Proverbs 17:8

17:8 A bribe works like ¹  a charm ²  for the one who offers it; ³ 

in whatever he does ⁴  he succeeds. ⁵ 

Proverbs 17:23

17:23 A wicked person receives a bribe secretly ⁶ 

to pervert ⁷  the ways of justice.

Proverbs 18:16

18:16 A person’s gift ⁸  makes room for him,

and leads him ⁹  before important people.

Proverbs 19:6

19:6 Many people entreat the favor ¹⁰  of a generous person, ¹¹ 

and everyone is the friend ¹²  of the person who gives gifts. ¹³ 

Genesis 32:20

32:20 You must also say, ‘In fact your servant Jacob is behind us.’” ¹⁴  Jacob thought, ¹⁵  “I will first appease him ¹⁶  by sending a gift ahead of me. ¹⁷  After that I will meet him. ¹⁸  Perhaps he will accept me.” ¹⁹ 

Genesis 43:11

43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Take some of the best products of the land in your bags, and take a gift down to the man – a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.

Genesis 43:1

The Second Journey to Egypt

43:1 Now the famine was severe in the land. ²⁰ 

Genesis 25:1

The Death of Abraham

25:1 Abraham had taken ²¹  another ²²  wife, named Keturah.

[17:8]  ¹ tn The phrase “works like” does not appear in the Hebrew text, but is implied by the metaphor; it is supplied for the sake of clarity.

[17:8]  ² tn Heb “a stone of favors”; NAB, NRSV “a magic stone.” The term שֹׁחַד (shokhad, “bribe”) could be simply translated as “a gift”; but the second half of the verse says that the one who offers it is successful. At best it could be a gift that opens doors; at worst it is a bribe. The word שֹׁחַד is never used of a disinterested gift, so there is always something of the bribe in it (e.g., Ps 15:5; Isa 1:23). Here it is “a stone that brings favor,” the genitive being the effect or the result of the gift. In other words, it has magical properties and “works like a charm.”

[17:8]  ³ tn Heb “in the eyes of its owner.”

[17:8]  ⁴ tn Heb “in all that he turns”; NASB, NIV “wherever he turns.”

[17:8]  ⁵ sn As C. H. Toy points out, the sage is merely affirming a point without making a comment – those who use bribery meet with widespread success (Proverbs [ICC], 341). This does not amount to an endorsement of bribery.

[17:23]  ⁶ sn The fact that the “gift” is given secretly (Heb “from the bosom” [מֵחֵיק, mekheq]; so NASB) indicates that it was not proper. Cf. NRSV “a concealed bribe”; TEV, CEV, NLT “secret bribes.”

[17:23]  ⁷ tn The form לְהַטּוֹת (lÿhattot) is the Hiphil infinitive construct of נָטָה (natah), meaning “to thrust away,” i.e., to “pervert.” This purpose clause clarifies that the receiving of the “gift” is for evil intent.

[18:16]  ⁸ sn The Hebrew term translated “gift” is a more general term than “bribe” (שֹׁחַד, shokhad), used in 17:8, 23. But it also has danger (e.g., 15:27; 21:14), for by giving gifts one might learn how influential they are and use them for bribes. The proverb simply states that a gift can expedite matters.

[18:16]  ⁹ sn The two verbs here show a progression, helping to form the synthetic parallelism. The gift first “makes room” (יַרְחִיב, yarkhiv) for the person, that is, extending a place for him, and then “ushers him in” (יַנְחֵנּוּ, yakhenu) among the greats.

[19:6]  ¹⁰ tn The verb יְחַלּוּ (yÿkhalu) is a Piel imperfect of חָלָה (khalah) meaning “to seek favor; to entreat favor; to mollify; to appease”; cf. NIV “curry favor.” It literally means “making the face of someone sweet or pleasant,” as in stroking the face. To “entreat the favor” of someone is to induce him to show favor; the action aims at receiving gifts, benefits, or any other kind of success.

[19:6]  ¹¹ tn Heb “the face of a generous man”; ASV “the liberal man.” The term “face” is a synecdoche of part (= face) for the whole (= person).

[19:6]  ¹² sn The proverb acknowledges the fact of life; but it also reminds people of the value of gifts in life, especially in business or in politics.

[19:6]  ¹³ tn Heb “a man of gifts.” This could be (1) attributive genitive: a man characterized by giving gifts or (2) objective genitive: a man who gives gifts (IBHS 146 §9.5.2b).

[32:20]  ¹⁴ tn Heb “and look, your servant Jacob [is] behind us.”

[32:20]  ¹⁵ tn Heb “for he said.” The referent (Jacob) has been specified in the translation for clarity. The Hebrew word מַקֵל (maqel), traditionally represents Jacob’s thought or reasoning, and is therefore translated “thought.”

[32:20]  ¹⁶ tn Heb “I will appease his face.” The cohortative here expresses Jacob’s resolve. In the Book of Leviticus the Hebrew verb translated “appease” has the idea of removing anger due to sin or guilt, a nuance that fits this passage very well. Jacob wanted to buy Esau off with a gift of more than five hundred and fifty animals.

[32:20]  ¹⁷ tn Heb “with a gift going before me.”

[32:20]  ¹⁸ tn Heb “I will see his face.”

[32:20]  ¹⁹ tn Heb “Perhaps he will lift up my face.” In this context the idiom refers to acceptance.

[43:1]  ²⁰ tn The disjunctive clause gives supplemental information that is important to the storyline.

[25:1]  ²¹ tn Or “took.”

[25:1]  ²² tn Heb “And Abraham added and took.”