Bible Dictionaries
Bribery

Holman Bible Dictionary

Giving anything of value with intention of influencing one in the discharge of his or her duties. The danger of bribery is the opportunity it presents for the perversion of justice (see 1 Samuel 8:3; Proverbs 17:23; Isaiah 1:23; Micah 3:11; Micah 7:3 ). The poor, because they had no bribe to offer, were either discriminated against when the judgment was handed down or had difficulty getting a trial at all (see Job 6:22 where a bribe is necessary to get justice done). Bribery, because it perverted justice, is prohibited in the Bible ( Exodus 23:8; Deuteronomy 16:19 ).