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

17Every one of you must give as you are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you. 18You must appoint judges and civil servants for each tribe in all your villages that the Lord your God is giving you, and they must judge the people fairly. You must not pervert justice or show favor. Do not take a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and distort the words of the righteous. 20You must pursue justice alone so that you may live and inherit the land the Lord your God is giving you. 21You must not plant any kind of tree as a sacred Asherah pole near the altar of the Lord your God which you build for yourself.

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 24:17You must not pervert justice due a resident foreigner or an orphan, or take a widow’s garment as security for a loan.
• Deuteronomy 27:19‘Cursed is the one who perverts justice for the resident foreigner, the orphan, and the widow.’ Then all the people will say, ‘Amen!’
• Exodus 23:2“You must not follow a crowd in doing evil things; in a lawsuit you must not offer testimony that agrees with a crowd so as to pervert justice,
• Leviticus 19:15“‘You must not deal unjustly in judgment: you must neither show partiality to the poor nor honor the rich. You must judge your fellow citizen fairly.
• 1 Samuel 8:3But his sons did not follow his ways. Instead, they made money dishonestly, accepted bribes, and perverted justice.
• 1 Samuel 12:3Here I am. Bring a charge against me before the Lord and before his chosen king. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I wronged? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I taken a bribe so that I would overlook something? Tell me, and I will return it to you!”
• Job 31:21if I have raised my hand to vote against the orphan, when I saw my support in the court,
• Proverbs 17:23A wicked person receives a bribe secretly to pervert the ways of justice.
• Ecclesiastes 7:7Surely oppression can turn a wise person into a fool; likewise, a bribe corrupts the heart.
• Isaiah 1:17Learn to do what is right! Promote justice! Give the oppressed reason to celebrate! Take up the cause of the orphan! Defend the rights of the widow!
• Isaiah 33:15The one who lives uprightly and speaks honestly; the one who refuses to profit from oppressive measures and rejects a bribe; the one who does not plot violent crimes and does not seek to harm others –
• Jeremiah 5:28That is how they have grown fat and sleek. There is no limit to the evil things they do. They do not plead the cause of the fatherless in such a way as to win it. They do not defend the rights of the poor.
• Ezekiel 22:12They take bribes within you to shed blood. You engage in usury and charge interest; you extort money from your neighbors. You have forgotten me, declares the sovereign Lord.
• Micah 7:3They are determined to be experts at doing evil; government officials and judges take bribes, prominent men make demands, and they all do what is necessary to satisfy them.
• Habakkuk 1:4For this reason the law lacks power, and justice is never carried out. Indeed, the wicked intimidate the innocent. For this reason justice is perverted.
• Zephaniah 3:3Her princes are as fierce as roaring lions; her rulers are as hungry as wolves in the desert, who completely devour their prey by 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