Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
Parallel Translations
-
Many will entreat the favor of a ruler, and everyone is a friend to a man who gives gifts.
-
Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
-
Many will entreat the favour of the liberal man; and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts.
Cross-references (14)
Passages linked to Proverbs 19:6 in the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge, ordered by reader-vote popularity; verse text shown in World English Bible.
- Proverbs 18:16 A man’s gift makes room for him, and brings him before great men.
- Proverbs 29:26 Many seek the ruler’s favor, but a man’s justice comes from Yahweh.
- Proverbs 17:8 A bribe is a precious stone in the eyes of him who gives it; wherever he turns, he prospers.
- Genesis 42:6 Joseph was the governor over the land. It was he who sold to all the people of the land. Joseph’s brothers came, and bowed themselves down to him with their faces to the earth.
- Romans 6:23 For the wages of sin is death, but the free gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.
- Proverbs 19:12 The king’s wrath is like the roaring of a lion, but his favor is like dew on the grass.
- Proverbs 21:14 A gift in secret pacifies anger, and a bribe in the cloak, strong wrath.
- 2 Samuel 19:19-39 He said to the king, “Don’t let my lord impute iniquity to me, or remember that which your servant did perversely the day that my lord the king went out of Jerusalem, that the king should take it to his heart. For your servant knows that I have sinned. Therefore behold, I have come today as the first of all the house of Joseph to go down to meet my lord the king.” But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered, “Shouldn’t Shimei be put to death for this, because he cursed Yahweh’s anointed?” David said, “What have I to do with you, you sons of Zeruiah, that you should be adversaries to me today? Shall any man be put to death today in Israel? For don’t I know that I am king over Israel today?” The king said to Shimei, “You will not die.” The king swore to him. Mephibosheth the son of Saul came down to meet the king; and he had neither groomed his feet, nor trimmed his beard, nor washed his clothes, from the day the king departed until the day he came home in peace. When he had come to Jerusalem to meet the king, the king said to him, “Why didn’t you go with me, Mephibosheth?” He answered, “My lord, O king, my servant deceived me. For your servant said, ‘I will saddle a donkey for myself, that I may ride on it and go with the king,’ because your servant is lame. He has slandered your servant to my lord the king, but my lord the king is as an angel of God. Therefore do what is good in your eyes. For all my father’s house were but dead men before my lord the king; yet you set your servant among those who ate at your own table. What right therefore have I yet that I should cry any more to the king?” The king said to him, “Why do you speak any more of your matters? I say, you and Ziba divide the land.” Mephibosheth said to the king, “Yes, let him take all, because my lord the king has come in peace to his own house.” Barzillai the Gileadite came down from Rogelim; and he went over the Jordan with the king, to conduct him over the Jordan. Now Barzillai was a very aged man, even eighty years old. He had provided the king with sustenance while he stayed at Mahanaim; for he was a very great man. The king said to Barzillai, “Come over with me, and I will sustain you with me in Jerusalem.” Barzillai said to the king, “How many are the days of the years of my life, that I should go up with the king to Jerusalem? I am eighty years old, today. Can I discern between good and bad? Can your servant taste what I eat or what I drink? Can I hear the voice of singing men and singing women any more? Why then should your servant be a burden to my lord the king? Your servant would but just go over the Jordan with the king. Why should the king repay me with such a reward? Please let your servant turn back again, that I may die in my own city, by the grave of my father and my mother. But behold, your servant Chimham; let him go over with my lord the king; and do to him what shall seem good to you.” The king answered, “Chimham shall go over with me, and I will do to him that which shall seem good to you. Whatever you request of me, that I will do for you.” All the people went over the Jordan, and the king went over. Then the king kissed Barzillai, and blessed him; and he returned to his own place.
- Job 29:24-25 I smiled on them when they had no confidence. They didn’t reject the light of my face. I chose out their way, and sat as chief. I lived as a king in the army, as one who comforts the mourners.
- Genesis 43:15 The men took that present, and they took double money in their hand, and Benjamin; and got up, went down to Egypt, and stood before Joseph.
- Psalms 45:12 The daughter of Tyre comes with a gift. The rich among the people entreat your favor.
- Genesis 32:20 You shall say, ‘Not only that, but behold, your servant, Jacob, is behind us.’ ” For, he said, “I will appease him with the present that goes before me, and afterward I will see his face. Perhaps he will accept me.”
- Proverbs 16:15 In the light of the king’s face is life. His favor is like a cloud of the spring rain.
- Matthew 2:11 They came into the house and saw the young child with Mary, his mother, and they fell down and worshiped him. Opening their treasures, they offered to him gifts: gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
Cross-references from openbible.info (CC BY 4.0)
Explain this verse (12 sources)
Historical commentary, presented as a primary source — not an endorsement.
Private notes
Saved on this device only — never synced or sent anywhere.
John Trapp 1656 · Public Domain Pro 19:6 Many will intreat the favour of the…
Pro 19:6 Many will intreat the favour of the prince: and every man [is] a friend to him that giveth gifts.
Ver. 6. Many will entreat the favour of the prince.] Yea, lie at his feet, and lick up his spittle, not being loyal in love for conscience, but submissive in show for commodity. Every man will be thrusting in where anything is to be gotten. The poets make Litae, or Petitions, to be the daughters of Jupiter, and ever about him; to signify, saith the mythologist, that princes and great ones are seldom without suppliants and suitors. {a}
Read full note →
And every man is a friend, &c.] {See Trapp on "Pro 17:8"}
{a} ου γαρ ατιμοι Iκεσιου Zηνος κουραι λιται. - Orph. in Arg.
John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Matthew Poole 1685 · Public Domain Of the prince; or, as others, of the liberal…
Of the prince; or, as others, of the liberal or bountiful man; which comes to the same thing, for kings were anciently called benefactors, Luk 22:25.
A friend; not sincerely, as daily experience shows, but in show or profession, or in the outward expressions of it, whereby they may oblige him.
Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Matthew Henry 1710 · Public Domain These two verses are a comment upon Pro 19:4,…
These two verses are a comment upon Pro 19:4, and show, 1. How those that are rich and great are courted and caressed, and have suitors and servants in abundance. The prince that has power in his hand, and preferments at his disposal, has his gate and his ante-chamber thronged with petitioners, that are ready to adore him for what they can get. Many will entreat his favour, and think themselves happy in it. Even great men are humble suppliants to the prince. How earnest then should we be for the favour of God, which is far beyond that of any earthly prince. But, it should seem, liberality will go further than majesty itself to gain respect, for there are many that court the prince, but every man is a friend to him that gives gifts; not only those that have received, or do expect, gifts from him, will, as friends, be ready to serve him, but others also will, as friends, give him their good word. Prodigals, who are foolishly free of what they have, will have many hangers-on who will cry them up as long as it lasts, but will leave them when it is done. Those that are prudently generous make an interest by it which may stand them in good stead; those that are accounted benefactors exercise an authority which may give them an opportunity of doing good, Luk 22:25. 2. How those that are poor and low are slighted and despised. Men may, if they please, court the prince, and the princely, but they may not trample upon the poor and look at them with disdain. Yet so it often is: All the brethren of the poor do hate him; even his own relations are shy of him, because he is needy and craving, and expects something from them, and because they look upon him as a blemish to their family; and then no marvel if others of his friends, that were nothing akin to him, go far from him, to get out of his way. He pursues them with words, hoping to prevail with them by his importunity to be kind to him, but all in vain; they have nothing for him. They pursue him with words (so some understand it), to excuse themselves from giving him any thing; they tell him that he is idle and impertinent, that he has brought himself into poverty, and therefore ought not to be relieved; as Nabal said to David's messengers: "There are many servants now a days that run away from their masters; and how do I know but that David may be one of them?" Let poor people therefore make God their friend, pursue him with their prayers, and he will not be wanting to them.
Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Gill 1763 · Public Domain Many will entreat the favour of the prince,.... Or…
Many will entreat the favour of the prince,.... Or of the liberal and bountiful man; as kings and princes generally are, Luk 22:25; such have many to wait upon them, and are humble petitioners to them. Aben Ezra and Gersom interpret the many of great and honourable men, who are courtiers to kings and princes; who wait upon them, ask favours of them, and seek for places under them. The Targum is,
"there are many that minister before a prince;''
Read full note →
he has many servants, and some of them nobles;
and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts; or "to a man of gift" (k): who has it in his power to give, and has a heart to it; who is both a rich man and a liberal man; who is both able and willing to communicate to the necessities of others: such a man not only has the poor his friends, but others will speak well of him, and will make application to him on account of the poor; and, for the sake of doing good to them, will court his friendship and acquaintance. Bayne interprets this "man of gift" of Christ, who ascended on high, and received gifts for men, and gives them to men.
(k) "viro doni", Montanus, Vatablus, Michaelis.
John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.
John Wesley 1765 · Public Domain A friend - in profession.
A friend - in profession.
John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.
Joseph Benson 1811 · Public Domain Pro 19:6-7. Many will entreat the favour of the…
Pro 19:6-7. Many will entreat the favour of the prince — Or, of the liberal, or bountiful man, as נדיבmay be properly rendered. Kings and princes were anciently called benefactors, Luk 22:25. And every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts — Not sincerely, however, as daily experience shows, but only in show, or profession, or in the outward expressions of friendship and kindness. All the brethren of the poor — His nearest and dearest relations, who are often called brethren in the Scriptures; do hate him — Despise and shun him, as men do a thing that they hate, and as the following words explain it; How much more do his friends go far from him — His other friends, who are no way related to him, but in his prosperity professed love and friendship to him. He pursueth them with words — Earnestly imploring their pity and help. Or, He urgeth their words, as מרדŠ אמריםmay be rendered; that is, he allegeth their former promises and professions of friendship: or, He seeketh words, (as the preacher sought to find out acceptable words, Ecc 12:10,) wherewith he might prevail and move them to pity; yet they are wanting to him — Hebrew, לא המה, not they, or, they not. The meaning is, they are not what they pretended to be, namely, friends to him: or, their words are vain, and without effect; there is no reality in them. Houbigant renders the verse, “All his own brethren hate a poor man; how much more his neighbours! They have departed far from him; he followeth after them, but they are not found.”
Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Albert Barnes 1834 · Public Domain Intreat the favor ... - literally, “stroke the face”…
Intreat the favor ... - literally, “stroke the face” of the man of princely nature, who gives munificently.
Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.
Charles Bridges 1846 · Public Domain The fourth verse is here further opened with too…
The fourth verse is here further opened with too accurate a description of man’s native selfishness. ’A prince never wants suitors for his favour.’†1 Every one loves, or professes to love those from whom they expect a benefit, "having men’s persons in admiration, because of advantage" (Jud 1:16 ), valuing them for their possessions, not for their virtues. Yet if "riches make to themselves wings, and flee away" (Pro 23:5 ), will not they take their flight with them? If the same person, now fawned on for his gifts, were by Providence brought to poverty, the same friends would hate or neglect him. ’Which of them’ — asks Bishop Hall — ’would dare acknowledge him, when he is going to prison?’†2 As the winter brooks, filled from the opening springs and the torrents from heaven, are dried up and vanish before the summer heat; so these friends of the poor go far from him, cold, distant, and vanishing in the day of his calamity. If he pursueth them with words, yet they are deaf to his entreaties for help and sympathy. Job found these "summer" friends a great aggravation to his affliction.†3 Jerusalem in its days of prosperity was "the joy of the whole earth." In the time of after-destitution "they called thee" — said the mournful prophet — "an outcast, saying — This is Zion, whom no man seeketh after." (Psa 48:2 . Jer 30:17 .)
But how ought we to entreat the favour of our Prince? What gifts does he give to his beloved people? And shall not those who are enriched with them exhibit his rule of mercy to their poorer brethren (Gal 6:10 . Heb 6:10 ), specially to his poor, the princes and heirs of his kingdom? (Jas 2:5 .) ’Lord! in my greatest plenty help me to mind and feel others’ poverty; and in my most prosperous condition keep me from forgetting the afflictions of thy Joseph.’†4
Read full note →
Footnotes:
†1 Bishop Patrick.
†2 Works, xiii. p. 77.
†3 Job 6:15-22; Job 19:13-19 . Job 29:1-25 . Job 30:1-31. Compare Sir 37:1-4 .
Donec eris felix, multos numerabis amicos;
Tempora si fuerint nubila, solus eris.
Ovid, Trist. Lib. i. viii. 9, 10.
†4 Swinnock’s Christian Man’s Calling, Part ii. 338.
Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Daniel D. Whedon 1874 · Public Domain 6. Many will entreat the favour — Literally, will…
6. Many will entreat the favour — Literally, will stroke the face; will flatter, caress, or make court to, the prince.
A friend to him that giveth gifts — A liberal, generous man. Many will esteem acquaintance with him an honour. The “gifts” herein spoken of are not to be understood as bribes, and therefore, condemnatory, but such as proceed from the generous impulses of a noble spirit.
Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges 1878 · Public Domain 6. prince] It is better to preserve the parallelism,…
6. prince] It is better to preserve the parallelism, and to render the Heb. word in its primary sense of princely disposition, the liberal man, R.V. text, than with A.V. and R.V. marg., of princely rank. The same word is rendered liberal, Isa_32:5; Isa_32:8. Comp. Keble’s version of it in Psa_51:12 (Sixth Sun. after Trinity):
“The princely heart of innocence.”
The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
The Pulpit Commentary 1880 · Public Domain Many will intreat the favour of the prince; Literally,…
Many will intreat the favour of the prince; Literally, will stroke the face of the prince, of the liberal and powerful man, in expectation of receiving some benefit from him. (Pro_29:26 Job_11:19) Every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts. (see on Pro_17:8) The LXX, reading rehAlk for reHAlb, renders, "Every bad man is a reproach to a man," which may mean that a sordid, evil man brings only disgrace on himself; or that, while many truckle to and try to win the interest of a prince, bad courtiers bring on him not glory, but infamy and shame.
The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.
Paul E. Kretzmann 1924 · Public Domain v. 6. Many will intreat the favor of the…
v. 6. Many will intreat the favor of the prince, literally, "stroke his face," flatter him; and every man is a friend to him that giveth gifts, with the expectation of sharing in his generosity. These facts are stated as in agreement with men’s conduct everywhere and do not imply the approval of the Lord.
Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.