“A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth.”
My Notes
What Does Proverbs 17:8 Mean?
"A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it: whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth." The gift (shochad — bribe, payment, gift designed to influence) is compared to a precious stone: in the eyes of the one who possesses it, it's beautiful, valuable, and magically effective. Wherever it's directed — whatever situation it's turned toward — it succeeds. The gift 'prospers' in every direction.
The phrase "precious stone" (even chen — a stone of grace/beauty/charm) describes the gift as charming: the bribe isn't just effective. It's BEAUTIFUL to the giver. The person who uses gifts to influence sees them as elegant tools — graceful, precious, admirable. The bribe looks like a gem to the briber.
The "whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth" (el kol asher yiphneh yaskil — in every direction it turns, it causes success) describes the gift's universal effectiveness: the bribe works everywhere. It opens every door. It solves every problem. It succeeds in every direction. The observation is accurate — bribes DO work — without being an endorsement. The proverb observes the power of the gift without approving of its use.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What 'gifts' — money, favors, influence — are you using to bypass the process integrity requires?
- 2.How does the bribe being 'precious' to the giver reveal the self-deception of corruption?
- 3.What does the proverb observing the bribe's effectiveness WITHOUT endorsing it teach about wisdom's honesty?
- 4.Where has a gift 'prospered' in every direction — and what did it cost in integrity?
Devotional
A gift is a magic gem — in the eyes of the one who uses it. Wherever you point it, it works. Every direction, every situation, every closed door opens. The bribe is universally effective. The observation is accurate. The approval is absent.
The 'precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it' reveals the briber's perspective: the gift is BEAUTIFUL to the giver. The person who bribes sees their tool as elegant — a graceful stone that solves problems beautifully. The bribe doesn't feel dirty to the briber. It feels precious. That's the danger: the tool of corruption looks like a jewel to the person wielding it.
The 'whithersoever it turneth, it prospereth' is an honest observation about corruption's effectiveness: bribes work. Gifts open doors. Money solves problems. The proverb doesn't pretend otherwise. The universal effectiveness of the bribe is stated as fact. Turn it north — it works. Turn it south — it works. The success is directionally unlimited.
But the proverb is observation, not endorsement: Proverbs elsewhere condemns bribes explicitly (17:23 — 'a wicked man taketh a gift out of the bosom to pervert the ways of judgment'). This verse observes the bribe's POWER. Other verses condemn its USE. The gift prospers everywhere it turns — and the person who relies on it perverts judgment.
What 'gifts' are you using to open doors that should be opened by integrity instead?
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
A gift is as a precious stone in the eyes of him that hath it,.... Or "is a stone of grace" (h), the note of similitude…
A half-satirical description of the power of bribery in palaces and among judges. The precious stone (literally as in…
The design of this observation is to show, 1. That those who have money in their hand think they can do any thing with…
him that hath it Lit. its lord or possessor. This may mean either the giver, or the receiver of it. The former sense…
Cross References
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