Countenance (Hastings' Dictionary)

As a subst. frequent, always = face. As a vb. only Ex 23* 'Neither slialt thou c. a poor man in liis cause,' RV ' favour,' older versions 'esteem.' Cf. Brinsley (1612), ' tliat the painfull and obedient be . . countenanced, in- couraged, and preferred ' ; and Shaks. 2 Henry IV. V. i. 41, ' I beseech you, sir, to countenance William Visor of Wincot against Clement Perkes of the hill.' The Heb. vb.

Is hddhar, 'honour,' which is used in a bad sense again in Lv lO'Sb 'nor honour the person of the mighty.' Rnobel would make Ex 23^ correspond with Lv IQ^&b by r^uling Si3 'great,' for Sni 'and a poor man.' But the versions do not support any change (L.XX reads K«i winirm), and the statement is parallel to Lv I'.tio* 'thou shalt not respect the person of the poor.' As the Bishops' Bible explains. ' Trueth of the matter, sad not respect of any person is to oe esteemed in judgement.' J. Hastings.