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Read the Bible

THE MESSAGE

Proverbs 28:21

Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bribery;   Justice;   Respect of Persons;   The Topic Concordance - Favoritism;  

Dictionaries:

- American Tract Society Bible Dictionary - Respect of Persons;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Greek Versions of Ot;   Proverbs, Book of;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Face;  

Encyclopedias:

- International Standard Bible Encyclopedia - Face;  

Parallel Translations

Christian Standard Bible®
It is not good to show partiality—yet even a courageous person may sin for a piece of bread.
Hebrew Names Version
To show partiality is not good; Yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
King James Version
To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
English Standard Version
To show partiality is not good, but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
New American Standard Bible
To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
New Century Version
It is not good for a judge to take sides, but some will sin for only a piece of bread.
Amplified Bible
To have regard for one person over another and to show favoritism is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
World English Bible
To show partiality is not good; Yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
Geneva Bible (1587)
To haue respect of persons is not good: for that man will transgresse for a piece of bread.
Legacy Standard Bible
To show partiality is not good,Even for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
Berean Standard Bible
To show partiality is not good, because a man may sin for a piece of bread.
Contemporary English Version
It isn't right to be unfair, but some people can be bribed with only a piece of bread.
Complete Jewish Bible
To show partiality is not good, though a person may do wrong for a crust of bread.
Darby Translation
To have respect of persons is not good; but for a piece of bread will a man transgress.
Easy-to-Read Version
It is wrong for a judge to support someone simply because he knows them. But some judges will change their decisions for the price of a loaf of bread.
George Lamsa Translation
A man who shows partiality is not good; for a piece of bread a man will become a traitor.
Good News Translation
Prejudice is wrong. But some judges will do wrong to get even the smallest bribe.
Lexham English Bible
Showing partiality is not good, and over a morsel of bread, a strong man will do wrong.
Literal Translation
To respect faces is not good, yea, for a man will transgress for a piece of bread.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
To haue respecte of personnes in iudgment is not good: And why? he will do wronge, yee euen for a pece of bred.
American Standard Version
To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.
Bible in Basic English
It is not good to have respect for a man's position: for a man will do wrong for a bit of bread.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
To have respect of persons is not good; for a man will transgress for a piece of bread.
King James Version (1611)
To haue respect of persons, is not good: for, for a piece of bread that man will transgresse.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
To haue respect of persons [in iudgement] is not good, for that man wyll do wrong, yea euen for a peece of bread.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A hearth for coals, and wood for fire; and railing man for the tumult of strife.
English Revised Version
To have respect of persons is not good: neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
He that knowith a face in doom, doith not wel; this man forsakith treuthe, yhe, for a mussel of breed.
Update Bible Version
To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a [noble] man should transgress for a piece of bread.
Webster's Bible Translation
To have respect of persons [is] not good: for, for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress.
New English Translation
To show partiality is terrible, for a person will transgress over the smallest piece of bread.
New King James Version
To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.
New Living Translation
Showing partiality is never good, yet some will do wrong for a mere piece of bread.
New Life Bible
To show favor is not good, because a man will sin for a piece of bread.
New Revised Standard
To show partiality is not good— yet for a piece of bread a person may do wrong.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
To take note of faces in judgment , is not good, and, for a bit of bread, a man will transgress.
Douay-Rheims Bible
He that hath respect to a person in judgment, doth not well: such a man even for a morsel of bread forsaketh the truth.
Revised Standard Version
To show partiality is not good; but for a piece of bread a man will do wrong.
Young's Literal Translation
To discern faces is not good, And for a piece of bread doth a man transgress.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
To show partiality is not good, Because for a piece of bread a man will transgress.

Contextual Overview

21 Playing favorites is always a bad thing; you can do great harm in seemingly harmless ways.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

respect: Proverbs 18:5, Proverbs 24:23, Exodus 23:2, Exodus 23:8

for: Erasmus observes that this expression probably originated from the circumstance of holding out a piece of bread to a dog, in order to soothe him. Ezekiel 13:19, Hosea 4:18, Micah 3:5, Micah 7:3, Romans 16:18, 2 Peter 2:3

Reciprocal: Judges 18:4 - hired me Isaiah 29:21 - and turn Amos 2:7 - pant Mark 14:11 - and promised James 2:1 - with

Cross-References

2 Samuel 19:24
Next Mephibosheth grandson of Saul arrived from Jerusalem to welcome the king. He hadn't combed his hair or trimmed his beard or washed his clothes from the day the king left until the day he returned safe and sound. The king said, "And why didn't you come with me, Mephibosheth?"
2 Samuel 19:30
Mephibosheth said, "Oh, let him have it all! All I care about is that my master the king is home safe and sound!"
2 Kings 5:17
"If you won't take anything," said Naaman, "let me ask you for something: Give me a load of dirt, as much as a team of donkeys can carry, because I'm never again going to worship any god other than God . But there's one thing for which I need God 's pardon: When my master, leaning on my arm, enters the shrine of Rimmon and worships there, and I'm with him there, worshiping Rimmon, may you see to it that God forgive me for this."

Gill's Notes on the Bible

To have respect of persons [is] not good, c, In courts of judicature, to give a cause or pass sentence in favour of a person, because he is rich, or is a relation, a friend, an acquaintance, or has done a kindness and against another, because of the reverse, Leviticus 19:15; nor in religious assemblies, making a difference between the rich and the poor, James 2:1; this is not good in itself, nor productive of good effects, and cannot be well pleasing to God, who himself is no respecter of persons;

for for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress; the laws of God and men; having used himself to such unrighteous methods of proceeding, he will do any base action for a small gain, he will stick at nothing, and do it for anything; as Cato used to say of M. Coelius the tribune,

"that he might be hired, for a morsel of bread, to speak or hold his peace;''

see Ezekiel 13:19.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

Dishonest partiality leads men who have enslaved themselves to it to transgress, even when the inducement is altogether disproportionate. A “piece of bread” was proverbial at all times as the most extreme point of poverty (compare the marginal reference).


 
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