Bible Strands
Proverbs 18:16
A man’s gift opens doors for him, and brings him before great men.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The author addresses a general reader with a practical observation on social dynamics, placed between a statement about the discerning heart acquiring knowledge and a warning about cross-examination.
The words — The Hebrew מַתָּן (matan) literally means "gift" or "present," while יַרְחִיב (yarḥîḇ) denotes "it makes wide" or "opens space."
The thread — This motif of gifts influencing access to authority appears in Proverbs 19:6, which notes that everyone becomes a friend of the gift-giver, and parallels the gift-giving narratives in Genesis 33:10 and Genesis 43:11 where presents are offered to obtain favor.
Why it lands — The text states that material resources can remove social barriers and grant access to influential figures, requiring the reader to acknowledge the practical function of wealth in human systems without treating it as a moral or spiritual norm.
Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
A man’s gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 19:6 Many seek the favor of the prince, and everyone is a friend of the gift giver.
- Genesis 33:10 But Jacob insisted, “No, please! If I have found favor in your sight, then receive this gift from my hand. For indeed, I have seen your face, and it is like seeing the face of God, since you have received me favorably.
- Genesis 43:11 Then their father Israel said to them, “If it must be so, then do this: Put some of the best products of the land in your packs and carry them down as a gift for the man—a little balm and a little honey, spices and myrrh, pistachios and almonds.
- 1 Samuel 25:27 Now let this gift your servant has brought to my lord be given to the young men who follow you.
- Proverbs 17:8 A bribe is a charm to its giver; wherever he turns, he succeeds.
- Genesis 32:20 You are also to say, ‘Look, your servant Jacob is right behind us.’” For he thought, “I will appease Esau with the gift that is going before me. After that I can face him, and perhaps he will accept me.”
- Proverbs 21:14 A gift in secret soothes anger, and a covert bribe pacifies great wrath.