DEU 16

Deuteronomy 16:19

WEB

You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality. You shall not take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.

BSB

Do not deny justice or show partiality. Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and twists the words of the righteous.

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.

Matthew Henry

Verses 18–22

Deuteronomy 16:18–22

Here is, I. Care taken for the due administration of justice among them, that controversies might be determined, matters in variance adjusted, the injured redressed, and the injurious punished. While they were encamped in the wilderness, they had judges and officers according to their numbers, rulers of thousands and hundreds, Exo 18:25. When they came to Canaan, they must have them according to their towns and cities, in all their gates; for the courts of judgment sat in the gates. Now, 1. Here is a commission given to these inferior magistrates: "Judges to try and pass sentence, and officers to execute their sentences, shalt thou make thee." However the persons were pitched upon, whether by the nomination of their sovereign or by the election of the people, the power were ordained of God, Rom 13:1. And it was a great mercy to the people thus to have justice brought to their doors, that it might be more expeditious and less expensive, a blessing which we of this nation ought to be very thankful for. Pursuant to this law, besides the great sanhedrim that sat at the sanctuary, consisting of seventy elders and a president, there was in the larger cities, such as had in them above 120 families, a court of twenty-three judges, in the smaller cities a court of three judges. See this law revived by Jehoshaphat, Ch2 19:5, Ch2 19:8. 2. Here is a command given to these magistrates to do justice in the execution of the trust reposed in them. Better not judge at all than not judge with just judgment, according to the direction of the law and the evidence of the fact. (1.) The judges are here cautioned not to do wrong to any (Deu 16:19), nor to take any gifts, which would tempt them to do wrong. This law had been given before, Exo 23:8. (2.) They are charged to do justice to all: "That which is altogether just shalt thou follow, Deu 16:20. Adhere to the principles of justice, act by the rules of justice, countenance the demands of justice, imitate the patterns of justice, and pursue with resolution that which appears to be just. Justice, justice, shalt thou follow." This is that which the magistrate is to have in his eye, on this he must be intent, and to this all personal regards must be sacrificed, to do right to all and wrong to none.

II. Care taken for the preventing of all conformity to the idolatrous customs of the heathen, Deu 16:21, Deu 16:22. They must not only not join with the idolaters in their worships, not visit their groves, nor bow before the images which they had set up, but, 1. They must not plant a grove, nor so much as a tree, near God's altar lest they should make it look like the altars of the false gods. They made groves the places of their worship either to make it secret (but that which is true and good desires the light rather), or to make it solemn, but the worship of the true God has enough in itself to make it so and needs not the advantage of such a circumstance. 2. They must not set up any image, statue, or pillar, to the honour of God, for it is a thing which the Lord hates; nothing belies or reproaches him more, or tends more to corrupt and debauch the minds of men, than representing and worshipping by an image that God who is an infinite and eternal Spirit.

Cross-references: Exod 18:25 · Rom 13:1 · 2Chr 19:5 · 2Chr 19:8 · Deut 16:19 · Exod 23:8 · Deut 16:20 · Deut 16:21 · Deut 16:22

Hebrew interlinear

H3808

לֹאlôʼ/lo/

adv — not, no

Derivation: or לוֹא; or לֹה; (Deuteronomy 3:11), a primitive particle;

not (the simple or abs. negation); by implication, no; often used with other particles

KJV: × before, or else, ere, except, ig(-norant), much, less, nay, neither, never, no((-ne), -r, (-thing)), (× as though...,(can-), for) not (out of), of nought, otherwise, out of, surely, as truly as, of a truth, verily, for want, whether, without.

לֹא

adv — not

לֹא or לוֹא adv. not

H5186

נָטָהnâṭâh/naw-taw'/

v — stretch, bend

Derivation: a primitive root;

to stretch or spread out; by implication, to bend away (including moral deflection); used in a great variety of application (as follows)

KJV: afternoon, apply, bow (down, -ing), carry aside, decline, deliver, extend, go down, be gone, incline, intend, lay, let down, offer, outstretched, overthrown, pervert, pitch, prolong, put away, shew, spread (out), stretch (forth, out), take (aside), turn (aside, away), wrest, cause to yield.

נָטָה

vb — stretch out

נָטָה 215 vb. stretch out, spread out, extend, incline, bend

Qal

1.

a. stretch out, extend, hand, rod

b. stretch line and plummet

c. = offer

2. Spread out, i.e. pitch, tent

3. Bend, turn, incline

Niph. be stretched out

Hiph.

1. rarely stretch out, hand

2. rarely spread out cloth on rock

3. usu. turn, incline

H4941

מִשְׁפָּטmishpâṭ/mish-pawt'/

n-m — verdict, sentence, law, justice, right, privilege, style

Derivation: from 8199;

properly, a verdict (favorable or unfavorable) pronounced judicially, especially a sentence or formal decree (human or (participant's) divine law, individual or collective), including the act, the place, the suit, the crime, and the penalty; abstractly, justice, including a participant's right or privilege (statutory or customary), or even a style

KJV: adversary, ceremony, charge, × crime, custom, desert, determination, discretion, disposing, due, fashion, form, to be judged, judgment, just(-ice, -ly), (manner of) law(-ful), manner, measure, (due) order, ordinance, right, sentence, usest, × worthy, wrong.

מִשְׁפָּט

n.m — judgment

מִשְׁפָּט 422 n.m. judgment

1. judgment

2. justice, right, rectitude

3. ordinance

4. decision

5. one's (legal) right, privilege, due

6.

a. proper, fitting, measure

b. custom, manner

c. what manner of

d. plan

H5234

נָכַרnâkar/naw-kar'/

v — scrutinize, recognition, acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, disregard, ignore, be strange, reject, resign, dissimulate

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to scrutinize, i.e. look intently at; hence (with recognition implied), to acknowledge, be acquainted with, care for, respect, revere, or (with suspicion implied), to disregard, ignore, be strange toward, reject, resign, dissimulate (as if ignorant or disowning)

KJV: acknowledge, × could, deliver, discern, dissemble, estrange, feign self to be another, know, take knowledge (notice), perceive, regard, (have) respect, behave (make) self strange(-ly).

נכר

vb. denom — act as foreign

[נכר] vb. denom. act or treat as foreign, or strange; disguise, misconstrue

Niph. with his lips a hater disguiseth himself

Pi. and they have treated this place as foreign

Hithp. he acted as a stranger toward them

נָכַר

vb — regard

[נָכַר] vb. (not Qal) regard, recognize

Niph. they are not recognized

Pi. he regardeth not the opulent above the poor

Hiph.

1. regard, observe, esp. with a view to recognition

2. Recognize (as formerly known)

3. Be willing to recognize, acknowledge

4. Be acquianted with

5. Distinguish, understand

Hithp. Impf by his deeds a youth maketh himself known, whether his doing be pure, etc.

H6440

פָּנִיםpânîym/paw-neem'/

n-m — face, before

Derivation: plural (but always as singular) of an unused noun פָּנֶה; from 6437);

the face (as the part that turns); used in a great variety of applications (literally and figuratively); also (with prepositional prefix) as a preposition (before, etc.)

KJV: accept, a-(be-) fore(-time), against, anger, × as (long as), at, battle, because (of), beseech, countenance, edge, employ, endure, enquire, face, favour, fear of, for, forefront(-part), form(-er time, -ward), from, front, heaviness, × him(-self), honourable, impudent, in, it, look(-eth) (-s), × me, meet, × more than, mouth, of, off, (of) old (time), × on, open, out of, over against, the partial, person, please, presence, propect, was purposed, by reason of, regard, right forth, serve, × shewbread, sight, state, straight, street, × thee, × them(-selves), through ( -out), till, time(-s) past, (un-) to(-ward), upon, upside ( down), with(-in, -stand), × ye, × you.

פָּנֶה

n.m — face

[פָּנֶה], pl. פָּנִים 2123 n.m. face, also faces

I.

1. face, faces

2.

a. presence, person

b. technically, see one's face, i.e. appear before one, in one's presence

3. face of seraphim

4. face of animals

5. face (= surface) of ground

6. as adv.loc. before

7. for other phrases

II. with prepositions

H3947

לָקַחlâqach/law-kakh'/

v — take

Derivation: a primitive root;

to take (in the widest variety of applications)

KJV: accept, bring, buy, carry away, drawn, fetch, get, infold, × many, mingle, place, receive(-ing), reserve, seize, send for, take (away, -ing, up), use, win.

לָקַח

vb — take

לָקַח 965 vb. take

Qal

1. take, take in hand

2. take and carry along with oneself

3.

a. take from, or out of

b. take, carry away

c. take away from, so as to deprive of

d. esp. take away life

4. take to or for a person

5. take up, upon = put upon

6. = fetch

7. take = lead, conduct (with or without contact)

8. take = capture, seize

9. take = carry off

10. in phr. take vengeance

Niph.

1. be captured, of ark

2. be taken away, removed

3. be taken, brought unto

Pu.

1. be taken from, out of

2. = be stolen from

3. be taken captive

4. be taken away, removed

Hoph.

1. be taken, brought unto

2. be taken out of

3. be taken away from

Hithp. lit. fire taking hold of itself, of lightning

H7810

שַׁחַדshachad/shakh'-ad/

n-m — donation

Derivation: from 7809;

a donation (venal or redemptive)

KJV: bribe(-ry), gift, present, reward.

שֹׁ֫חַד

n.m — present

שֹׁ֫חַד n.m. present, specif. bribe

H3588

כִּיkîy/kee/

conj — relative conjunction

Derivation: a primitive particle (the full form of the prepositional prefix) indicating causal relations of all kinds, antecedent or consequent;

(by implication) very widely used as a relative conjunction or adverb (as below); often largely modified by other particles annexed

KJV: and, (forasmuch, inasmuch, where-) as, assured(-ly), but, certainly, doubtless, else, even, except, for, how, (because, in, so, than) that, nevertheless, now, rightly, seeing, since, surely, then, therefore, (al-) though, till, truly, until, when, whether, while, whom, yea, yet.

כִּי

conj — that

כִּי conj. that, for, when

1. that

2.

a. Of time, when, of the past

b. elsewhere כִּי has a force approximating to if, though it usu. represents a case as more likely to occur than אִם

c. when or if, with a concessive force, i.e. though

3. Because, since

כִּי אם־

relative conjunction

כִּי אם־

1. each part. retaining its independent force, and relating to a different clause:

a. that if

b. for if

2. (About 140 t.) the two particles being closely conjoined, and relating to the same clause—

a. limiting the prec. clause, except

b. the if being neglected, and treated as pleonastic, so that the clause is no longer a limitation of the preceding clause but a contradiction of it: but rather, but

c. after an oath, surely

כִּי עַל כֵּן

forasmuch as

כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as

H5786

עָוַרʻâvar/aw-var'/

v — blind

Derivation: a primitive root (rather denominatively from 5785 through the idea of a film over the eyes);

to blind

KJV: blind, put out. See also 5895.

עָוַר

vb — make blind

[עָוַר] vb. Pi. make blind, blind

H5869

עַיִןʻayin/ah'-yin/

n-f — eye, fountain, eye

Derivation: probably a primitive word;

an eye (literally or figuratively); by analogy, a fountain (as the eye of the landscape)

KJV: affliction, outward appearance, before, think best, colour, conceit, be content, countenance, displease, eye((-brow), (-d), -sight), face, favour, fountain, furrow (from the margin), × him, humble, knowledge, look, ( well), × me, open(-ly), (not) please, presence, regard, resemblance, sight, × thee, × them, think, × us, well, × you(-rselves).

עַ֫יִן

n.f — spring

עַ֫יִן n.f. spring (of water). Particular springs are:

a. ע׳ חֲרֹר Ju 7:1

b. ע׳ הַקּוֹרֵא (partridge-spring) Ju 15:19

c. ע׳ רֹגֵל near Jerus.

d. ע׳ הַתַּנִּין (dragon-spring)

עַ֫יִן

n.f — eye

עַ֫יִן 859 n.f. eye

1. lit. as physical organ

2.

a. eyes as showing mental qualities

b. desire of the eyes, abominations of the eyes

3. Fig. of mental and physical faculties, acts and states

2. Transferred mngs.:

a. visible surface of earth

b. appearance

c. gleam, sparkle

5. Other phrases are: an eye for an eye; eye to eye; in the presence of, in full view of; of business transaction; on the forehead

H2450

חָכָםchâkâm/khaw-kawm'/

a — wise

Derivation: from 2449;

wise, (i.e. intelligent, skilful or artful)

KJV: cunning (man), subtil, (un-), wise((hearted), man).

חָכָם

adj — wise

חָכָם adj. wise

1. skilful in technical work

2. wise in the administration of affairs

3. shrewd, crafty, cunning

4. pl. class of learned and shrewd men, incl. astrologers, magicians and the like

5. prudent

6. wise, ethically and religiously

H5557

סָלַףçâlaph/saw-laf'/

v — wrench, subvert

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to wrench, i.e. (figuratively) to subvert

KJV: overthrow, pervert.

סָלַף

vb — twist

סָלַף vb. twist, pervert, overturn

Pi.

1. pervert

2. subvert, turn upside down, ruin

H1697

דָּבָרdâbâr/daw-baw'/

n-m — word, matter, spoken, thing, cause

Derivation: from 1696;

a word; by implication, a matter (as spoken of) or thing; adverbially, a cause

KJV: act, advice, affair, answer, × any such (thing), because of, book, business, care, case, cause, certain rate, chronicles, commandment, × commune(-ication), concern(-ing), confer, counsel, dearth, decree, deed, × disease, due, duty, effect, eloquent, errand, (evil favoured-) ness, glory, harm, hurt, iniquity, judgment, language, lying, manner, matter, message, (no) thing, oracle, × ought, × parts, pertaining, please, portion, power, promise, provision, purpose, question, rate, reason, report, request, × (as hast) said, sake, saying, sentence, sign, so, some (uncleanness), somewhat to say, song, speech, × spoken, talk, task, that, × there done, thing (concerning), thought, thus, tidings, what(-soever), wherewith, which, word, work.

דָּבָר

n.m — speech

דָּבָר 1439 n.m. speech, word

I. sg. speech, discourse, saying, word, as the sum of that which is spoken

II. sg. saying, utterance, sentence, as a section of a discourse

III. sg. a word, words

IV. sg. matter, affair, thing about which one speaks

H6662

צַדִּיקtsaddîyq/tsad-deek'/

a — just

Derivation: from 6663;

just

KJV: just, lawful, righteous (man).

צַדִּיק

adj — just

צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous

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