The Meaning of Proverbs 18:5 Explained

Proverbs 18:5

KJV: It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment.

YLT: Acceptance of the face of the wicked is not good, To turn aside the righteous in judgment.

Darby: It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to wrong the righteous in judgment.

ASV: To respect the person of the wicked is not good, Nor to turn aside the righteous in judgment.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

[It is] not good  to accept  the person  of the wicked,  to overthrow  the righteous  in judgment. 

What does Proverbs 18:5 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 18

1  A fool delights not in understanding

What do the individual words in Proverbs 18:5 mean?

To show partiality to the wicked not [it is] good [Or] to overthrow the righteous in judgment
שְׂאֵ֣ת פְּנֵי־ רָשָׁ֣ע לֹא־ ט֑וֹב לְהַטּ֥וֹת צַ֝דִּ֗יק בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט

שְׂאֵ֣ת  To  show 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Infinitive construct
Root: נָשָׂא  
Sense: to lift, bear up, carry, take.
פְּנֵי־  partiality  to 
Parse: Noun, masculine plural construct
Root: לִפְנֵי 
Sense: face.
רָשָׁ֣ע  the  wicked 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: רָשָׁע  
Sense: wicked, criminal.
ט֑וֹב  [it  is]  good 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: טָבַב 
Sense: good, pleasant, agreeable.
לְהַטּ֥וֹת  [Or]  to  overthrow 
Parse: Preposition-l, Verb, Hifil, Infinitive construct
Root: נָטָה 
Sense: to stretch out, extend, spread out, pitch, turn, pervert, incline, bend, bow.
צַ֝דִּ֗יק  the  righteous 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: צַדִּיק  
Sense: just, lawful, righteous.
בַּמִּשְׁפָּֽט  in  judgment 
Parse: Preposition-b, Article, Noun, masculine singular
Root: מִשְׁפָּט  
Sense: judgment, justice, ordinance.