Proverbs 27:21

Proverbs 27:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
• English Standard Version (ESV)The crucible is for silver, and the furnace is for gold, and a man is tested by his praise.
• New King James Version (NKJV)The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.
• New Living Translation (NLT)Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.

Context of Proverbs 27:21

19As water reflects the face, so one’s life reflects the heart. 20Death and Destruction are never satisfied, and neither are human eyes. The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their praise. 22Though you grind a fool in a mortar, grinding them like grain with a pestle, you will not remove their folly from them. 23Be sure you know the condition of your flocks, give careful attention to your herds;

Proverbs 27:21 word by word

מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב וְ֝אִ֗ישׁ לְפִ֣י מַהֲלָלֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• the fining potמַצְרֵףmitsrêph · crucibleH4715
• for silverכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
• and the furnaceכּוּרkûr · furnaceH3564
• for goldזָהָבzâhâb · goldH2091
• a manאִישׁ'îysh · manH376
• toפֶּהpeh · lipH6310
• his praiseמַהֲלָלmahălâl · praiseH4110

Cross-references for Proverbs 27:21

• Proverbs 17:3The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
• Psalms 12:6And the words of the Lord are flawless, like silver purified in a crucible, like gold refined seven times.
• Psalms 66:10For you, God, tested us; you refined us like silver.
• Zechariah 13:9This third I will put into the fire; I will refine them like silver and test them like gold. They will call on my name and I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’ ”
• Malachi 3:3He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the Lord will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness,
• 1 Peter 1:7These have come so that the proven genuineness of your faith—of greater worth than gold, which perishes even though refined by fire—may result in praise, glory and honor when Jesus Christ is revealed.
• 1 Peter 4:12Dear friends, do not be surprised at the fiery ordeal that has come on you to test you, as though something strange were happening to you.
• 1 Samuel 18:7As they danced, they sang: “Saul has slain his thousands, and David his tens of thousands.”
• 2 Samuel 14:25In all Israel there was not a man so highly praised for his handsome appearance as Absalom. From the top of his head to the sole of his foot there was no blemish in him.
• 2 Samuel 15:6Absalom behaved in this way toward all the Israelites who came to the king asking for justice, and so he stole the hearts of the people of Israel.

Commentaries on Proverbs 27:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21As the fining pot for silver - As silver and gold are tried by the art of the refiner, so is a man's heart by the praise he receives. If he feel it not, he deserves it; if he be puffed up by it, he is worthless.Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 21So is … - Better, So let a man be to his praise, let him purify it from all the alloy of flattery and baseness with which it is too probably mixed up.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 21Verse 21 Silver and gold are tried by putting them into the furnace and fining-pot; so is a man tried by praising him.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21A person who stays humble when praised shows a pure character (see Proverbs 17:3).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 2121. Praise tests character. a man to his praise--according to his praise, as he bears it. Thus vain men seek it, weak men are inflated by it, wise men disregard it, &c.Read the comment

Topics related to Proverbs 27:21

• Flattery
• Gold
• Self-Righteousness

In the dictionaries

• Fining pot
• Answer
• Boast
• Bray
• Contentious
• Furnace
• Look
• Soul
• Wrath
• Goldsmith

Commentaries on Proverbs 27

• 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
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings