    “Gather not my soul with sinners. Lord, when, like fruit, I must be gathered, put me not in the same basket with the best of sinners, much less with the worst of them. The company of sinners is so distasteful to us here, that we cannot endure the thought of being bound up in the same bundle with them to all eternity. Our comfort is, that the Great Husbandman discerns the tares from the wheat, and will find a separate place for distinct characters.

    Everything gathered on Psalms 26:9→

    Verse page →Original language →

13. Psalms 26:10

    in whose hands are wicked schemes, whose right hands are full of bribes.

    ›Commentary on Psalms 26:102 voices

    “In whose hands is mischief. They have both hands full of it, plotting it and carrying it out. And their right hand, with which they are most dexterous, is full of bribes; like thieves who would steal with impunity, they carry a sop for the dogs of justice. He who gives bribes is every way as guilty as the man who takes them, and in the matter of our parliamentary elections the rich villain who give the bribe is by far the worse.

    “In whose hands is mischief,.... Every abominable wickedness; as idolatry, adultery, murder, &c. the word signifies and is sometimes used for mischief conceived in the mind, artificially devised and contrived there; here mischief committed, the hand being the instrument of action, and intends whatever is prejudicial to the person, character, and properties of men; and their right hand is full of bribes; whereby the eyes of judges are blinded, the words of the righteous perverted, men's persons respected, and judgment wrested, Deu 16:19.

    Everything gathered on Psalms 26:10→

    Verse page →Original language →

14. Proverbs 15:27

    He who is greedy for unjust gain brings trouble on his household, but he who hates bribes will live.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 15:271 voice

    “Gifts - There is a special application to the office of the judge. The Aramaic Targum paraphrases the first words of this passage as: “he who gathers the mammon of unrighteousness,” using the words with special reference to wealth obtained by unjust judgments. May we infer that Christ’s adoption of that phrase Luk 16:9 had a point of contact with this proverb, through the version then popularly used in the synagogues of Palestine?

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 15:27→

    Verse page →Original language →

15. Proverbs 17:8

    A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 17:82 voices

    “A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it,.... Or "is a stone of grace" (h), the note of similitude being wanting.

    “A gift is as a precious stone - It both enriches and ornaments. In the latter clause there is an evident allusion to cut stones. Whithersoever you turn them, they reflect the light, are brilliant and beautiful.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 17:8→

    Verse page →Original language →

16. Proverbs 17:23

    A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.

    ›Commentary on Proverbs 17:232 voices

    “A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom,.... Of another, of a rich man, who takes it out from thence, and offers it to him as a bribe. This he takes in the most secret manner, that it might not be seen by others; though the Arabic version renders it, "he that receives a gift in his own bosom commits iniquity"; it is true of both the giver and the receiver; the one gives out of his bosom, and the other takes if from thence, and puts it into his own, and both are wicked.

    “The words “out of the bosom,” from the fold of the garment, rather than from the bag or girdle in which money was usually carried, possibly point to the stealthiness with which the “gift” (or, bribe) is offered to the judge.

    Everything gathered on Proverbs 17:23→

    Verse page →Original language →