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Read the Bible

New Century Version

Proverbs 18:16

Taking gifts to important people will help get you in to see them.

Bible Study Resources

Concordances:

- Nave's Topical Bible - Bribery;   Prudence;   Thompson Chain Reference - Great;   Honour-Dishonour;   Men;   The Topic Concordance - Bribery;   Torrey's Topical Textbook - Presents;  

Dictionaries:

- Baker Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology - Gift;   Charles Buck Theological Dictionary - Pardon;   Holman Bible Dictionary - Proverbs, Book of;   Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible - Gift, Giving;   Wilson's Dictionary of Bible Types - Ift;   Watson's Biblical & Theological Dictionary - Gifts;  

Devotionals:

- Every Day Light - Devotion for January 15;  

Parallel Translations

English Standard Version
A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before the great.
Geneva Bible (1587)
A mans gift enlargeth him, and leadeth him before great men.
Christian Standard Bible®
A person’s gift opens doors for himand brings him before the great.
Hebrew Names Version
A man's gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Easy-to-Read Version
Gifts can open many doors and help you meet important people.
Amplified Bible
A man's gift [given in love or courtesy] makes room for him And brings him before great men.
American Standard Version
A man's gift maketh room for him, And bringeth him before great men.
Contemporary English Version
A gift will get you in to see anyone.
Complete Jewish Bible
A person's gift clears his way and gives him access to the great.
JPS Old Testament (1917)
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
King James Version (1611)
A mans gift maketh roome for him, & bringeth him before great men.
Brenton's Septuagint (LXX)
A man’s gift enlarges him, and seats him among princes.
English Revised Version
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Berean Standard Bible
A man's gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
Lexham English Bible
The gift of a person will open doors for him, and before the great, it gives him access.
Literal Translation
A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
New English Translation
A person's gift makes room for him, and leads him before important people.
New King James Version
A man's gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
New Living Translation
Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!
New Life Bible
A man's gift makes room for him, and brings him in front of great men.
J.B. Rotherham Emphasized Bible
The gift of a man, maketh room for him, and, before great men, setteth him down.
Douay-Rheims Bible
A man’s gift enlargeth his way, and maketh him room before princes.
George Lamsa Translation
A mans gifts make room for him and bring him before great men.
Good News Translation
Do you want to meet an important person? Take a gift and it will be easy.
New American Standard Bible
A person's gift makes room for him And brings him before great people.
King James Version
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Bishop's Bible (1568)
A mans gyft maketh an open way, to bryng hym before great men.
New Revised Standard
A gift opens doors; it gives access to the great.
Darby Translation
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Wycliffe Bible (1395)
The yift of a man alargith his weie; and makith space to hym bifore princes.
Young's Literal Translation
The gift of a man maketh room for him, And before the great it leadeth him.
World English Bible
A man's gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Revised Standard Version
A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
Update Bible Version
A gift of man makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
Webster's Bible Translation
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Bible in Basic English
A man's offering makes room for him, letting him come before great men.
Miles Coverdale Bible (1535)
Liberalite bryngeth a man to honor and worshipe, & setteth him amonge greate men.
THE MESSAGE
A gift gets attention; it buys the attention of eminent people.
New American Standard Bible (1995)
A man's gift makes room for him And brings him before great men.
Legacy Standard Bible
A man's gift makes room for himAnd leads him into the presence of great men.

Contextual Overview

16 Taking gifts to important people will help get you in to see them.

Bible Verse Review
  from Treasury of Scripure Knowledge

Proverbs 17:8, Proverbs 19:6, Proverbs 21:14, Genesis 32:20, Genesis 33:10, Genesis 43:11, 1 Samuel 25:27

Reciprocal: Genesis 21:27 - took Genesis 24:31 - thou Genesis 32:13 - a present Judges 3:15 - sent a present 1 Samuel 16:20 - an ass laden 1 Samuel 25:18 - took two 1 Samuel 30:26 - to his friends 2 Samuel 16:1 - with a couple 2 Kings 18:31 - Make an agreement with me Proverbs 17:23 - General

Cross-References

Acts 15:3
The church helped them leave on the trip, and they went through the countries of Phoenicia and Samaria, telling all about how the other nations had turned to God. This made all the believers very happy.
Acts 21:5
When we finished our visit, we left and continued our trip. All the followers, even the women and children, came outside the city with us. After we all knelt on the beach and prayed,
Romans 15:24
I hope to visit you on my way to Spain. After I enjoy being with you for a while, I hope you can help me on my trip.
3 John 1:6
They told the church about your love. Please help them to continue their trip in a way worthy of God.

Gill's Notes on the 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, Genesis 32:20.

y ירחיב.

Barnes' Notes on the Bible

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.

Clarke's Notes on the Bible

Verse Proverbs 18:16. 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."


 
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