Reference: Gift
Easton
(1.) An gratuity (Pr 19:6) to secure favour (Pr 18:16; 21:14), a thank-offering (Nu 18:11), or a dowry (Ge 34:12).
(2.) An oblation or proppitatory gift (2Sa 8:2,6; 1Ch 18:2,6; 2Ch 26:8; Ps 45:12; 72:10).
(3.) A bribe to a judge to obtain a favourable verdict (Ex 23:8; De 16:19).
(4.) Simply a thing given (Mt 7:11; Lu 11:13; Eph 4:8); sacrifical (Mt 5:23-24; 8:4); eleemosynary (Lu 21:1); a gratuity (Joh 4:10; Ac 8:20). In Ac 2:38 the generic word dorea is rendered "gift." It differs from the charisma (1Co 12:4) as denoting not miraculous powers but the working of a new spirit in men, and that spirit from God.
The giving of presents entered largely into the affairs of common life in the East. The nature of the presents was as various as were the occasions: food (1Sa 9:7; 16:20), sheep and cattle (Ge 32:13-15), gold (2Sa 18:11), jewels (Ge 24:53), furniture, and vessels for eating and drinking (2Sa 17:28); delicacies, as spices, honey, etc. (1Ki 10:25; 2Ki 5:1; 22). The mode of presentation was with as much parade as possible: the presents were conveyed by the hands of servants (Jg 3:18), or still better, on the backs of beasts of burden (2Ki 8:9). The refusal of a present was regarded as a high indignity; and this constituted the aggravated insult noticed in Mt 22:11, the marriage robe having been offered and refused.
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And the servant brought forth silver articles, and gold articles, and clothing, and he gave them to Rebecca; and he gave to her brother, and to her mother, precious things.
And he lodged there that night; and took of what came to his hand a gift for Esau his brother -- two hundred she-goats, and twenty he-goats; two hundred ewes, and twenty rams; read more. thirty milch camels with their colts; forty kine, and ten bulls; twenty she-asses, and ten young asses.
Impose on me very much as dowry and gift, and I will give according as ye shall say to me; but give me the maiden as wife.
And thou shalt take no bribe; for the bribe blindeth those whose eyes are open, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
And this shall be thine: the heave-offering of their gift, with all the wave-offerings of the children of Israel; I have given them unto thee, and to thy sons and to thy daughters with thee, by an everlasting statute; every one that is clean in thy house shall eat of it.
Thou shalt not wrest judgment; thou shalt not respect persons, neither take a bribe; for the bribe blindeth the eyes of the wise, and perverteth the words of the righteous.
And when Ehud had finished presenting the tribute, he sent away the people that carried the tribute.
And Saul said to his servant, But if we go, what shall we bring the man? for the bread is spent in our vessels, and we have no present to give to the man of God: what have we?
And Jesse took an ass with bread, and a flask of wine, and a kid, and sent them by David his son to Saul.
And he smote the Moabites, and measured them with a line, making them lie down on the ground; and he measured two lines to put to death, and one full line to keep alive. And the Moabites became David's servants, and brought gifts.
And David put garrisons in Syria of Damascus; and the Syrians became servants to David, and brought gifts. And Jehovah preserved David whithersoever he went.
brought beds, and basons, and earthen vessels, and wheat, and barley, and flour, and parched corn, and beans, and lentils, and parched pulse,
And Joab said to the man that told him, And behold, thou sawest him, and why didst thou not smite him there to the ground? and I would have given thee ten silver pieces and a girdle.
And they brought every man his present, vessels of silver, and vessels of gold, and clothing, and armour, and spices, horses and mules, a rate year by year.
And Hazael went to meet him, and took with him a present, even of every good thing of Damascus, forty camels' burden; and he came and stood before him, and said, Thy son Ben-Hadad king of Syria has sent me to thee, saying, Shall I recover from this disease?
And the daughter of Tyre with a gift, the rich ones among the people, shall court thy favour.
The kings of Tarshish and of the isles shall render presents; the kings of Sheba and Seba shall offer tribute:
A man's gift maketh room for him, and bringeth him before great men.
Many court the favour of a noble; and every one is friend to a man that giveth.
A gift in secret pacifieth anger; and a present in the bosom, vehement fury.
If therefore thou shouldest offer thy gift at the altar, and there shouldest remember that thy brother has something against thee, leave there thy gift before the altar, and first go, be reconciled to thy brother, and then come and offer thy gift.
If therefore ye, being wicked, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall your Father who is in the heavens give good things to them that ask of him?
And Jesus says to him, See thou tell no man, but go, shew thyself to the priest, and offer the gift which Moses ordained, for a testimony to them.
And the king, having gone in to see the guests, beheld there a man not clothed with a wedding garment.
If therefore ye, being evil, know how to give good gifts to your children, how much rather shall the Father who is of heaven give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?
And he looked up and saw the rich casting their gifts into the treasury;
Jesus answered and said to her, If thou knewest the gift of God, and who it is that says to thee, Give me to drink, thou wouldest have asked of him, and he would have given thee living water.
And Peter said to them, Repent, and be baptised, each one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ, for remission of sins, and ye will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.
And Peter said to him, Thy money go with thee to destruction, because thou hast thought that the gift of God can be obtained by money.
But there are distinctions of gifts, but the same Spirit;
Wherefore he says, Having ascended up on high, he has led captivity captive, and has given gifts to men.
Smith
Gift.
The giving and receiving of presents has in all ages been not only a more frequent but also a more formal and significant proceeding in the East than among ourselves. We cannot adduce a more remarkable proof of the important part which presents play in the social life of the East than the fact that the Hebrew language possesses no less than fifteen different expressions for the one idea. The mode of presentation was with as much parade as possible. The refusal of a present was regarded us a high indignity. No less an insult was it not to bring a present when the position of the parties demanded it.
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But the children of Belial said, How should this man save us? And they despised him, and brought him no gifts. But he was as one deaf.