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.
• 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.
• New Living Translation (NLT)You must never twist justice or show partiality. Never accept a bribe, for bribes blind the eyes of the wise and corrupt the decisions of the godly.

Context of Deuteronomy 16:19

17Each of you must bring a gift in proportion to the way the Lord your God has blessed you. 18Appoint judges and officials for each of your tribes in every town the Lord your God is giving you, and they shall judge the people fairly. 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. 20Follow justice and justice alone, so that you may live and possess the land the Lord your God is giving you. 21Do not set up any wooden Asherah pole beside the altar you build to 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 deprive the foreigner or the fatherless of justice, or take the cloak of the widow as a pledge.
• Deuteronomy 27:19“Cursed is anyone who withholds justice from the foreigner, the fatherless or the widow.” Then all the people shall say, “Amen!”
• Exodus 23:2“Do not follow the crowd in doing wrong. When you give testimony in a lawsuit, do not pervert justice by siding with the crowd,
• Leviticus 19:15“ ‘Do not pervert justice; do not show partiality to the poor or favoritism to the great, but judge your neighbor fairly.
• 1 Samuel 8:3But his sons did not follow his ways. They turned aside after dishonest gain and accepted bribes and perverted justice.
• 1 Samuel 12:3Here I stand. Testify against me in the presence of the Lord and his anointed. Whose ox have I taken? Whose donkey have I taken? Whom have I cheated? Whom have I oppressed? From whose hand have I accepted a bribe to make me shut my eyes? If I have done any of these things, I will make it right.”
• Job 31:21if I have raised my hand against the fatherless, knowing that I had influence in court,
• Proverbs 17:23The wicked accept bribes in secret to pervert the course of justice.
• Ecclesiastes 7:7Extortion turns a wise person into a fool, and a bribe corrupts the heart.
• Isaiah 1:17Learn to do right; seek justice. Defend the oppressed. Take up the cause of the fatherless; plead the case of the widow.
• Isaiah 33:15Those who walk righteously and speak what is right, who reject gain from extortion and keep their hands from accepting bribes, who stop their ears against plots of murder and shut their eyes against contemplating evil—
• Jeremiah 5:28and have grown fat and sleek. Their evil deeds have no limit; they do not seek justice. They do not promote the case of the fatherless; they do not defend the just cause of the poor.
• Ezekiel 22:12In you are people who accept bribes to shed blood; you take interest and make a profit from the poor. You extort unjust gain from your neighbors. And you have forgotten me, declares the Sovereign Lord.
• Micah 7:3Both hands are skilled in doing evil; the ruler demands gifts, the judge accepts bribes, the powerful dictate what they desire— they all conspire together.
• Habakkuk 1:4Therefore the law is paralyzed, and justice never prevails. The wicked hem in the righteous, so that justice is perverted.
• Zephaniah 3:3Her officials within her are roaring lions; her rulers are evening wolves, who 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