“A man’s gift makes room for him and brings him before great men” – Prov. 18:16
This verse isn’t quoted verbatim as much as it’s used in general. Usually, the first half of the verse is professed as, “Your gift will make room for you.” If you’re like me, you probably first heard or restated this “verse” without ever seeing it in Scripture. The verse has been heard in sermons, songs lyrics, and used by worship leaders as encouragement, all while seldom referencing its biblical context.
Common (Mis)usage:
This “your gift will make room for you” is stated in the second-person for good reason. People who misuse and misapply the text intend for it to be encouragement to someone. When misused, the word “gift” is the main word that’s misunderstood. Today, we often use “gifts” in a Christian context to refer to the natural and supernatural abilities given to us by God. That’s a fine understanding in a church-oriented, New Testament sort of way. However, this common saying is from Proverbs, and “gift” has a different and broader contextual meaning there.
Many have said, “Your gift will make room for you” as an exhortation, suggesting that having a certain God-given ability will permit access to hard-to-reach places (i.e., “make room for you.”). In this way, the phrase is an encouragement to be patient because—whether their “gift” is singing, writing, art, accounting, preaching, or some particular spiritual gift—opportunities will eventually become available due to this gift.
Basic Context & Meaning:
Upfront, the original readers of this text likely wouldn’t have understood “gift” as “the skills and abilities with which God had blessed them.” Instead, they would have likely understood “gift” as monetary. The Hebrew word used in Prov. 18:16 is מַתָּ֣ן (mattan). Mattan is more general than what the word for “bribe” denotes (see מַתָּנֹ֣ת / mattanoth), but it doesn’t eliminate the possibility of “bribe” being captured in this text (Frank E. Gaebelien, Ed., The Expositor’s Bible Commentary, (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1990), Electronic text hypertexted and prepared by OakTree Software, Inc., Version 2.9.)
Moreover, Prov. 21:14 provides warning for the giving of gifts, suggesting that it can leave opportunity for bribery (though it is not necessary that a gift be given with that intent). The point here in Prov. 18:16 is that “gifts” or “presents” can grant access to and appease the recipient. Gifts can influence people and situations. It’s akin to someone who attends a Christmas party and elects to show up with a bottle of wine for the host. Such a gesture can be good or sinister, depending on the giver’s motive. The recipient, however, is likely to appreciate the gesture, and that’s the point. The Proverb’s goal is only to state the result of such gifts as a general rule of life, and that’s the context.
Suggested Usage/Application:
Since the proverb has a rather neutral tone to it (not saying the gift giving is good nor bad, but simply stating that it’s done and produces results), the believer can gain wisdom from the righteous application of it. When approaching an official, authority figure, or host with a request, it can be wise to entreat them with a “gift.” Again, this assumes the right motive, and caution should be used to ensure this is not an effort to unjustly influence the person as other verses in Proverbs warn. What does right motive look like? A good instance is that of Jacob (Israel) in Gen. 43:11-14. In that passage, there’s famine in the land, and Jacob calls for his sons to go back to Egypt where there is food. They are not to go empty handed since they are entreating the Egyptian second in command. Jacob calls for them to depart with gifts of “balm and a little honey, gum, myrrh, pistachio nuts, and almonds […and] double the money” (v.11). This is an example of the manner in which this verse should be applied.
So, can someone’s singing, art, or preaching ability provide them with access to previously unreached places? Sure! I’m certain this happens with a degree of regularity, too. Yet, we probably shouldn’t use this proverb as though that’s the original intent. We honor God most by being obedient and rightly understanding His word. We don’t need to misappropriate texts in order to follow God or to seem more spiritual than we are. May we all (me included) avoid the inclination to sound good before others by misapplying texts, and instead, continue to exercise diligence in study and faithful application of the Script.