re-spekt':The phrase nasa' phanim, means literally, "lift up the face," and, among other translations, is rendered indifferently "accept" or "respect the person" in the King James Version (contrast
Pr 18:5 and
24:23). As applied to a (prostrate) suppliant, the phrase means "receive him with favor," and is so used in
1Sa 25:35;
Mal 1:8,
9 (compare
Ge 19:21, etc.). By a shift in force the phrase came to mean "accept the person instead of the cause" or "show partiality" (
Job 13:8,
10 the American Standard
Revised Version), and is so used commonly. A literal translation into Greek gave lambano prosopon (Sirach 35:13 (32:16);
Lu 20:21;
Ga 2:6), with the noun prosopolempsia, "face-taking" (
Ro 2:11;
Eph 6:9;
Col 3:25;
Jas 2:1), rendered uniformly "respect of persons" in English Versions of the Bible. A noun prosopolemptes, "respecter of persons," and a verb prosopolempteo, are found
Ac 10:34;
Jas 2:9. God's judgment rests solely on the character of the man and will be influenced by no worldly (
Eph
6:9) or national (
Ro 2:11) considerations.