Biblical expression to indicate that God is impartial in his judgments, that as a judge he does not take into account privileges or social distinctions, race, sex, nationality, etc., and that is how men, judges and God’s people must act Dt 1, 17; 16, 19; 2 Chr 19, 7; Salt 82 (81) 2; pr 28, 21; If 35, 13; 42, 1.
Digital Bible Dictionary, Grupo C Service & Design Ltda., Colombia, 2003
Source: Digital Bible Dictionary
Act of preferring one or more people in comparison with, or to the detriment of, others. God does not do (Deu 10:17), but he treats everyone equally. The judgment of him does not to. (1Pe 1:17). Christians should not do it either (Jas 2:1) either for ethnic, economic, cultural, social reasons, etc. (Acts 10:34-35; Gal 3:28).
Source: Christian Bible Dictionary
tip, LEYE DOCT In Hebrew there are several expressions, such as “nasa panim”, “look at the face”, and “gur mi penis”, “fear before the face”, which literally mean judging someone from the outside, letting oneself carry too much for appearances. Our Spanish versions of the Bible translate these expressions by “looking at the person”, “taking into consideration or accepting the person”. Being the face the first thing that is seen in a person, it is natural that, many times, they are judged by the face. This is also the reason why it often indicates the whole person. The Hebrew, Greek and Latin expression mean “lift the mask to see what is hidden behind appearances”, and in a metaphorical sense it means “pay attention to appearances”, to the outside, to the detriment of justice and impartiality. with which one should judge others. This habit of looking at appearances is severely judged in the Bible (Dt. 1:17; 16:19), because it knows of the evil that follows, especially in the judgments issued by judging according to appearances (Prov. 18:5; 24 :2. 3); and this teaching is given both in the prophets and in the law of Moses (Lev. 19:15; Am. 5:12; Is. 1:23; Jer. 22:3; Ez. 22:12). The Bible frequently reminds us that God does not judge men according to appearances, and that he treats all men with equal justice (Acts 10:34; Rom. 2:6; Gal. 2:6; Eph. 6:9 3:25; 1 Pet. 1:17; Mt. 22:16; Lk. 20:21).
Source: New Illustrated Bible Dictionary
The literal meaning of the Greek word prosōpolēpsia and its cognates, “receive the face”, derives from the Hebrew nāśāʿ panîm, «raise the face», that is, accept favorably. He is confined to the biblical and Christian writers. A typical case of the idea appears in Deut. 10:17, God cannot be bribed to accept favorably those who should be rejected. In the OT the idea could be used in a good way (eg, 1 Sam. 25:35; Mal. 1:8–9) but frequently it means “show partiality,” as in Lev. 19:15, where a guilty man’s poverty is no ground for his favorable acceptance. In the NT, good sense disappears and invariably means showing partiality to a person because of his possessions, position, or privilege, regardless of his true worth. God is no respecter of persons (Acts 10:34), he does not accept the Jews because of their privileges nor does he reject the Gentiles because of their lack. So also in Ro. 2:11; Ga. 2:6; Eph. 6:9; Col. 3:25. Jesus, although he is no respecter of persons, showed that one must respect those to whom he is due (Lk. 20: 21–25; cf. Rom. 13: 7). Stg. 2:1–9 well illustrates the meaning of the word in Christian conduct.
BIBLIOGRAPHY
Sanday and Headlam, ICC (Rom. 2:11); JB Lightfoot, Galatians (2:6); Arndt.
- Clement Connell
ICC International Critical Commentary
Harrison, EF, Bromiley, GW, & Henry, CFH (2006). Dictionary of Theology (7). Grand Rapids, MI: Challenge Books.
Source: Dictionary of Theology