A gift or bribe in these passages must be examined through the transaction and the justice it affects. Exodus and Deuteronomy prohibit receiving bribes that blind judgment and distort the cause of the righteous.
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Full entry for שַׁחַד (H7810) · Open the biblical lexicon
A gift or bribe in these passages must be examined through the transaction and the justice it affects. Exodus and Deuteronomy prohibit receiving bribes that blind judgment and distort the cause of the righteous.
The BSB source-word alignment has 23 aligned rows for this entry. Common renderings include a bribe (9), bribe (3), bribes (3), . . . (1), a gift (1).
The source-word alignment first shows this entry at Exodus 23:8. Its strongest book concentrations include Deuteronomy (4), Isaiah (4), Proverbs (4), Exodus (2).
A gift or bribe in these passages must be examined through the transaction and the justice it affects. Exodus and Deuteronomy prohibit receiving bribes that blind judgment and distort the cause of the righteous. Deuteronomy declares that the Lord is impartial and does not take a bribe. Samuel's sons accept bribes and pervert justice, which remains wrongdoing despite their appointed office.
Proverbs describes how a bribe appears effective to its giver and also condemns taking one secretly to bend justice. Describing its perceived success does not command imitation. Teach who gives, who receives and whose cause is harmed. The vocabulary cannot make every gift corrupt merely by its name, approve paying for favorable treatment, or allow a church to replace impartial care with access purchased by a donor.
Commands, divine impartiality, failed judges and wisdom observations distinguish the apparent effectiveness of a payment from its corrupting effect on justice. The transaction and its victims govern assessment.
Do not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds those who see and twists the words of the righteous.
The prohibition names bribery's blinding effect and its distortion of the righteous person's cause.
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.
The instructions forbid partiality and bribery within the appointment of judges and pursuit of justice.
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, mighty, and awesome God, showing no partiality and accepting no bribe.
The Lord's impartiality and refusal of bribes stand beside His justice for vulnerable people.
But his sons did not walk in his ways; they turned aside toward dishonest gain, accepting bribes and perverting justice.
Samuel's sons turn to dishonest gain, accept bribes and pervert justice rather than walking in his ways.
A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
The proverb describes a bribe's apparent value in its giver's eyes, not a command to buy favorable judgment.
A wicked man takes a covert bribe to subvert the course of justice.
The wicked person accepts a concealed bribe to bend the paths of justice, identifying the corrupt purpose.
BSB source-word alignment connects this entry to exact verse rows, English rendering, source form, transliteration, and parsing.
How English Renders ItA compact distribution from source-word alignment before the full evidence tables.
Hebrew word. Bribe that corrupts justice; a gift given to pervert judgment or secure favor illegally
Bribe that corrupts justice; a gift given to pervert judgment or secure favor illegally
a donation (venal or redemptive) BDB: present Usage: bribe(-ry), gift, present, reward.
How this word appears across different grammatical cases and numbers.
Selected passage-level study witnesses for this word. This section is not the full occurrence list.
Showing 1 selected witness from 23 lexical occurrence verses.
שַׁחַד is built from this root:
It reveals systemic corruption in both civic and religious leadership.Micah 3:9-12
Compound and idiomatic phrases that include this word. Follow a link to study the phrase and how its parts work together.
Bribery concerns more than the movement of money or a gift. Exodus and Deuteronomy name the distortion of judgment and the cause of the righteous person who suffers from it. The Lord's refusal of bribes in Deuteronomy accompanies His impartial regard and care for vulnerable people. Samuel's sons show that office does not prevent dishonest gain or the perversion of justice.
Proverbs 17 then requires careful attention to perspective: the giver sees a bribe as effective, while the later saying condemns a secretly accepted payment that bends justice. The observation of success must not erase the condemnation of its purpose. A congregation can examine whether donations, favors or personal connections purchase access and protection.
Clear procedures and impartial care serve people whose needs cannot compete financially, without alleging that every gift is corrupt or presenting a successful bribe as practical wisdom to follow.
Deut.16.19
The licensed gift and bribe range requires the actual transaction and stated purpose rather than a moral judgment from the noun alone. Twenty-three directly tagged BSB tokens in twenty-one verses remain separate from the canonical twenty-three, with repeated tokens counted by their own witness method.
James 2:1-13 confronts favorable treatment of a richly dressed visitor while a poor person is dishonored. This is a canonical comparison with impartial justice rather than a direct quotation of the Hebrew bribe noun; James' appeal to mercy and the royal law addresses how neighbors are treated.