4380. prosópolémpteó
Lexical Summary
prosópolémpteó: To show partiality, to be a respecter of persons

Original Word: προσωπολημπτέω
Part of Speech: Verb
Transliteration: prosópolémpteó
Pronunciation: pro-so-po-lay-MP-teh-o
Phonetic Spelling: (pros-o-pol-ape-teh'-o)
KJV: have respect to persons
NASB: show partiality
Word Origin: [from G4381 (προσωπολήπτης - one to show partiality)]

1. to favor an individual, i.e. show partiality

Strong's Exhaustive Concordance
to show partiality

From prosopoleptes; to favor an individual, i.e. Show partiality -- have respect to persons.

see GREEK prosopoleptes

NAS Exhaustive Concordance
Word Origin
from prosópolémptés
Definition
to have respect of persons
NASB Translation
show partiality (1).

Thayer's Greek Lexicon
STRONGS NT 4380: προσωποληπτέω

προσωποληπτέω (L T Tr WH προσωπολημπτέω (see Mu)), προσωπολήπτω; a Hellenistic verb (derived from the following word (cf. Winers 33, 101 (96))), to respect the person (i. e. the external condition of a man), to have respect of persons: James 2:9.

Topical Lexicon
Meaning within Biblical Theology

The verb προσωπολημπτέω conveys the act of showing partiality—judging or treating people on the basis of external appearance, social standing, or some other surface distinction. Scripture consistently presents such favoritism as incompatible with the character of God, who is “no respecter of persons” (Acts 10:34) and judges “each one impartially according to his deeds” (1 Peter 1:17).

Singular New Testament Occurrence

James 2:9 exposes favoritism within the assembly as outright sin: “But if you show partiality, you are committing sin and are convicted by the law as transgressors”. In the immediate context, believers had seated wealthy visitors in honored places while relegating the poor to lowly positions. James links this practice to the violation of the “royal law” to “love your neighbor as yourself” (James 2:8). Thus προσωπολημπτέω is depicted not as a minor social faux pas but as a breach of the foundational ethic of love.

Old Testament Roots and Continuity

The New Testament censure echoes the Torah’s insistence on impartial justice: “You shall not show partiality in judgment; you shall hear the small and the great alike” (Deuteronomy 1:17). Leviticus 19:15 forbids favoring either the poor or the great, grounding equity in God’s holiness. James’s warning therefore stands in seamless continuity with covenant expectations stretching back to Sinai.

Christological Dimension

Throughout the Gospels, Jesus consistently undermines social hierarchies—welcoming children (Mark 10:14), dining with tax collectors (Luke 5:30-32), and praising a destitute widow’s offering (Mark 12:41-44). His incarnation itself testifies to divine identification with the lowly (Philippians 2:6-8). Believers who show partiality obscure the gospel pattern in which “the last will be first” (Matthew 20:16).

Ecclesiological and Pastoral Application

1. Worship Gatherings: Seating, platform presence, and acknowledgment should reflect the equal dignity of every believer in Christ (Galatians 3:28).
2. Leadership Selection: Elders and deacons must be appointed without bias (1 Timothy 5:21).
3. Benevolence Ministries: Assistance must be dispensed on the basis of genuine need rather than donor influence or public image (Acts 6:1-7).
4. Preaching and Teaching: Scripture should be proclaimed with equal candor to all socioeconomic groups, avoiding flattery of the influential (1 Thessalonians 2:4-6).

Historical Reflection in Church Practice

The early Church’s care for widows, its inclusion of Gentiles, and the appointment of deacons demonstrate practical repudiation of favoritism. Reformers likewise appealed to divine impartiality to challenge class privilege in worship. Modern missions movements emphasize the same principle by reaching every tribe and language without cultural or racial bias.

Implications for Personal Discipleship

Believers are called to align their relational habits with God’s impartial character. This involves:
• Examining hidden biases in friendships, hiring, and hospitality (Romans 12:16).
• Cultivating empathy through deliberate engagement with those of different status or background (Philippians 2:3-4).
• Praying for the Spirit’s conviction when fleshly motives seek approval from the wealthy or powerful (Proverbs 29:25).

Corporate Prayer and Worship

Congregational prayers should confess communal tendencies toward favoritism and plead for the Spirit’s fruit of genuine brotherly love. Songs that celebrate God’s sovereignty over all peoples and classes reinforce the antidote to προσωπολημπτέω.

Summary

Strong’s Greek 4380 encapsulates a practice Scripture unequivocally condemns. Because God judges without respect of persons, His people must do likewise—within worship, governance, mission, and daily relationships—so that the Church manifests the kingdom where rich and poor, slave and free, stand on equal footing before the cross.

Forms and Transliterations
προσωπολημπτειτε προσωπολημπτεῖτε προσωποληπτείτε prosopolempteite prosopolempteîte prosōpolēmpteite prosōpolēmpteîte
Links
Interlinear GreekInterlinear HebrewStrong's NumbersEnglishman's Greek ConcordanceEnglishman's Hebrew ConcordanceParallel Texts
Englishman's Concordance
James 2:9 V-PIA-2P
GRK: εἰ δὲ προσωπολημπτεῖτε ἁμαρτίαν ἐργάζεσθε
NAS: But if you show partiality, you are committing
KJV: if ye have respect to persons, ye commit
INT: if however you have partiality sin you commit

Strong's Greek 4380
1 Occurrence


προσωπολημπτεῖτε — 1 Occ.

4379
Top of Page
Top of Page