Deuteronomy 16:19
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What's really striking here is how the text doesn't just say "don't take bribes." It explains why – a bribe “blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.” This isn't just about unfair outcomes; it's about a fundamental corruption that makes even intelligent, well-meaning people incapable of seeing or speaking the truth.
You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.
English Standard Version (ESV)
This verse follows immediately after instructions on appointing just judges and officers throughout Israel's cities. Moses is emphasizing how these leaders must administer justice fairly, without showing favoritism or accepting bribes, because such corruption blinds their discernment and undermines what is right.
Ever felt unfairly treated because of who someone is or what they have? This ancient command speaks directly to that.
This verse lays out a powerful foundation for justice, rooted in impartiality. It directly addresses the judges, but the principle applies to all of us who interact with others.
No Respect of Persons
The Ban on Bribes
Ask a follow-up
Why would God warn so strongly against accepting a 'gift'? This verse reveals the deep, hidden damage it causes.
The latter half of Deuteronomy 16:19 explains why bribes are so destructive:
Blinding the Wise
Subverting Justice
Understand the original words
natah · Hebrew Verb
To twist, corrupt, or divert the course of legal proceedings, usually for personal gain or biased motives, failing to uphold truth.
panim (lit: faces) · Hebrew Noun/Idiom
Favoring one person over another in legal or social matters based on external status, wealth, or relationship rather than merit or truth.
shochad · Hebrew Noun
A gift or payment given to influence a person in a position of authority to act in a way that violates justice or integrity.
tsaddiq · Hebrew Adjective
The state of being morally upright, innocent, or in right standing with God's law; acting according to God's standard of fairness.
This passage directly parallels the command against accepting bribes, highlighting that a bribe can blind even wise judges and distort justice.
Proverbs 17:23This proverb echoes the idea that a bribe is given secretly, underscoring its corrupting influence and its ability to distort judgment in the eyes of the one receiving it.
Isaiah 1:23This prophetic passage condemns rulers who love bribes and chase after rewards, showing the long-standing pattern of corrupt leadership that perverts justice, even for the vulnerable.
Amos 5:12Amos directly confronts those who trample the needy and take bribes, demonstrating that this sin against justice is a grave offense that God notices and will judge.
Matthew 22:16Even in Jesus' time, the Pharisees and Herodians tried to trap Him with a question about paying taxes, showing how political and religious leaders often sought to use tricky questions to compromise His integrity, mirroring the attempt to pervert justice through manipulation.
gillDeuteronomy 16:19: "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."
Thou shall not wrest judgment,.... Or pervert it, pass a wrong sentence, or act contrary to justice; this is said to the judges as a direction to them, and so what follows: thou shalt not respect persons; so as to give the cause on account of outward circumstances and relations; as in favour of a rich man aga…
ellicottDeuteronomy 16:19: "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."
(19) See Exodus 23:6 ; Exodus 23:8 .
What's really striking here is how the text doesn't just say "don't take bribes." It explains why – a bribe “blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.” This isn't just about unfair outcomes; it's about a fundamental corruption that makes even intelligent, well-meaning people incapable of seeing or speaking the truth.
This verse follows immediately after instructions on appointing just judges and officers throughout Israel's cities. Moses is emphasizing how these leaders must administer justice fairly, without showing favoritism or accepting bribes, because such corruption blinds their discernment and undermines what is right.
This verse follows immediately after instructions on appointing just judges and officers throughout Israel's cities. Moses is emphasizing how these leaders must administer justice fairly, without showing favoritism or accepting bribes, because such corruption blinds their discernment and undermines what is right.
"You shall not pervert justice. You shall not show partiality, and you shall not accept a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous." — What's really striking here is how the text doesn't just say "don't take bribes." It explains why – a bribe “blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of the righteous.” This isn't just ab…
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Last reviewed October 2026
