A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
Parallel translations
- WEB A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
- KJV A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
- NKJV A man’s gift makes room for him, And brings him before great men.
- NASB A person’s gift makes room for him And brings him before great people.
- NLT Giving a gift can open doors; it gives access to important people!
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
A gift can open doors and gain access to influential people. The proverb observes this social reality without endorsing bribery.
Overview
This proverb notes, as an observation of how life works, that a man's gift makes room for him and grants access to the great. It describes a social reality rather than commending bribery, which Scripture elsewhere condemns (Prov. 17:23). Read wisely, it commends generosity and timely kindness while leaving the moral evaluation to context, reminding believers to give in ways that honor God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 7
- Prov 19:6Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.
- Gen 43:11Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
- Gen 33:10But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
- Prov 17:8A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
- 1 Sam 25:27Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
- Gen 32:20You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
- Prov 21:14A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 18:16 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.