Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 28:21
To have respect of persons [is] not good: for for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress.
21. For that man will transgress ] Or, Neither that a man should transgress, R.V. The rendering of A.V., however, which is retained substantially in R.V. marg., has the support both of LXX. and Vulg.
a piece of bread ] Dean Plumptre, in Speaker’s Comm., and others quote the words of Cato with reference to M. Clius, “frusto panis conduci potest, vel uti taceat, vel uti loquatur,” A. Gell., Noct. Att. i. 15.
transgress ] i.e., as the former clause indicates, pervert justice by shewing partiality.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
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).
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
When a man hath once vitiated his conscience, and accustomed himself to take bribes, a very small advantage will make him sell justice, and his own soul into the bargain. The design of the proverb is to warn men to take heed of the beginnings of that sin, and consequently of other sins.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
21. respect of persons (Pr24:23). Such are led to evil by the slightest motive.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole 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, Le 19:15; nor in religious assemblies, making a difference between the rich and the poor, Jas 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 Eze 13:19.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
With a proverb, in the first half of which is repeated the beginning of the second appendix, Pro 24:23, a new group commences:
21 Respect of persons is not good;
And for a morsel of bread a man may become a transgressor.
Line first refers to the administration of justice, and line second – the special generalized – to social life generally. The “morsel of bread,” as example of a bribe by means of which the favour of the judge is purchased, is too low a conception. Hitzig well: “even a trifle, a morsel of bread (1Sa 2:36), may, as it awakens favour and dislike within us, thus in general call forth in the will an inclination tending to draw one aside from the line of strict rectitude.” Geier compares A Gellius’ Noct. Att. i. 15, where Cato says of the Tribune Coelius: Frusto panis conduci potest vel ut taceat vel ut loquatur .
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
21 To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
Note, 1. It is a fundamental error in the administration of justice, and that which cannot but lead men to abundance of transgression, to consider the parties concerned more than the merits of the cause, so as to favour one because he is a gentleman, a scholar, my countryman, my old acquaintance, has formerly done me a kindness, or may do me one, or is of my party and persuasion, and to bear hard on the other party because he is a stranger, a poor man, has done me an ill turn, is or has been my rival, or is not of my mind, or has voted against me. Judgment is perverted when any consideration of this kind is admitted into the scale, any thing but pure right. 2. Those that are partial will be paltry. Those that have once broken through the bonds of equity, though, at first, it must be some great bribe, some noble present, that would bias them, yet, when they have debauched their consciences, they will, at length, be so sordid that for a piece of bread they will give judgment against their consciences; they will rather play at small game than sit out.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Bribed By A Pittance
Verse 21 emphasizes the shamefulness of a judge or man of any position who for a bribe is willing to act contrary to what is right and just, Pro 18:5; Eze 13:19. The example cited in Pro 28:21 of the bribe of no more than a piece of bread suggests the extreme vulnerability of man to the temptation to act’ first to his own advantage. Many Scriptures condemn such, Exo 23:8; Pro 17:23; Isa 1:23; Isa 5:23; Isa 33:15; Amo 5:12.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(21) For, for a piece of bread.A thing proverbially of little value. (Comp. Eze. 13:19.)
That man will transgress.So degrading is the habit of servility.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
21. To have respect of persons Literally, to know faces.
For a piece of bread That is, for the smallest bribe. While this proverb has special application to magistrates, it is also applicable to others. Compare Eze 13:19. Cato said of M. Caelius: “With a crust of bread he can be hired either to speak or to keep silent.” Comp. Pro 6:26 ; 1Sa 2:36. The Septuagint varies in the first clause: “He that reverences not the person of the just is not good.”
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 28:21 To have respect of persons [is] not good: for for a piece of bread [that] man will transgress.
Ver. 21. To have respect of persons is not good. ] See Trapp on “ Pro 24:23 “
For, for a piece of bread.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
persons. Hebrew “faces”, put by Figure of speech Synecdoche (of Part), App-6, for persons.
that man = [even] a strong man.
transgress. Hebrew. pasha’. App-44.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 28:21
Pro 28:21
“To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.”
“The first line here is also found in Pro 24:23, referring there, as it does here, to the administration of justice. See our comments there. “Some renditions here give the thought that a judge given to favoritism will swerve from the right decision upon the very smallest of temptations, `a crust of bread.’ Kidner warned that, with regard to favoritism, “The preacher is just as vulnerable as the judge.
Pro 28:21. The first statement is found in Pro 18:5 also. We should not have respect of persons when it comes to right and wrong, truth and error. Wrong is wrong even if our best friend does it, and right is right even if somebody does it who doesnt like us personally. God will not save those who have not obeyed the gospel even if they are our relatives or friends. He has no respect of mens persons (Rom 2:11). The second statement of our verse is probably mentioning another thing that should not be done; namely, transgressing for a paltry gain. Of course, the two statements might be related as when a judge would show respect for persons for a small bribe.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
respect: Pro 18:5, Pro 24:23, Exo 23:2, Exo 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. Eze 13:19, Hos 4:18, Mic 3:5, Mic 7:3, Rom 16:18, 2Pe 2:3
Reciprocal: Jdg 18:4 – hired me Isa 29:21 – and turn Amo 2:7 – pant Mar 14:11 – and promised Jam 2:1 – with
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 28:21. To have respect of persons is not good It is a fundamental error in the administration of justice, and that which will lead men to many transgressions, to consider the quality of the parties concerned more than the merits of the cause; for a piece of bread that man will transgress When a man hath once accustomed himself to take bribes, a very small advantage will make him sell justice, and his own soul into the bargain. The design of this proverb is to warn men to take heed of the beginnings of that sin, and consequently of all other sins.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
28:21 To have respect of persons [is] not good: for for a piece of {k} bread [that] man will transgress.
(k) He will be abused for nothing.