Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 18:16
A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
16. Comp. Pro 17:8; Pro 19:6.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The gift (or, bribe), by a bold personification, appears as the powerful friend at court, who introduces another, and makes him welcome in high places.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Verse 16. A man’s gift maketh room for him] It is, and ever has been, a base and degrading practice in Asiatic countries, to bring a gift or present to the great man into whose presence you come. Without this there is no audience, no favour, no justice. This arose from the circumstance that men must not approach the altar of God without an offering. Potentates, wishing to be considered as petty gods, demanded a similar homage: –
Munera, crede mihi, capiunt hominesque deosque;
Placatur donis Jupiter ipse suis.
OVID
“Believe me, gifts prevail much with both gods and men:
even Jupiter himself is pleased with his own offerings.”
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
Maketh room for him; procures him free access to great men. Heb. enlargeth him, as this very phrase is rendered, Psa 4:1, and elsewhere; freeth him from straits and oppressions.
Bringeth him before great men; gets him favour and free conversation with them.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
16. (Compare Pro 17:8;Pro 17:23). Disapproval of thefact stated is implied.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
A man’s gift maketh room for him,…. Or “enlarges him” y; brings him out of prison, or, or out of straits and difficulties with which he, has, been pressed; or it makes way for him to a judge, and for a favourable hearing of his cause; or it enlarges his acquaintance, and gains him respect among men;
and bringeth him before great men; it opens a way for him into the presence and company of great men, being a fee to their servants; or with it he procures a place to wait on them. It is not necessary to understand it of a gift by way of bribe; but to introduce a person to another, and render him acceptable, and appease anger; as in the cases of Jacob and Abigail, Ge 32:20.
y .
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
16 A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Of what great force gifts (that is, bribes) are he had intimated before, Pro 17:8; Pro 17:23. Here he shows the power of gifts, that is, presents made even by inferiors to those that are above them and have much more than they have. A good present will go far, 1. Towards a man’s liberty: A man’s gift, if he be in prison, may procure his enlargement; there are courtiers, who, if they use their interest even for oppressed innocency, expect to receive a gratuity for it. Or, if a mean man know not how to get access to a great man, he may do it by a fee to his servants or a present to himself; those will make room for him. 2. Towards his preferment. It will bring him to sit among great men, in honour and power. See how corrupt the world is when men’s gifts will not do, though ever so great; nay, will gain that for them which they are unworthy of and unfit for; and no wonder that those take bribes in their offices who gave bribes for them. Vendere jura potest, emerat ille prius–He that bought law can sell it.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Use of Gifts
Verse 16 declares that a man’s gift may open the way for him to have audience with great men. This is not an endorsement of using the bribe for evil or the perverting of justice as in Pro 17:23. See also Gen 32:13-20; Gen 43:11; 1Sa 17:17-18.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
CRITICAL NOTES.
Pro. 18:16. A mans gifts. Hebrew, adam, the gift of a man, however humble and low (Fausset).
MAIN HOMILETICS OF Pro. 18:16
THE INFLUENCE OF TALENT
Understanding the gift here spoken of as a special mental endowment (see Hitzig), we remark
I. That great abilities are gifts from God. There are certain mental capabilities which are the common inheritance of men in general, but it cannot be denied that there are men who, apart from all the differences made by circumstances and education, have capacities and abilities which far exceed those of ordinary men. The gift of one talent is more common than the gift of ten, yet both the ten and the one are gifts from the same hand. Although the Divine Creator gives to all men liberally, He does not give to all equally, but seeing that man is not responsible for this inequality, those who are most richly endowed should find in the fact of their superiority matter for gratitude and not for self-glorification.
II. Such a gift tends to the exaltation of the man who possesses it. It maketh room for him in the worldit opens up to him many opportunities of social advancement, and it bringeth him before great men,men who are either great in wealth and position or intellectually and morally great, or are great in both senses of the word. As surely as water will find its level, so a truly gifted man will find some outlet for his talentssome sphere large enough to use what has been bestowed upon him for the very purpose of being used. Even Daniel, although a captive in Babylon, found that the God-given powers within him made room for him at a heathen court and brought him before more than one mighty monarch.
III. Such a gift to a man is a gift for men. Although it tends to his own personal exaltation and benefit, it is not bestowed for that purpose only or chiefly. When God bestows upon one man capabilities and endowments far above the common order, He does not intend to bless that man alone by the gift, but he holds him responsible for the use of the power put into his handHe expects him so to employ his talents that his fellow-men also may be blessed by the gift. Thus the administrative ability which was bestowed upon Joseph was not given to him simply or chiefly to bring him before Pharaoh for his own advancement, but to bring blessing to the Egyptian nation, and to further Gods purposes concerning his own family. When the Lord reckons with His servants, He will account that talent mis-used which is used for self-aggrandisement alone.
Fuente: The Preacher’s Complete Homiletical Commentary Edited by Joseph S. Exell
(16) A mans gift.Judicious liberality maketh room for him, helps him to make his way through life. (Comp. Luk. 16:9, and the advice there given so to use temporal riches as to gain those of heaven.)
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
16. Maketh room for him Obtains for him greater liberty and privileges. In the East it has ever been the custom to bring presents to nobles and princes. They expect it, and it is ordinarily the only way to get an audience with them. See Land and Book, vol. ii, pp. 28, 369.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
v. 16. A man’s gift,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 18:16 A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Ver. 16. A man’s gift maketh room for him.] This Jacob Gen 43:11 knew well, and therefore bade his sons take a present for the governor of the land, though it were but of every good thing a little. So Saul, 1Sa 9:7 when to go to the man of God to inquire about the asses; “But behold, said he to his servant, if we go, what shall we bring the man? what have we?” See Trapp on “ Pro 17:8 “ See Trapp on “ Pro 17:23 “
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
man’s. Hebrew. ‘adam. App-14.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 18:16
Pro 18:16
“A man’s gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men.”
Toy denied that there is any reference to a bribe here. What is meant is that gifts from benevolent people (such as a philanthropist) are effective in bringing many honors to the giver. “He thus has a free field, access, not only to `great men’ but to respected institutions in society.
Pro 18:16. Pulpit Commentary: The Oriental custom of offering suitable gifts to one in authority, when a favor or an audience is desired, is here alluded to (1Sa 10:27; 1Ki 4:21; 1Ki 10:25). See also Gen 32:20; 1Sa 25:27. It is also true today that peoples gifts have opened doors to them in various realms.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
Pro 17:8, Pro 19:6, Pro 21:14, Gen 32:20, Gen 33:10, Gen 43:11, 1Sa 25:27
Reciprocal: Gen 21:27 – took Gen 24:31 – thou Gen 32:13 – a present Jdg 3:15 – sent a present 1Sa 16:20 – an ass laden 1Sa 25:18 – took two 1Sa 30:26 – to his friends 2Sa 16:1 – with a couple 2Ki 18:31 – Make an agreement with me Pro 17:23 – General
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 18:16. A mans gift maketh room for him Procures him free access to great men. Hebrew, , enlargeth him, as this very phrase is rendered Psa 4:1, and elsewhere; freeth him from straits and oppressions; and bringeth him before great men Procures him favour and free conversation with them.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
18:16 A man’s gift {i} maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
(i) Gets him liberty to speak, and the favour of them that are esteemed.
Fuente: Geneva Bible Notes
"Gift" is not necessarily a "bribe." The Hebrew word here (mattan, cf. Pro 15:27; Pro 21:14) is not the same as the one translated "bribe" in Pro 17:8; Pro 17:12 (sohad). It can be an innocent courtesy. It means what a person gives to someone else (cf. Gen 43:11). Waltke wrote that mattan describes a gift given for selfish reasons to gain an advantage over others, except in Pro 19:6. [Note: Ibid., p. 81.] Therefore it seems legitimate to apply it to one’s personal abilities (gifts) that he or she uses in the service of others as well as to material presents.