Respect of Persons 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 Proverbs 18:5; and Proverbs 24:23). As applied to a (prostrate) suppliant, the phrase means "receive him with favor," and is so used in 1 Samuel 25:35, Malachi 1:8, Malachi 1:9 (compare Genesis 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, Job 13:10 the American Standard Revised Version), and is so used commonly. A literal translation into Greek gave lambano prosopon (Wisdom of Sirach 35:13 (32:16); Luke 20:21, Galatians 2:6), with the noun prosopolempsia, "face-taking" (Romans 2:11, Ephesians 6:9, Colossians 3:25, James 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 Acts 10:34, James 2:9. God's judgment rests solely on the character of the man and will be influenced by no worldly (Ephesians 6:9) or national (Romans 2:11) considerations.
See also ACCEPT.
Burton Scott Easton