Reference: Gifts
American
Have been common from the earliest times as tokens of affection, honor, or respect. The dues to a king were often rendered in this form, 1Sa 10:27; Isa 36:16; and men of high position were approached with presents, Ge 43:11; Jg 6:18; 1Sa 9:7; 1Ki 14:3. Kings made gifts of garments to those they wished to honor, Ge 45:22-23; 1Sa 18:4; and of treasures to other princes, out of esteem or of fear, 2Ki 16:8; 18:14; 2Ch 9:9,12. Conquerors scattered gifts from their triumphal cars, and special privileges in token of generous joy, Ps 68:18; Ac 1:2,4. Prophets received gifts, or declined them, as duty required, 2Ki 5:15; 8:9; Da 2:48; 5:17. The word gifts often denotes bribes, Ex 23:8; Ps 15:5; Isa 5:23. The same word is also applied to the offerings required by the law, De 16:17; Mt 5:23-24; to the blessings of the gospel and eternal life, which are preeminently gifts, Ac 8:20; to the Christian grace, for the same reason, Eph 4:8,11; and to the miraculous endowments of the apostles, 1Co 12-14. See TONGUES.
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And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so, now do this; take of the choicest products in the land in your sacks and carry down a present to the man, a little balm (balsam) and a little honey, aromatic spices and gum (of rock rose) or ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
To each of them he gave changes of raiment, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-donkeys laden with grain, bread, and nourishing food and provision for his father [to supply all who were with him] on the way.
You shall take no bribe, for the bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous.
Every man shall give as he is able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God which He has given you.
Do not leave here, I pray You, until I return to You and bring my offering and set it before You. And He said, I will wait until you return.
But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf.
Then Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and stood before him. He said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. So now accept a gift from your servant.
So Hazael went to meet Elisha and took a present with him of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel loads, and came and stood before him and said, Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, asking, Shall I recover from this disease?
And Ahaz took the silver and gold in the house of the Lord and in the treasuries of the king's house and sent a present to the king of Assyria.
Then Hezekiah king of Judah sent to the king of Assyria at Lachish, saying, I have done wrong. Depart from me; what you put on me I will bear. And the king of Assyria exacted of Hezekiah king of Judah 300 talents of silver and thirty talents of gold.
[He who] does not put out his money for interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
You have ascended on high. You have led away captive a train of vanquished foes; You have received gifts of men, yes, of the rebellious also, that the Lord God might dwell there with them.
Who justify and acquit the guilty for a bribe, but take away the rights of the innocent and righteous from them!
Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me; and eat every one from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree and drink every one the water of his own cistern,
Then the king made Daniel great and gave him many great gifts, and he made him to rule over the whole province of Babylon and to be chief governor over all the wise men of Babylon.
Then Daniel answered before the king, Let your gifts be for yourself and give your rewards to another. However, I will read the writing to the king and make known to him the interpretation.
So if when you are offering your gift at the altar you there remember that your brother has any [grievance] against you, Leave your gift at the altar and go. First make peace with your brother, and then come back and present your gift.
Until the day when He ascended, after He through the Holy Spirit had instructed and commanded the apostles (special messengers) whom He had chosen.
And while being in their company and eating with them, He commanded them not to leave Jerusalem but to wait for what the Father had promised, Of which [He said] you have heard Me speak.
But Peter said to him, Destruction overtake your money and you, because you imagined you could obtain the [free] gift of God with money!
Therefore it is said, When He ascended on high, He led captivity captive [He led a train of vanquished foes] and He bestowed gifts on men.
And His gifts were [varied; He Himself appointed and gave men to us] some to be apostles (special messengers), some prophets (inspired preachers and expounders), some evangelists (preachers of the Gospel, traveling missionaries), some pastors (shepherds of His flock) and teachers.
Fausets
So common in the East that there are 15 distinct Hebrew words for them. Minchah, from an inferior to a superior (Jg 3:15). Maseeth, vice versa (Es 2:18). Berakah, "a blessing," i.e. complimentary (2Ki 5:15). Shochad, a bribe (Ex 23:8; 2Ki 16:8). Many were not voluntary, but a compulsory exaction: tribute (2Ki 17:3). "To bring presents" is to own submission (Ps 68:29). That to a prophet was his consulting fee (1Sa 9:7), not a bribe (1Sa 12:3). To refuse a present was an insult; the wedding robe offered and slighted was the condemnation of the disrobed guest (Mt 22:11).
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You shall take no bribe, for the bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous.
But when the Israelites cried to the Lord, the Lord raised them up a deliverer, Ehud son of Gera, a Benjamite, a left-handed man; and by him the Israelites sent tribute to Eglon king of Moab.
Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no gift for the man of God. What have we?
Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and Saul His anointed. Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded or oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? Tell me and I will restore it to you.
Then Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and stood before him. He said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. So now accept a gift from your servant.
Against him came up Shalmaneser king of Assyria, and Hoshea became his servant and brought him tribute.
Then the king gave a great feast for all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast; and he gave a holiday [or a lessening of taxes] to the provinces and gave gifts in keeping with the generosity of the king.
But when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment.
Morish
These have a large place in the O.T. history, and several different words are used which are often translated PRESENTS. There were
1. Gifts from a superior to an inferior in good will and kindness and as rewards. Es 2:18; Da 2:6,48.
2. From an inferior to a superior. 2Ch 9:24; 17:5,11. This also took the form of tribute, an acknowledgement of submission. 1Sa 10:27; 1Ki 4:21. When Solomon reigned supreme, 'all the earth' sought to Solomon to hear his wisdom, and brought presents, as did the queen of Sheba. 1Ki 10:2,24-25. This is a type of Christ's kingdom as established on earth, when presents, as willing tribute, will be sent from all nations to the Lord Jesus. Ps 45:12; 72:10,15; Isa 60:9.
3. Gifts to judges: these were very apt to become bribes, and were strictly prohibited. Ex 23:8; De 16:19; 2Ch 19:7. It was usual also to take presents to prophets, 1Sa 9:7; and as the prophets were sometimes judges, the gifts were liable to become bribes, as they did with the sons of Samuel, though Samuel himself could challenge the people, and they admitted the fact, that he had never taken a bribe to blind his eyes therewith. 1Sa 8:3; 12:3.
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You shall take no bribe, for the bribe blinds those who have sight and perverts the testimony and the cause of the righteous.
You shall not misinterpret or misapply judgment; you shall not be partial, or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
His sons did not walk in his ways, but turned aside after gain, took bribes, and perverted justice.
Then Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? The bread in our sacks is gone, and there is no gift for the man of God. What have we?
But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf.
Here I am; testify against me before the Lord and Saul His anointed. Whose ox or donkey have I taken? Or whom have I defrauded or oppressed? Or from whose hand have I received any bribe to blind my eyes? Tell me and I will restore it to you.
She came to Jerusalem with a very great train, with camels bearing spices, very much gold, and precious stones. When she had come to Solomon, she communed with him about all that was in her mind.
And all the earth sought the presence of Solomon to hear his wisdom which God had put in his mind. Every man brought tribute: vessels of silver and gold, garments, equipment, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
And every man brought his tribute: silver and gold articles, robes, armor, spices, horses, and mules, so much year by year.
Therefore the Lord established the kingdom in his hand; and all Judah brought tribute to Jehoshaphat, and he had great riches and honor.
And some of the Philistines brought Jehoshaphat gifts and tribute silver, and the Arabs brought him flocks: 7,700 each of rams and of he-goats.
Then the king gave a great feast for all his princes and his servants, Esther's feast; and he gave a holiday [or a lessening of taxes] to the provinces and gave gifts in keeping with the generosity of the king.
And, O daughter of Tyre, the richest of the people shall entreat your favor with a gift.
The kings of Tarshish and of the coasts shall bring offerings; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer gifts.
And He shall live; and to Him shall be given gold of Sheba; prayer also shall be made for Him and through Him continually, and they shall bless and praise Him all the day long.
Surely the isles and distant coastlands shall wait for and expect Me; and the ships of Tarshish [shall come] first, to bring your sons from afar, their silver and gold with them, for the name of the Lord your God, for the Holy One of Israel, because He has beautified and glorified you.
But if you show the dream and its interpretation, you shall receive from me gifts and rewards and great honor. So show me the dream and the interpretation of it.
Watsons
GIFTS. The practice of making presents is very common in oriental countries. The custom probably had its origin among those men who first sustained the office of kings or rulers, and who, from the novelty and perhaps the weakness attached to their situation, chose, rather than make the hazardous attempt of exacting taxes, to content themselves with receiving those presents which might be freely offered, 1Sa 10:27. Hence it passed into a custom, that whoever approached the king should come with a gift. This was the practice and the expectation. The custom of presenting gifts was subsequently extended to other great men; to men who were inferior to the king, but who were, nevertheless, men of influence and rank; it was also extended to those who were equals, when they were visited, Pr 18:16. Kings themselves were in the habit of making presents, probably in reference to the custom in question and the feelings connected with it, to those individuals, their inferiors in point of rank, whom they wished to honour, and also to those who, like themselves, were clothed with the royal authority. These presents, namely, such as were presented by the king as a token of the royal esteem and honour, are almost invariably denominated in the Hebrew, ??? and ????, 1Ki 15:19; 2Ki 16:8; 18:14; Isa 36:16. The more ancient prophets did not deem it discreditable to them to receive presents, nor unbecoming their sacred calling, except when, as was sometimes the case, they refused by way of expressing their dissatisfaction or indignation, 2Ki 5:15; 8:9. In later times, when false prophets, in order to obtain money, prophesied without truth and without authority, the true prophets, for the purpose of keeping the line of distinction as broad as possible, rejected every thing that looked like reward. Gifts of this kind, that have now been described, are not to be confounded with those which are called ???, and which were presented to judges, not as a mark of esteem and honour, but for purposes of bribery and corruption. The former was considered an honour to the giver, but a gift of the latter kind has been justly reprobated in every age, Ex 22:8; De 10:17; 16:19; 27:25; Ps 15:5; 26:10; Isa 1:23; 5:23; 33:15. The giver was not restricted as to the kind of present which he should make. He might present not only silver and gold, but clothes and arms, also different kinds of food, in a word any thing which could be of benefit to the recipient, Ge 43:11; 1Sa 9:7; 16:20; Job 42:11. It was the custom anciently, as it is at the present time in the east, for an individual when visiting a person of high rank, to make some presents of small value to the servants or domestics of the person visited, 1Sa 25:27. It was the usual practice among kings and princes to present to their favourite officers in the government, to ambassadors from foreign courts, to foreigners of distinction, and to men eminent for their learning, garments of greater or less value, Ge 45:22-23; Es 8:15. The royal wardrobe, in which a large number of such garments was kept, is denominated in Hebrew ?????, 2Ch 34:22. It was considered an honour of the highest kind, if a king or any person in high authority thought it proper, as a manifestation of his favour, to give away to another the garment which he had previously worn himself, 1Sa 18:4. In the east, at the present day, it is expected, that every one who has received a garment from the king will immediately clothe himself in it, and promptly present himself and render his homage to the giver; otherwise he runs the hazard of exciting the king's displeasure, Mt 22:11-12. It was sometimes the case, that the king, when he made a feast, presented vestments to all the guests who were invited, with which they clothed themselves before they sat down to 2:2Ki 10:22; Ge 45:22; Re 3:5. In oriental countries, the presents which are made to kings and princes are to this day, carried on beasts of burden, are attended with a body of men, and are escorted with much pomp. It matters not how light or how small the present may be, it must either be carried on the back of a beast of burden, or by a man, who must support it with both his hands, Jg 3:18; 2Ki 8:9.
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And their father Israel said to them, If it must be so, now do this; take of the choicest products in the land in your sacks and carry down a present to the man, a little balm (balsam) and a little honey, aromatic spices and gum (of rock rose) or ladanum, pistachio nuts, and almonds.
To each of them he gave changes of raiment, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of raiment.
To each of them he gave changes of raiment, but to Benjamin he gave 300 pieces of silver and five changes of raiment. And to his father he sent as follows: ten donkeys loaded with the good things of Egypt, and ten she-donkeys laden with grain, bread, and nourishing food and provision for his father [to supply all who were with him] on the way.
But if the thief is not found, the house owner shall appear before God [the judges as His agents] to find whether he stole his neighbor's goods.
For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, the terrible God, Who is not partial and takes no bribe.
You shall not misinterpret or misapply judgment; you shall not be partial, or take a bribe, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and perverts the words of the righteous.
Cursed is he who takes a bribe to slay an innocent person. All the people shall say, Amen.
And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people who had carried it.
But some worthless fellows said, How can this man save us? And they despised him and brought him no gift. But he held his peace and was as if deaf.
And Jonathan stripped himself of the robe that was on him and gave it to David, and his armor, even his sword, his bow, and his girdle.
And now this gift, which your handmaid has brought my lord, let it be given to the young men who follow my lord.
Let there be a league between me and you, as was between my father and your father. Behold, I am sending you a present of silver and gold; go, break your league with Baasha king of Israel, that he may withdraw from me.
Then Naaman returned to the man of God, he and all his company, and stood before him. He said, Behold, now I know that there is no God in all the earth but in Israel. So now accept a gift from your servant.
So Hazael went to meet Elisha and took a present with him of every good thing of Damascus, forty camel loads, and came and stood before him and said, Your son Ben-hadad king of Syria has sent me to you, asking, Shall I recover from this disease?
And Hilkiah and they whom the king had appointed went to Huldah the prophetess, the wife of Shallum son of Tokhath, the son of Hasrah, keeper of the wardrobe. She dwelt in Jerusalem, in the Second Quarter. They spoke to her to that effect.
And Mordecai went forth from the presence of the king in royal apparel of blue and white, with a great crown of gold and with a robe of fine linen and purple; and the city of Shushan shouted and rejoiced.
Then there came to him all his brothers and sisters and all who had known him before, and they ate bread with him in his house; and they sympathized with him and comforted him over all the [distressing] calamities that the Lord had brought upon him. Every man also gave him a piece of money, and every man an earring of gold.
[He who] does not put out his money for interest [to one of his own people] and who will not take a bribe against the innocent. He who does these things shall never be moved.
In whose hands is wickedness, and their right hands are full of bribes.
A man's gift makes room for him and brings him before great men.
Your princes are rebels and companions of thieves; everyone loves bribes and runs after compensation and rewards. They judge not for the fatherless nor defend them, neither does the cause of the widow come to them [for they delay or turn a deaf ear].
Who justify and acquit the guilty for a bribe, but take away the rights of the innocent and righteous from them!
He who walks righteously and speaks uprightly, who despises gain from fraud and from oppression, who shakes his hand free from the taking of bribes, who stops his ears from hearing of bloodshed and shuts his eyes to avoid looking upon evil.
Do not listen to Hezekiah, for thus says the king of Assyria: Make your peace with me and come out to me; and eat every one from his own vine and every one from his own fig tree and drink every one the water of his own cistern,
But when the king came in to view the guests, he looked intently at a man there who had on no wedding garment. And he said, Friend, how did you come in here without putting on the [appropriate] wedding garment? And he was speechless ( muzzled, gagged).