προσωποληπτέω (prosōpolēpteō)
prosōpolēpteō
to favor
Quick Reference
- Language
- Koine Greek
- Testament
- New Testament
- Occurrences
- 1 verses
- Root
- —
Word Overview
The verb prosōpolēpteō describes the act of showing favoritism or giving special treatment based on external appearances rather than merit. Its literal construction combines words for "face" and "receiving," suggesting a mindset that judges people by their outward condition, status, or presentation. In essence, it means to favor someone because of who they appear to be in society.
This term appears only once in the New Testament, found in James 2:9. The context highlights how showing partiality violates the royal law of loving one's neighbor. By using this specific word, the text condemns any form of discrimination that elevates individuals based on superficial traits like wealth or social standing.
The rarity of its usage underscores the seriousness with which early Christian teaching viewed equality. It serves as a clear warning against allowing social hierarchies to influence how believers treat one another, emphasizing that true faith requires impartiality and respect for every person regardless of their external circumstances.
Based on public-domain lexicons (Strong's, Thayer, Gesenius, Brown-Driver-Briggs and others).
What This Word Means for Your Faith
The word prosōpolēpteō describes a human tendency to judge others by their outward appearance or social standing rather than their true character. It suggests receiving someone’s ‘face’—their status, wealth, or presentation—as the primary measure of their worth. In James 2:9, this act is identified as sin because it violates the royal law of loving our neighbor impartially.
For your faith life, this word serves as a gentle but firm reminder to examine how you view those around you. True Christian community requires seeing every person with equal respect, regardless of their external circumstances. When we resist the urge to favor the impressive or powerful, we reflect the heart of God, who shows no partiality.
May you find freedom in treating others with consistent dignity. Let your interactions be marked by a fairness that honors the image of God in every person you meet, creating spaces where all feel valued and respected.
How it's translated
How this word is rendered word-by-word in the 1 verses where it appears, by frequency.
- you show partiality,1×
Forms in the text
The inflected forms of this word as they appear in Scripture, by frequency.
- προσωπολημπτεῖτε,1×
Key Verses
-
James 2:9
But if you show partiality, you commit sin, being convicted by the law as transgressors.
This verse explicitly links showing partiality with committing sin and being convicted as a transgressor of the law.