22 Bible Verses about Partiality

Most Relevant Verses

Genesis 29:30

Jacob had marital relations with Rachel as well. He loved Rachel more than Leah, so he worked for Laban for seven more years.

Genesis 43:30

Joseph hurried out, for he was overcome by affection for his brother and was at the point of tears. So he went to his room and wept there.

Genesis 25:28

Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

James 2:1-4

My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, "You sit here in a good place," and to the poor person, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor"?read more.
If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives?

Genesis 37:4-35

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly. Joseph had a dream, and when he told his brothers about it, they hated him even more. He said to them, "Listen to this dream I had:read more.
There we were, binding sheaves of grain in the middle of the field. Suddenly my sheaf rose up and stood upright and your sheaves surrounded my sheaf and bowed down to it!" Then his brothers asked him, "Do you really think you will rule over us or have dominion over us?" They hated him even more because of his dream and because of what he said. Then he had another dream, and told it to his brothers. "Look," he said. "I had another dream. The sun, the moon, and eleven stars were bowing down to me." When he told his father and his brothers, his father rebuked him, saying, "What is this dream that you had? Will I, your mother, and your brothers really come and bow down to you?" His brothers were jealous of him, but his father kept in mind what Joseph said. When his brothers had gone to graze their father's flocks near Shechem, Israel said to Joseph, "Your brothers are grazing the flocks near Shechem. Come, I will send you to them." "I'm ready," Joseph replied. So Jacob said to him, "Go now and check on the welfare of your brothers and of the flocks, and bring me word." So Jacob sent him from the valley of Hebron. When Joseph reached Shechem, a man found him wandering in the field, so the man asked him, "What are you looking for?" He replied, "I'm looking for my brothers. Please tell me where they are grazing their flocks." The man said, "They left this area, for I heard them say, 'Let's go to Dothan.'" So Joseph went after his brothers and found them at Dothan. Now Joseph's brothers saw him from a distance, and before he reached them, they plotted to kill him. They said to one another, "Here comes this master of dreams! Come now, let's kill him, throw him into one of the cisterns, and then say that a wild animal ate him. Then we'll see how his dreams turn out!" When Reuben heard this, he rescued Joseph from their hands, saying, "Let's not take his life!" Reuben continued, "Don't shed blood! Throw him into this cistern that is here in the wilderness, but don't lay a hand on him." (Reuben said this so he could rescue Joseph from them and take him back to his father.) When Joseph reached his brothers, they stripped him of his tunic, the special tunic that he wore. Then they took him and threw him into the cistern. (Now the cistern was empty; there was no water in it.) When they sat down to eat their food, they looked up and saw a caravan of Ishmaelites coming from Gilead. Their camels were carrying spices, balm, and myrrh down to Egypt. Then Judah said to his brothers, "What profit is there if we kill our brother and cover up his blood? Come, let's sell him to the Ishmaelites, but let's not lay a hand on him, for after all, he is our brother, our own flesh." His brothers agreed. So when the Midianite merchants passed by, Joseph's brothers pulled him out of the cistern and sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. The Ishmaelites then took Joseph to Egypt. Later Reuben returned to the cistern to find that Joseph was not in it! He tore his clothes, returned to his brothers, and said, "The boy isn't there! And I, where can I go?" So they took Joseph's tunic, killed a young goat, and dipped the tunic in the blood. Then they brought the special tunic to their father and said, "We found this. Determine now whether it is your son's tunic or not." He recognized it and exclaimed, "It is my son's tunic! A wild animal has eaten him! Joseph has surely been torn to pieces!" Then Jacob tore his clothes, put on sackcloth, and mourned for his son many days. All his sons and daughters stood by him to console him, but he refused to be consoled. "No," he said, "I will go to the grave mourning my son." So Joseph's father wept for him.

1 Timothy 5:21

Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.

Acts 10:28-35

He said to them, "You know that it is unlawful for a Jew to associate with or visit a Gentile, yet God has shown me that I should call no person defiled or ritually unclean. Therefore when you sent for me, I came without any objection. Now may I ask why you sent for me?" Cornelius replied, "Four days ago at this very hour, at three o'clock in the afternoon, I was praying in my house, and suddenly a man in shining clothing stood before meread more.
and said, 'Cornelius, your prayer has been heard and your acts of charity have been remembered before God. Therefore send to Joppa and summon Simon, who is called Peter. This man is staying as a guest in the house of Simon the tanner, by the sea.' Therefore I sent for you at once, and you were kind enough to come. So now we are all here in the presence of God to listen to everything the Lord has commanded you to say to us." Then Peter started speaking: "I now truly understand that God does not show favoritism in dealing with people, but in every nation the person who fears him and does what is right is welcomed before him.

Acts 15:36-40

After some days Paul said to Barnabas, "Let's return and visit the brothers in every town where we proclaimed the word of the Lord to see how they are doing." Barnabas wanted to bring John called Mark along with them too, but Paul insisted that they should not take along this one who had left them in Pamphylia and had not accompanied them in the work.read more.
They had a sharp disagreement, so that they parted company. Barnabas took along Mark and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and set out, commended to the grace of the Lord by the brothers and sisters.

Philippians 2:19-22

Now I hope in the Lord Jesus to send Timothy to you soon, so that I too may be encouraged by hearing news about you. For there is no one here like him who will readily demonstrate his deep concern for you. Others are busy with their own concerns, not those of Jesus Christ.read more.
But you know his qualifications, that like a son working with his father, he served with me in advancing the gospel.

Romans 9:6-24

It is not as though the word of God had failed. For not all those who are descended from Israel are truly Israel, nor are all the children Abraham's true descendants; rather "through Isaac will your descendants be counted." This means it is not the children of the flesh who are the children of God; rather, the children of promise are counted as descendants.read more.
For this is what the promise declared: "About a year from now I will return and Sarah will have a son." Not only that, but when Rebekah had conceived children by one man, our ancestor Isaac -- even before they were born or had done anything good or bad (so that God's purpose in election would stand, not by works but by his calling) -- it was said to her, "The older will serve the younger," just as it is written: "Jacob I loved, but Esau I hated." What shall we say then? Is there injustice with God? Absolutely not! For he says to Moses: "I will have mercy on whom I have mercy, and I will have compassion on whom I have compassion." So then, it does not depend on human desire or exertion, but on God who shows mercy. For the scripture says to Pharaoh: "For this very purpose I have raised you up, that I may demonstrate my power in you, and that my name may be proclaimed in all the earth." So then, God has mercy on whom he chooses to have mercy, and he hardens whom he chooses to harden. You will say to me then, "Why does he still find fault? For who has ever resisted his will?" But who indeed are you -- a mere human being -- to talk back to God? Does what is molded say to the molder, "Why have you made me like this?" Has the potter no right to make from the same lump of clay one vessel for special use and another for ordinary use? But what if God, willing to demonstrate his wrath and to make known his power, has endured with much patience the objects of wrath prepared for destruction? And what if he is willing to make known the wealth of his glory on the objects of mercy that he has prepared beforehand for glory -- even us, whom he has called, not only from the Jews but also from the Gentiles?

Deuteronomy 1:17

They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.

Genesis 27:6-17

Rebekah said to her son Jacob, "Look, I overheard your father tell your brother Esau, Bring me some wild game and prepare for me some tasty food. Then I will eat it and bless you in the presence of the Lord before I die.' Now then, my son, do exactly what I tell you!read more.
Go to the flock and get me two of the best young goats. I'll prepare them in a tasty way for your father, just the way he loves them. Then you will take it to your father. Thus he will eat it and bless you before he dies." "But Esau my brother is a hairy man," Jacob protested to his mother Rebekah, "and I have smooth skin! My father may touch me! Then he'll think I'm mocking him and I'll bring a curse on myself instead of a blessing." So his mother told him, "Any curse against you will fall on me, my son! Just obey me! Go and get them for me!" So he went and got the goats and brought them to his mother. She prepared some tasty food, just the way his father loved it. Then Rebekah took her older son Esau's best clothes, which she had with her in the house, and put them on her younger son Jacob. She put the skins of the young goats on his hands and the smooth part of his neck. Then she handed the tasty food and the bread she had made to her son Jacob.

Genesis 33:2

He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them.

Genesis 42:4

But Jacob did not send Joseph's brother Benjamin with his brothers, for he said, "What if some accident happens to him?"

Job 32:21-22

I will not show partiality to anyone, nor will I confer a title on any man. for I do not know how to give honorary titles, if I did, my Creator would quickly do away with me.

Jeremiah 12:1

Lord, you have always been fair whenever I have complained to you. However, I would like to speak with you about the disposition of justice. Why are wicked people successful? Why do all dishonest people have such easy lives?

Ezekiel 33:20

Yet you say, 'The behavior of the Lord is not right.' House of Israel, I will judge each of you according to his behavior."

Luke 9:51-56

Now when the days drew near for him to be taken up, Jesus set out resolutely to go to Jerusalem. He sent messengers on ahead of him. As they went along, they entered a Samaritan village to make things ready in advance for him, but the villagers refused to welcome him, because he was determined to go to Jerusalem.read more.
Now when his disciples James and John saw this, they said, "Lord, do you want us to call fire to come down from heaven and consume them?" But Jesus turned and rebuked them, and they went on to another village.

1 Corinthians 4:6

I have applied these things to myself and Apollos because of you, brothers and sisters, so that through us you may learn "not to go beyond what is written," so that none of you will be puffed up in favor of the one against the other.

Job 32:21

I will not show partiality to anyone, nor will I confer a title on any man.

From Thematic Bible


Parents » Examples of fathers' love » Partiality

Genesis 48:22

As one who is above your brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow."

1 Chronicles 26:10

Hosah, one of the descendants of Merari, had sons: The firstborn Shimri (he was not actually the firstborn, but his father gave him that status),

Genesis 25:28

Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Genesis 33:2

He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them.

More verses: Genesis 42:4

Partiality » Sometimes attributed to God

Habakkuk 1:2

How long, Lord, must I cry for help? But you do not listen! I call out to you, "Violence!" But you do not intervene!

Job 12:6

But the tents of robbers are peaceful, and those who provoke God are confident -- who carry their god in their hands.

Ecclesiastes 7:15

During the days of my fleeting life I have seen both of these things: Sometimes a righteous person dies prematurely in spite of his righteousness, and sometimes a wicked person lives long in spite of his evil deeds.

Partiality » Forbidden

1 Timothy 5:21

Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.

Deuteronomy 1:17

They must not discriminate in judgment, but hear the lowly and the great alike. Nor should they be intimidated by human beings, for judgment belongs to God. If the matter being adjudicated is too difficult for them, they should bring it before me for a hearing.

Jude 1:16

These people are grumblers and fault-finders who go wherever their desires lead them, and they give bombastic speeches, enchanting folks for their own gain.

Proverbs 24:23

These sayings also are from the wise: To show partiality in judgment is terrible:

Partiality » Parents

Genesis 48:22

As one who is above your brothers, I give to you the mountain slope, which I took from the Amorites with my sword and my bow."

1 Chronicles 26:10

Hosah, one of the descendants of Merari, had sons: The firstborn Shimri (he was not actually the firstborn, but his father gave him that status),

Genesis 25:28

Isaac loved Esau because he had a taste for fresh game, but Rebekah loved Jacob.

Genesis 33:2

He put the servants and their children in front, with Leah and her children behind them, and Rachel and Joseph behind them.

More verses: Genesis 42:4

Partiality » Forbidden among brethren

1 Timothy 5:21

Before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels, I solemnly charge you to carry out these commands without prejudice or favoritism of any kind.

Partiality » Its effect on other children

Genesis 37:4

When Joseph's brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly.

Respect of persons » Partiality

Proverbs 28:21

To show partiality is terrible, for a person will transgress over the smallest piece of bread.

Proverbs 24:23

These sayings also are from the wise: To show partiality in judgment is terrible:

James 2:1-9

My brothers and sisters, do not show prejudice if you possess faith in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ. For if someone comes into your assembly wearing a gold ring and fine clothing, and a poor person enters in filthy clothes, do you pay attention to the one who is finely dressed and say, "You sit here in a good place," and to the poor person, "You stand over there," or "Sit on the floor"? read more.
If so, have you not made distinctions among yourselves and become judges with evil motives? Listen, my dear brothers and sisters! Did not God choose the poor in the world to be rich in faith and heirs of the kingdom that he promised to those who love him? But you have dishonored the poor! Are not the rich oppressing you and dragging you into the courts? Do they not blaspheme the good name of the one you belong to? But if you fulfill the royal law as expressed in this scripture, "You shall love your neighbor as yourself," you are doing well. But if you show prejudice, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as violators.

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