The practice of making presents is very common in oriental
countries. The custom probably had its origin among those men who first
sustained the office of kings or rulers, and who, from the novelty and
perhaps the weakness attached to their situation, chose, rather than
make the hazardous attempt of exacting taxes, to content themselves with
receiving those presents which might be freely offered, 1 Sam. x, 27.
Hence it passed into a custom, that whoever approached the king should
come with a gift. This was the practice and the expectation. The custom
of presenting gifts was subsequently extended to other great men; to men
who were inferior to the king, but who were, nevertheless, men of
influence and rank; it was also extended to those who were equals, when
they were visited, Proverbs xviii, 16. Kings themselves were in the
habit of making presents, probably in reference to the custom in
question and the feelings connected with it, to those individuals, their
inferiors in point of rank, whom they wished to honour, and also to
those who, like themselves, were clothed with the royal authority. These
presents, namely, such as were presented by the king as a token of the
royal esteem and honour, are almost invariably denominated in the
Hebrew, שחד and ברכה, 1 Kings xv, 19; 2 Kings xvi, 8; xviii, 14; Isaiah
xxxvi, 16. The more ancient prophets did not deem it discreditable to
them to receive presents, nor unbecoming their sacred calling, except
when, as was sometimes the case, they refused by way of expressing their
dissatisfaction or indignation, 2 Kings v, 15; viii, 9. In later times,
when false prophets, in order to obtain money, prophesied without truth
and without authority, the true prophets, for the purpose of keeping the
line of distinction as broad as possible, rejected every thing that
looked like reward. Gifts of this kind, that have now been described,
are not to be confounded with those which are called שחד, and which were
presented to judges, not as a mark of esteem and honour, but for
purposes of bribery and corruption. The former was considered an honour
to the giver, but a gift of the latter kind has been justly reprobated
in every age, Exod. xxii, 8; Deut. x, 17; xvi, 19; xxvii, 25; Psalm xv,
5; xxvi, 10; Isaiah i, 23; v, 23; xxxiii, 15. The giver was not
restricted as to the kind of present which he should make. He might
present not only silver and gold, but clothes and arms, also different
kinds of food, in a word any thing which could be of benefit to the
recipient, Gen. xliii, 11; 1 Sam. ix, 7; xvi, 20; Job xiii, 11. It was
the custom anciently, as it is at the present time in the east, for an
individual when visiting a person of high rank, to make some presents of
small value to the servants or domestics of the person visited, 1 Sam.
xxv, 27. It was the usual practice among kings and princes to present to
their favourite officers in the government, to ambassadors from foreign
courts, to foreigners of distinction, and to men eminent for their
learning, garments of greater or less value, Genesis xiv, 22, 23; Esther
viii, 15. The royal wardrobe, in which a large number of such garments
was kept, is denominated in Hebrew בגדים 2 Chronicles xxxiv, 22. It was
considered an honour of the highest kind, if a king or any person in
high authority thought it proper, as a manifestation of his favour, to
give away to another the garment which he had previously worn himself, 1
Sam. xviii, 4. In the east, at the present day, it is expected, that
every one who has received a garment from the king will immediately
clothe himself in it, and promptly present himself and render his homage
to the giver; otherwise he runs the hazard of exciting the king’s
displeasure, Matt. xxii, 11, 12. It was sometimes the case, that the
king, when he made a feast, presented vestments to all the guests who
were invited, with which they clothed themselves before they sat down to
it, 2 Kings x, 22; Gen. xlv, 22; Rev. iii, 5. In oriental countries, the
presents which are made to kings and princes are to this day carried on
beasts of burden, are attended with a body of men, and are escorted with
much pomp. It matters not how light or how small the present may be, it
must either be carried on the back of a beast of burden, or by a man,
who must support it with both his hands, Judges iii, 18; 2 Kings viii,
9.
countries. The custom probably had its origin among those men who first
sustained the office of kings or rulers, and who, from the novelty and
perhaps the weakness attached to their situation, chose, rather than
make the hazardous attempt of exacting taxes, to content themselves with
receiving those presents which might be freely offered, 1 Sam. x, 27.
Hence it passed into a custom, that whoever approached the king should
come with a gift. This was the practice and the expectation. The custom
of presenting gifts was subsequently extended to other great men; to men
who were inferior to the king, but who were, nevertheless, men of
influence and rank; it was also extended to those who were equals, when
they were visited, Proverbs xviii, 16. Kings themselves were in the
habit of making presents, probably in reference to the custom in
question and the feelings connected with it, to those individuals, their
inferiors in point of rank, whom they wished to honour, and also to
those who, like themselves, were clothed with the royal authority. These
presents, namely, such as were presented by the king as a token of the
royal esteem and honour, are almost invariably denominated in the
Hebrew, שחד and ברכה, 1 Kings xv, 19; 2 Kings xvi, 8; xviii, 14; Isaiah
xxxvi, 16. The more ancient prophets did not deem it discreditable to
them to receive presents, nor unbecoming their sacred calling, except
when, as was sometimes the case, they refused by way of expressing their
dissatisfaction or indignation, 2 Kings v, 15; viii, 9. In later times,
when false prophets, in order to obtain money, prophesied without truth
and without authority, the true prophets, for the purpose of keeping the
line of distinction as broad as possible, rejected every thing that
looked like reward. Gifts of this kind, that have now been described,
are not to be confounded with those which are called שחד, and which were
presented to judges, not as a mark of esteem and honour, but for
purposes of bribery and corruption. The former was considered an honour
to the giver, but a gift of the latter kind has been justly reprobated
in every age, Exod. xxii, 8; Deut. x, 17; xvi, 19; xxvii, 25; Psalm xv,
5; xxvi, 10; Isaiah i, 23; v, 23; xxxiii, 15. The giver was not
restricted as to the kind of present which he should make. He might
present not only silver and gold, but clothes and arms, also different
kinds of food, in a word any thing which could be of benefit to the
recipient, Gen. xliii, 11; 1 Sam. ix, 7; xvi, 20; Job xiii, 11. It was
the custom anciently, as it is at the present time in the east, for an
individual when visiting a person of high rank, to make some presents of
small value to the servants or domestics of the person visited, 1 Sam.
xxv, 27. It was the usual practice among kings and princes to present to
their favourite officers in the government, to ambassadors from foreign
courts, to foreigners of distinction, and to men eminent for their
learning, garments of greater or less value, Genesis xiv, 22, 23; Esther
viii, 15. The royal wardrobe, in which a large number of such garments
was kept, is denominated in Hebrew בגדים 2 Chronicles xxxiv, 22. It was
considered an honour of the highest kind, if a king or any person in
high authority thought it proper, as a manifestation of his favour, to
give away to another the garment which he had previously worn himself, 1
Sam. xviii, 4. In the east, at the present day, it is expected, that
every one who has received a garment from the king will immediately
clothe himself in it, and promptly present himself and render his homage
to the giver; otherwise he runs the hazard of exciting the king’s
displeasure, Matt. xxii, 11, 12. It was sometimes the case, that the
king, when he made a feast, presented vestments to all the guests who
were invited, with which they clothed themselves before they sat down to
it, 2 Kings x, 22; Gen. xlv, 22; Rev. iii, 5. In oriental countries, the
presents which are made to kings and princes are to this day carried on
beasts of burden, are attended with a body of men, and are escorted with
much pomp. It matters not how light or how small the present may be, it
must either be carried on the back of a beast of burden, or by a man,
who must support it with both his hands, Judges iii, 18; 2 Kings viii,
9.