God’s Word Translation
Proverbs 21:4
4A conceited look and an arrogant attitude, which are the lamps of wicked people, are sins.
Proverbs 21:4 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
- New International Version (NIV)Haughty eyes and a proud heart— the unplowed field of the wicked—produce sin.
- English Standard Version (ESV)Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin.
- New King James Version (NKJV)A haughty look, a proud heart, And the plowing of the wicked are sin.
Context of Proverbs 21:4
2A person thinks everything he does is right, but the Lord weighs hearts. 3Doing what is right and fair is more acceptable to the Lord than offering a sacrifice. A conceited look and an arrogant attitude, which are the lamps of wicked people, are sins. 5The plans of a hard-working person lead to prosperity, but everyone who is ⌞always⌟ in a hurry ends up in poverty. 6Those who gather wealth by lying are wasting time. They are looking for death.
Read all of Proverbs 21Proverbs 21:4 word by word
רוּם־עֵ֭ינַיִם וּרְחַב־לֵ֑ב נִ֖ר רְשָׁעִ֣ים חַטָּֽאת׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 21:4
- Proverbs 6:17arrogant eyes, a lying tongue, hands that kill innocent people,
- Proverbs 8:13To fear the Lord is to hate evil. I hate pride, arrogance, evil behavior, and twisted speech.
- Proverbs 30:13A certain kind of person looks around arrogantly and is conceited.
- Psalms 10:4He turns up his nose ⌞and says⌟, “God doesn’t care.” His every thought ⌞concludes⌟, “There is no God.”
- Isaiah 2:11The eyes of arrogant people will be humbled. High and mighty people will be brought down. On that day the Lord alone will be honored.
- Isaiah 3:16The Lord adds, “The women of Zion are arrogant. They walk with their noses in the air, making seductive glances, taking short little steps, jingling the ankle bracelets on their feet.”
- Luke 18:14“I can guarantee that this tax collector went home with God’s approval, but the Pharisee didn’t. Everyone who honors himself will be humbled, but the person who humbles himself will be honored.”
- 1 Peter 5:5Young people, in a similar way, place yourselves under the authority of spiritual leaders. Furthermore, all of you must serve each other with humility, because God opposes the arrogant but favors the humble.
- Proverbs 21:27The sacrifice of wicked people is disgusting, especially if they bring it with evil intent.
- Proverbs 15:8A sacrifice brought by wicked people is disgusting to the Lord, but the prayers of decent people please him.
- Romans 14:23But if a person has doubts and still eats, he is condemned because he didn’t act in faith. Anything that is not done in faith is sin.
Commentaries on Proverbs 21:4
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 4A high look - The evidence of pride, self-conceit, and vanity. A proud heart, from which the high look, etc., come. And the ploughing - נר ner, lucerna, the lamp, the prosperity and posterity of the wicked; is sin - it is evil in the seed, and evil in the root evil in the branch, and evil in the fruit. They are full of sin themselves, and what they do is sinful.Read the comment
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 4The plowing - The Hebrew word, with a change in its vowel points, may signify either: (1) the “fallow field,” the “tillage” of Proverbs 13:23, or (2) the lamp. According to: (1) the verse would mean, “The outward signs of pride, the proud heart, the broad lands of the wicked, all are evil.” (2) however, belongs, as it were, to the language of the time and of the book Proverbs 13:9; Proverbs 24:20. The “lamp of the wicked” is their outwardly bright…Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 4Verse 4 Sin is the pride, the ambition, the glory, the joy, and the business of wicked men.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 4Appearance (eyes), character (heart), and actions are all important. God dislikes pride (see Proverbs 6:17–18; 11:2; 13:10; 15:33; 16:18; 18:12).Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 44. high look--(Compare Margin; Psa 131:1). proud heart--or, "heart of breadth," one that is swollen (compare Psa 101:5). ploughing--better "lamp," a frequent figure for prosperity (Pr 20:20); hence joy or delight.Read the comment
Topics related to Proverbs 21:4
In the dictionaries
Commentaries on Proverbs 21
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
- Tyndale Open Study Notes
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
- Rashi on Tanakh
- Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
- John Wesley’s Notes
- Darby Translation Notes
- Geneva Bible Translation Notes
- Kingcomments
- Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
- Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
- Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
- EGW Writings
God’s Word Translation — © 1995 God’s Word to the Nations Bible Society
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