The judges of the Hebrews were directed to give sentence strictly according to truth and justice, without regard to the comparative wealth, influence or other advantage of one party over the other, Lev 19:15 Deu 16:17 Pro 24:23 . Thus God judges, not according to outward appearance or station, but according to the heart, Mal 10:34 1Ch 2:6-11 . Thus ought men to estimate and treat their fellow men; and to court the favor of the rich and influential is sharply censured in Scripture, Pro 28:21 Jas 2:1-9 Jud 1:16 .\par
The abstract noun ðñïóùðïëçìøßá occurs in the NT four times. In three of these instances (Rom_2:11, Eph_6:9, Col_3:25) it is used with reference to God, in the fourth (Jam_2:1) with reference to man. The cognate verb ðñïóùðïëçìðôἑù occurs once only in the NT in Jam_2:9. The masculine form ðñïóùðïëÞìðôçò occurs only once in Act_10:34 and the negative adverb ἀðñïóùðïëÞìðôùò only once in 1Pe_1:17. The compound is a late Hellenistic formation, appearing only in the NT and in ecclesiastical literature.
Before the formation of the compound, and along with it, the constituent elements were used together as separate words. The expression ëáìâÜíåéí ðñüóùðïí is used in the Septuagint to translate ðָùָׂà ôָðִéí, ‘to accept the face,’ i.e. to receive kindly or look favourably upon any one (cf. Lev_19:15). Originally the expression was a neutral one, involving no idea of improper partiality. When, however, it becomes a distinctive expression, as, e.g., in Gal_2:6 (ðñüóùðïí èåὸò ἀíèñþðïõ ïὐ ëáìâÜíåé), it takes a worse sense. Lightfoot (in loc.) suggests that this is owing to the secondary meaning of ðñüóùðïí, ‘mask,’ so that ðñüóùðïí ëáìâÜíåéí signifies ‘to regard the external circumstances of a man’-his rank, wealth, etc.-as opposed to his real intrinsic character. The phrase ëáìâÜíåéí ðñüóùðïí occurs again in the NT in Luk_20:21. It also occurs in the Didache iv. 3: êñéíåῖò äéêáßùò, ïὐ ëÞøῃ ðñüóùðïí ἐëÝãîáé ἐðὶ ðáñáðôþìáóéí. Alternative expressions with a similar meaning are âëÝðåéí åἰò ðñüóùðïí (Mat_22:16, Mar_12:14) and èáõìÜæåéí ðñüóùðïí (Jud_1:16).
The NT instances of the compound word fall into three main groups. Act_10:34, 1Pe_1:17, and Rom_2:11 constitute the first of these. In Act_10:34 St. Peter, addressing the assembled household of Cornelius, says, êáôáëáìâÜíïìáé ὅôé ïὐê ἐóôéí ðñïóùðïëÞìðôçò ὁ èåüò. On this assertion of God’s character, as free from partiality to one nation above other nations, the Apostle bases his repudiation of the exclusive covenant of Israel. In Rom_2:11 St. Paul asserts the same view with the similar phrase ïὐ ãὰñ ἐóôéí ðñïóùðïëçìøßá ðáñὰ ôῷ èåῷ. The expression in 1Pe_1:17 describing God as ôὸí ἀðñïóùðïëçìðôùò êñßíïíôá êáôὰ ôὸ ἑêÜóôïõ ἔñãïí involves the same assertion, but it also involves a warning (with a possible reference to Deu_10:17) that, under the New Covenant as under the Old, God would show no favour to those whose deeds made them unworthy of it.
The two passages Eph_6:9 and Col_3:25 form the second group. Both are concerned with the mutual relations of masters and slaves. In Eph_6:9 masters are counselled as to the right treatment of their slaves, ‘knowing that both their Master and yours is in heaven, and there is no respect of persons (ðñïóùðïëçìøßá) with him.’ In Col_3:25 the word occurs in the counsels addressed to the slaves. The passage is interesting as showing that ðñïóùðïëçìøßá, though usually exercised in favour of rank and power, might occasionally be employed on the opposite side (cf. Lev_19:15). The slave might assume that because man’s ðñïóùðïëçìøßá would usually be on the master’s side, there would be a corresponding ðñïóùðïëçìøßá of God on the slave’s side. St. Paul’s warning in this passage corrects any such mistaken impression.
The third group of passages consists of the two in St. James, the noun in Jam_2:1 and the corresponding verb in Jam_2:9. In the general context it is partiality in favour of the wealthy, well-dressed member of the Christian assembly that is condemned. In Jam_2:1 the noun is used in the plural, ἐí ðñïóùðïëçìøßáéò, with probable reference to the many ways in which partiality may display itself.
In the sub-apostolic writings ðñïóùðïëçìøßá occurs only in Polycarp, ad Phil. vi. 1. Elders are warned that they should be compassionate and merciful, ἀðå÷üìåíïé ðÜóçò ὀñãῆò, ðñïóùðïëçìøßáò, êñἰóåùò ἀäßêïõ. The negative adverb occurs in 1 Clem. i. 3 (ἀðñïóùðïëÞìðôùò ãὰñ ðÜíôá ἑôïéåῖôå) and in Ep. Barn. iv. 12 (ὁ êἰñéïò ἀðñïóùðïëÞìðãùò êñéíåῖ ôὸí êüóìïí).
Literature.-Sanday-Headlam, International Critical Commentary , ‘Romans’5, Edinburgh, 1902, p. 58; J. B. Lightfoot, Galatians 5, London, 1876, p. 108, Colossians and Philemon, new ed., do., 1879, p. 230; J. B. Major, James 3, do., 1910, p. 78.
Dawson Walker.