Amplified Bible
Proverbs 17:23
23A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocket To pervert the ways of justice.
Proverbs 17:23 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment.
- New International Version (NIV)The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice.
- English Standard Version (ESV)The wicked accepts a bribe in secret to pervert the ways of justice.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A wicked man accepts a bribe behind the back To pervert the ways of justice.
Context of Proverbs 17:23
21He who becomes the parent of a fool [who is spiritually blind] does so to his sorrow, And the father of a fool [who is spiritually blind] has no joy. 22A happy heart is good medicine and a joyful mind causes healing, But a broken spirit dries up the bones. A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocket To pervert the ways of justice. 24[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it], But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth. 25A foolish son is a grief and anguish to his father And bitterness to her who gave birth to him.
Read all of Proverbs 17Proverbs 17:23 word by word
שֹׁ֣חַד מֵ֭חֵיק רָשָׁ֣ע יִקָּ֑ח לְ֝הַטּ֗וֹת אָרְח֥וֹת מִשְׁפָּֽט׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 17:23
- Proverbs 17:8A bribe is like a bright, precious stone in the eyes of its owner; Wherever he turns, he prospers.
- Proverbs 18:16A man’s gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him And brings him before great men.
- Proverbs 21:14A gift in secret subdues anger, And a bribe [hidden] in the pocket, strong wrath.
- Exodus 23:8“You shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and subverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous.
- Deuteronomy 16:19You shall not distort justice; you shall not be partial, and you shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
- 1 Samuel 8:3His sons, however, did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after dishonest gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
- 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and [Saul] His anointed [if I have done someone wrong]. Whose ox have I taken, or whose donkey have I taken, or whom have I exploited? Whom have I oppressed or from whose hand have I taken a bribe to blind my eyes [to the truth]? [Tell me and] I will restore it to you.”
- Isaiah 1:23Your rulers are rebels And companions of thieves; Everyone loves bribes And chases after gifts. They do not defend the fatherless, Nor does the widow’s cause come before them [instead they delay or turn a deaf ear].
- Ezekiel 22:12In you they have accepted bribes to shed blood; you have taken [forbidden] interest and [a percentage of] profits, and you have injured your neighbors for gain by oppression and extortion, and you have forgotten Me,” says the Lord God.
- Micah 7:3Concerning evil, both of their hands pursue it and do it diligently and thoroughly; The prince asks, also the judge, for a bribe, And a great man speaks the [evil] desire of his soul. So they twist the course of justice between them.
- Mark 14:10Then Judas Iscariot, who was one of the twelve [disciples], went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them.
Commentaries on Proverbs 17:23
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 23A gift out of the bosom - Out of his purse; as in their bosoms, above their girdles, the Asiatics carry their purses. I have often observed this.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 23The 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.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 23Verse 23 The wicked are ready to part with their money, though loved, that they may not suffer for their crimes.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2323. a gift ... bosom--Money and other valuables were borne in a fold of the garment, called the bosom. to pervert--that is, by bribery.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 17:23
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 17
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
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