Greek word · G4346
πρόσκλισις
prosklisis
partiality
A leaning or inclining toward (from prosklinō, "to lean toward"). Hence partiality, favouritism, taking sides, partisanship. Only here in the New Testament.
Appears once in the Greek New Testament. ·
What it means
From G. Abbott-Smith, A Manual Greek Lexicon of the New Testament (1922), via STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0).
In depth
From the study of 1 Timothy 5:21
- Range of meaning
A leaning or inclining toward (from prosklinō, "to lean toward"). Hence partiality, favouritism, taking sides, partisanship. Only here in the New Testament.
- Against the English
"Partiality" (BSB, KJV, WEB, YLT) is accurate. "Favoritism" and NLT's "taking sides" bring out the social dimension. None keeps the physical picture of a judge leaning toward one party.
- Used elsewhere in the period
Used in Hellenistic historians for political leanings. 1 Clement, written from Rome to Corinth within a generation or so of this letter, uses the same word for the Corinthians' partisanship toward Paul, Cephas and Apollos (1 Clem 47:3–4), and prays for believers to be found "without human partisanship" (50:2). This shows early church writers used it for party loyalty within a congregation.
Similar words
Where it appears
1 Timothy · 1
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1 Timothy 5:21 πρόσκλισιν. partiality.
I solemnly charge you before God and Christ Jesus and the elect angels to maintain these principles without bias, and to do nothing out of partiality.
Here: Literally "a leaning toward". It is favouritism, taking someone's side because you like them, owe them, or belong to their party. It is the mirror image of the prejudgment just mentioned.
Word data: STEPBible.org (CC BY 4.0), main text only.