Deuteronomy 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.

Cross-reference

Deuteronomy 1:16 commands judges to judge righteously, reinforcing the same call for impartial justice.

Deuteronomy 1:17 explicitly forbids partiality in judgment, directly paralleling the command in 16:19.

Deuteronomy 10:17 describes God as impartial and not taking bribes, the divine basis for the human command.

In Deuteronomy 24:17, the same prohibition against perverting justice is applied specifically to sojourners, fatherless, and widows.

In Deuteronomy 27:19, a curse is pronounced on anyone who perverts justice for the vulnerable, reinforcing the warning.

Deuteronomy 27:25 pronounces a curse on anyone taking a bribe to kill an innocent — a specific, severe application of the bribe prohibition here.

In 1 Samuel 12:3, Samuel asserts he never took bribes, providing a positive example of integrity in justice.

Isaiah 1:23 Allusion

Isaiah 1:23 condemns rulers who love bribes and fail to bring justice, directly illustrating the perversion condemned in Deuteronomy.

Ecclesiastes 7:7 states that a bribe corrupts the heart, echoing the blinding effect of bribes in Deuteronomy 16:19.

Proverbs 24:23 states that partiality in judging is not good, directly reinforcing the command against favoritism.

Isaiah 33:15 describes the righteous person who shakes hands from taking a bribe, modeling the obedience Deuteronomy commands.

Proverbs 17:23 directly parallels the warning: a wicked person takes a bribe in secret to pervert justice.

Ezekiel 22:12 explicitly names taking bribes to shed blood, showing the extreme consequence of perverting justice.

Micah 7:3 Allusion

Micah 7:3 portrays judges asking for bribes, directly illustrating the corruption Deuteronomy 16:19 forbids.

Zephaniah 3:3-5 condemns corrupt leaders who pervert justice, echoing the same warning against bribery and partiality.

Job 31:21 Parallel

In Job 31:21, Job claims he did not oppress the fatherless, aligning with the command not to pervert justice for the vulnerable.

Acts 10:34 Parallel

In Acts 10:34, Peter declares God shows no partiality — directly echoing the OT prohibition against respecting persons in judgment.

In 1 Samuel 8:3, Samuel's sons exemplify the sin forbidden — taking bribes and perverting justice, showing the command's relevance.

In Leviticus 19:15, the command to judge righteously without partiality directly parallels the prohibition of showing partiality.

Exodus 23:8 Parallel

Exodus 23:8 gives the same prohibition against bribes, saying they blind the wise—nearly identical to 16:19.

In Exodus 23:6-8, the same warning against taking bribes uses identical language about blinding the eyes and subverting justice.

Exodus 23:2 Parallel

In Exodus 23:2, the command not to follow the majority to pervert justice complements the prohibition of partiality and bribery.

Acts 24:26 Historical context

Acts 24:26 shows Felix hoping for a bribe from Paul, a concrete example of the bribery that perverts justice as warned here.

John 7:24 Parallel

John 7:24 echoes this command to judge righteously, not by appearances, reinforcing the call for impartial justice.

James 2:1 Parallel

James 2:1 warns against showing partiality, directly applying this Old Testament principle to Christian faith practice.

Romans 2:11 Parallel

Romans 2:11 states God shows no partiality, contrasting human failure but reinforcing the divine standard behind this command.

Exodus 18:21 Related theme

Exodus 18:21 specifies that judges must hate dishonest gain — the positive counterpart to the bribe prohibition here.

Isaiah 5:23 Parallel

Isaiah 5:23 pronounces woe on those who acquit the guilty for a bribe—a direct example of the injustice prohibited here.

Proverbs 18:5 condemns partiality to the wicked and depriving the righteous of justice—exactly the perversion warned against here.

Proverbs 15:27 contrasts the greedy with those who hate bribes—reinforcing the value of rejecting bribes stated here.

Psalm 26:10 Parallel

Psalm 26:10 depicts the wicked with their right hands full of bribes—illustrating the corruption condemned here.

Psalm 15:5 Parallel

Psalm 15:5 describes the righteous as one who does not take a bribe against the innocent—mirroring the ban on bribes here.

Job 32:21 Allusion

In Job 32:21, Elihu vows not to show partiality—directly echoing the same prohibition against favoritism in justice here.

2 Chronicles 19:7 directly quotes the same principle — no respect of persons or taking gifts — as Jehoshaphat charges the judges.

1 Kings 21:8 shows Jezebel using the elders to falsely convict Naboth — a narrative of corrupt justice that violates this command.

1 Samuel 8:1 introduces Samuel's sons as judges; the next verse shows they took bribes and perverted justice — a negative example of this command.

Isaiah 1:17 Parallel

Isaiah 1:17 positively commands seeking justice for the vulnerable, complementing the prohibition of perverting justice.

Jeremiah 5:28 depicts the wicked who do not defend the needy, showing the result of ignoring justice as warned in Deuteronomy.

Mark 12:14 Parallel

Mark 12:14 notes Jesus does not show partiality—embodying the impartial judgment commanded here.

Habakkuk 1:4 laments that justice is perverted, echoing the theme of Deuteronomy's warning against perverting justice.

1 Timothy 6:10 Related theme

1 Timothy 6:10 links love of money to all kinds of evil, illustrating the root motive behind the bribery condemned here.

Exodus 23:7 Related theme

Exodus 23:7 warns against false charges and killing the innocent, another aspect of not perverting justice.