Deuteronomy 16:19
in Deuteronomy 16Do 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.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
Thou shalt not wrest justice: thou shalt not respect persons; neither shalt thou take a bribe; for a bribe doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
KJV
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a gift: for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise, and pervert the words of the righteous.
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This verse in Deuteronomy 16
Commentary
8 notes on this verseThe ninth plague was of darkness, by which the covetous and avaricious are struck, because nothing so blinds a man as covetousness. Whence the Prophet: "Gifts and presents blind the eyes of the prudent and change the words of the just."
This site's exposition
Judges and officers shalt thou make thee
on Deuteronomy 16:18-19
Exodus 18:25 and Deuteronomy 1:15 set rulers over thousands and hundreds in one camp, and this verse plants judges and officers in all thy gates, which puts a court in every town of a people about to be spread over a land. Adam Clarke reads the officers as the men who carried out the sentence and checked the weights and measures in the markets, so the office covers enforcement as well as judgment. Verse 19 names the three ways a court fails, wresting judgment, respecting persons and taking a gift, and it argues the third rather than merely forbidding it, for a gift doth blind the eyes of the wise. Cases too hard for a local bench go up to the place which the LORD shall choose under 17:8-13.
The record, by era
The Church Fathers1 voice
Those who hear cases should decide them justly and not accept bribes at the expense of the innocent, "for gifts blind the hearts of the wise and change the words of the just." Otherwise, while they are acquiring money, they may lose their soul. No …
The Medieval Church1 voice
A commentator
BonaventureCollationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9 · Written in the 13th century.
proposed
Just as mercy is a friend of wisdom, so avarice is its enemy. The avaricious deride all who do not love money. "Gifts blind the eyes of the wise and alter the words of the just." They blind the eyes, not bodily, but spiritual; therefore …
The Puritans and the Awakening3 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.
), nor to take any gifts, which would tempt them to do wrong. This law had been given before, Exod. xxiii. (2.) They are charged to do justice to all: " That which is altogether just shalt thou follow,
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — leading-punctuation+unbalanced-parens+odd-straight-quotes
Thou shall not wrest judgment,....
1 more voice on this verse
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
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.
The words behind it
17 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| לֹא־ | lo'- | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַטֶּ֣ה | tateh | you will turn aside | H5186 → | 214 times |
| מִשְׁפָּ֔ט | mishpat | justice | H4941 → | 422 times |
| לֹ֥א | lo' | not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תַכִּ֖יר | takir | you will pay regard to | H5234 → | 49 times |
| פָּנִ֑ים | panim | faces | H6440 → | 2123 times |
| וְלֹא־ | velo'- | and not | H3808 → | 5168 times |
| תִקַּ֣ח | tikach | you will take | H3947 → | 966 times |
| שֹׁ֔חַד | shochad | a bribe | H7810 → | 23 times |
| כִּ֣י | ki | for | H3588 → | 4482 times |
| הַשֹּׁ֗חַד | hashochad | the bribe | H7810 → | 23 times |
| יְעַוֵּר֙ | yeaver | it makes blind | H5786 → | |
| עֵינֵ֣י | ʾeinei | [the] eyes of | H5869 → | 887 times |
| חֲכָמִ֔ים | chakhamim | wise [people] | H2450 → | 138 times |
| וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף | visalef | so it may pervert | H5557 → | |
| דִּבְרֵ֥י | divrei | [the] words of | H1697 → | 1440 times |
| צַדִּיקִֽם׃ | tzadikim | righteous [people] | H6662 → | 206 times |
לֹא־not
lo'-H3808 →5168 times
תַטֶּ֣הyou will turn aside
tatehH5186 →214 times
מִשְׁפָּ֔טjustice
mishpatH4941 →422 times
לֹ֥אnot
lo'H3808 →5168 times
תַכִּ֖ירyou will pay regard to
takirH5234 →49 times
פָּנִ֑יםfaces
panimH6440 →2123 times
וְלֹא־and not
velo'-H3808 →5168 times
תִקַּ֣חyou will take
tikachH3947 →966 times
שֹׁ֔חַדa bribe
shochadH7810 →23 times
כִּ֣יfor
kiH3588 →4482 times
הַשֹּׁ֗חַדthe bribe
hashochadH7810 →23 times
יְעַוֵּר֙it makes blind
yeaverH5786 →
עֵינֵ֣י[the] eyes of
ʾeineiH5869 →887 times
חֲכָמִ֔יםwise [people]
chakhamimH2450 →138 times
וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ףso it may pervert
visalefH5557 →
דִּבְרֵ֥י[the] words of
divreiH1697 →1440 times
צַדִּיקִֽם׃righteous [people]
tzadikimH6662 →206 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Deuteronomy 10:17For the LORD your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
it leads to
- Acts 10:34
Then Peter began to speak: “I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism,
- Romans 2:11
For God does not show favoritism.
- Daniel 2:47
The king said to Daniel, “Your God is truly the God of gods and Lord of kings, the Revealer of Mysteries, since you were able to reveal this mystery.”
- Nehemiah 9:32
So now, our God, the great and mighty and awesome God who keeps His gracious covenant, do not view lightly all the hardship that has come upon us, and upon our kings and leaders,…
- Galatians 2:6
But as for the highly esteemed—whatever they were makes no difference to me; God does not show favoritism—those leaders added nothing to me.
- Acts 10:34
Through
Leviticus 19:15You must not pervert justice; you must not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the rich; you are to judge your neighbor fairly.
it leads to
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Show no partiality in judging; hear both small and great alike. Do not be intimidated by anyone, for judgment belongs to God. And bring to me any case too difficult for you, and I…
- Proverbs 24:23
These also are sayings of the wise: To show partiality in judgment is not good.
- Deuteronomy 1:17
Through
Exodus 23:2You shall not follow the crowd in wrongdoing. When you testify in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd.
it leads to
- Proverbs 1:10–11
My son, if sinners entice you, do not yield to them.
- Proverbs 1:10–11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Deuteronomy
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bonaventure, Collationes de Decem Praeceptis, Collation 7; Bonaventure, Collationes de Septem Donis, Collation 9; Caesarius of Arles, SERMONS 13.2; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763); John Wesley, Explanatory Notes upon the Old Testament and Matthew Henry, Commentary on the Whole Bible.