It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
Parallel translations
- WEB To be partial to the faces of the wicked is not good, nor to deprive the innocent of justice.
- BSB Showing partiality to the wicked is not good, nor is depriving the innocent of justice.
- NKJV It is not good to show partiality to the wicked, Or to overthrow the righteous in judgment.
- NASB To show partiality to the wicked is not good, Nor to suppress the righteous in judgment.
- NLT It is not right to acquit the guilty or deny justice to the innocent.
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
Favoring the guilty or denying the innocent justice is morally wrong. Partiality in judgment perverts true justice.
Overview
This proverb condemns showing favoritism to the wicked and thereby cheating the innocent of a fair verdict. Impartial justice is a recurring concern of Scripture, reflecting God's own character as the righteous Judge who shows no partiality (Deut. 1:17; Acts 10:34). The gospel both satisfies divine justice and extends impartial mercy to all who come to Christ, whatever their standing.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Lev 19:15Ye shall do no unrighteousness in judgment: thou shalt not respect the person of the poor, nor honor the person of the mighty: but in righteousness shalt thou judge thy neighbour.
- Deut 16:19Thou 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.
- Ps 82:2How long will ye judge unjustly, and accept the persons of the wicked? Selah.
- Prov 28:21To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
- Prov 17:15He that justifieth the wicked, and he that condemneth the just, even they both are abomination to the LORD.
- Prov 24:23These things also belong to the wise. It is not good to have respect of persons in judgment.
- Matt 22:16And they sent out unto him their disciples with the Herodians, saying, Master, we know that thou art true, and teachest the way of God in truth, neither carest thou for any man: for thou regardest not the person of men.
- Deut 1:16–17And I charged your judges at that time, saying, Hear the causes between your brethren, and judge righteously between every man and his brother, and the stranger that is with him.
- Isa 5:23Which justify the wicked for reward, and take away the righteousness of the righteous from him!
- 1 Kgs 21:9–14And she wrote in the letters, saying, Proclaim a fast, and set Naboth on high among the people:
- Job 34:19How much less to him that accepteth not the persons of princes, nor regardeth the rich more than the poor? for they all are the work of his hands.
- Mic 7:3That they may do evil with both hands earnestly, the prince asketh, and the judge asketh for a reward; and the great man, he uttereth his mischievous desire: so they wrap it up.
- Job 13:7–8Will ye speak wickedly for God? and talk deceitfully for him?
- Isa 59:14And judgment is turned away backward, and justice standeth afar off: for truth is fallen in the street, and equity cannot enter.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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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 18:5 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.