Deuteronomy 16:19

Deuteronomy 16:19 in other versions

• King James Version (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.
• New International Version (NIV)Do not pervert justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the innocent.
• English Standard Version (ESV)You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
• New King James Version (NKJV)You shall not pervert justice; you shall not show partiality, nor take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

Context of Deuteronomy 16:19

17Everyone must appear with a gift suited to his means, according to the blessing the Lord your God has given you. 18“Appoint judges and officials for your tribes in all your towns the Lord your God is giving you. They are to judge the people with righteous judgment. Do not deny justice or show partiality to anyone. Do not accept a bribe, for it blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous. 20Pursue justice and justice alone, so that you will live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you. 21“Do not set up an Asherah of any kind of wood next to the altar you will build for the Lord your God,

Deuteronomy 16:19 word by word

לֹא־תַטֶּ֣ה מִשְׁפָּ֔ט לֹ֥א תַכִּ֖יר פָּנִ֑ים וְלֹא־תִקַּ֣ח שֹׁ֔חַד כִּ֣י הַשֹּׁ֗חַד יְעַוֵּר֙ עֵינֵ֣י חֲכָמִ֔ים וִֽיסַלֵּ֖ף דִּבְרֵ֥י צַדִּיקִֽם׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Thou shalt not wrestנָטָהnâţâh · to stretchH5186
• judgmentמִשְׁפָּטmishpâţ · justiceH4941
• thou shalt not respectנָכַרnâkar · to recognizeH5234
• personsפָּנֶהpânîym · face: kindnessH6440
• neither takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: recieveH3947
• a giftשֹׁ֫חַדshachad · bribeH7810
• doth blindעָוַר‛âvar · to blindH5786
• the eyesעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• of the wiseחָכָםchâkâm · wiseH2450
• and pervertסָלַףsâlaph · to pervertH5557
• the wordsדָּבָרdâbâr · word: caseH1697
• of the righteousצַדִּיקtsaddîyq · righteousH6662

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 16:19

• Deuteronomy 24:17Do not deny justice to a resident alien or fatherless child, and do not take a widow’s garment as security.
• Deuteronomy 27:19‘The one who denies justice to a resident alien, a fatherless child, or a widow is cursed.’ And all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
• Exodus 23:2“You must not follow a crowd in wrongdoing. Do not testify in a lawsuit and go along with a crowd to pervert justice.
• Leviticus 19:15“Do not act unjustly when deciding a case. Do not be partial to the poor or give preference to the rich; judge your neighbor fairly.
• 1 Samuel 8:3However, his sons did not walk in his ways — they turned toward dishonest profit, took bribes, and perverted justice.
• 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am. Bring charges against me before the Lord and his anointed: Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Who have I wronged or mistreated? Who gave me a bribe to overlook something? I will return it to you.”
• Job 31:21if I ever cast my vote against a fatherless child when I saw that I had support in the city gate,
• Proverbs 17:23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.
• Ecclesiastes 7:7Surely, the practice of extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the mind.
• Isaiah 1:17Learn to do what is good. Pursue justice. Correct the oppressor. Defend the rights of the fatherless. Plead the widow’s cause.
• Isaiah 33:15The one who lives righteously and speaks rightly, who refuses profit from extortion, whose hand never takes a bribe, who stops his ears from listening to murderous plots and shuts his eyes against evil schemes —
• Jeremiah 5:28They have become fat and sleek. They have also excelled in evil matters. They have not taken up cases, such as the case of the fatherless, so they might prosper, and they have not defended the rights of the needy.
• Ezekiel 22:12People who live in you accept bribes in order to shed blood. You take interest and profit on a loan and brutally extort your neighbors. You have forgotten me. This is the declaration of the Lord God.
• Micah 7:3Both hands are good at accomplishing evil: the official and the judge demand a bribe; when the powerful man communicates his evil desire, they plot it together.
• Habakkuk 1:4This is why the law is ineffective and justice never emerges. For the wicked restrict the righteous; therefore, justice comes out perverted.
• Zephaniah 3:3The princes within her are roaring lions; her judges are wolves of the night, which leave nothing for the morning.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 16:19

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 These verses are closely connected in subject with the following chapter, and introduce certain directions for the administration of justice and the carrying on of the civil government of the people in Canaan. During the lifetime of Moses, he himself, especially inspired and guided by God, was sufficient, with the aid of the subordinate judges (compare Exodus 18:13 ff), for the duties in question. But now that Moses was to be withdrawn, and…Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 18-22Verses 18-22 Care is taken for the due administration of justice. All personal regards must be laid aside, so that right is done to all, and wrong to none. Care is taken to prevent following the idolatrous customs of the heathen. Nothing belies God more, or tends more to corrupt the minds of men, than representing and worshipping, by an image, that God, who is an almighty and eternal Spirit, present every where. Alas! even in gospel days, and under a…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 19show partiality: See study note on 1:16–17.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 18-2018-20. 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 Ottoman Porte derived its name from the administration of justice at its gates.Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 16:19

• Bribery
• Injustice
• Integrity
• Judge
• Justice
• Rulers

In the dictionaries

• Gift
• Inherit
• Atonement, Day of
• Blindness, Judicial
• Calendar
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Face
• Genesis
• Judge

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 16

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings