”To have respect of persons is not good: For for a piece of bread that man will transgress.“
Proverbs 28:21
There are specific inferences in the passage which apply, at some points broadly and others specifically, and are attributed to mankind as a whole.
To begin, the overarching concept of the verse could be said like this:
To make decisions based off of what others think is not good as doing so will cause anyone to rebel for frivolous rewards.
To be more specific, the term, “to have respect of persons,” can mean- to acknowledge those you are face to face with over those who are not in your presence.
This comes from the thought process of a Ruler making a decision to appease those surrounding them by harming others who are not close enough to be emotionally attached to the Ruler.
The second portion of the passage is particularly judgmental of those who engage in the practice of “playing favorites.”
The word transgress, as used in this sense goes beyond the typical meaning of crossing a line which should not be crossed, it carries the idea of a rebellion or a revolt. This is in part due to the charge a Ruler is given over the people they serve. As a Ruler, you are held to a high moral standard by those who handed you the authority you hold.
When a Ruler abuses their position and authority they rebel against the Ultimate Authority who holds them accountable for how the behave to their fellow man.
In short, being a Ruler is a RESPONSIBILITY to be upheld not a POSITION to be leveraged for gain.
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