Christian Standard Bible
Proverbs 17:8
8A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
Proverbs 17:8 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.
- New International Version (NIV)A bribe is seen as a charm by the one who gives it; they think success will come at every turn.
- English Standard Version (ESV)A bribe is like a magic stone in the eyes of the one who gives it; wherever he turns he prospers.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A present is a precious stone in the eyes of its possessor; Wherever he turns, he prospers.
Context of Proverbs 17:8
6Grandchildren are the crown of the elderly, and the pride of children is their fathers. 7Eloquent words are not appropriate on a fool’s lips; how much worse are lies for a ruler. A bribe seems like a magic stone to its owner; wherever he turns, he succeeds. 9Whoever conceals an offense promotes love, but whoever gossips about it separates friends. 10A rebuke cuts into a perceptive person more than a hundred lashes into a fool.
Read all of Proverbs 17Proverbs 17:8 word by word
אֶֽבֶן־חֵ֣ן הַ֭שֹּׁחַד בְּעֵינֵ֣י בְעָלָ֑יו אֶֽל־כָּל־אֲשֶׁ֖ר יִפְנֶ֣ה יַשְׂכִּֽיל׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 17:8
- Proverbs 17:23A wicked person secretly takes a bribe to subvert the course of justice.
- Psalms 18:16He reached down from on high and took hold of me; he pulled me out of deep water.
- Psalms 19:6It rises from one end of the heavens and circles to their other end; nothing is hidden from its heat.
- Psalms 27:13I am certain that I will see the Lord’s goodness in the land of the living.
- Psalms 29:4the voice of the Lord in power, the voice of the Lord in splendor.
- Exodus 23:8You must not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the clear-sighted and corrupts the words of the righteous.
- Deuteronomy 16:19Do 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.
- Genesis 33:9“I have enough, my brother,” Esau replied. “Keep what you have.”
- Genesis 43:11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and take them down to the man as a gift — a little balsam and a little honey, aromatic gum and resin, pistachios and almonds.
- 1 Samuel 25:35Then David accepted what she had brought him and said, “Go home in peace. See, I have heard what you said and have granted your request.”
- 2 Samuel 16:1When David had gone a little beyond the summit, Ziba, Mephibosheth’s servant, was right there to meet him. He had a pair of saddled donkeys loaded with two hundred loaves of bread, one hundred clusters of raisins, one hundred bunches of summer fruit, and a clay jar of wine.
- 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.
Commentaries on Proverbs 17:8
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 8A 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.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 8A half-satirical description of the power of bribery in palaces and among judges. The precious stone (literally as in the margin) is probably a gem, thought of as a talisman, which, “wherever it turns,” will ensure “prosperity” to him who, being the possessor, has the power to give it.Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 8Verse 8 Those who set their hearts upon money, will do any thing for it. What influence should the gifts of God have on our hearts!Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 88. One so corrupt as to take a bribe evinces his high estimate of it by subjection to its influence (Pr 18:16; 19:6).Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 17:8
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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