New King James Version
Proverbs 27:21
21The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him.
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.
- New International Version (NIV)The crucible for silver and the furnace for gold, but people are tested by their 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 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 in water face reflects face, So a man’s heart reveals the man. 20Hell and Destruction are never full; So the eyes of man are never satisfied. The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, And a man is valued by what others say of him. 22Though you grind a fool in a mortar with a pestle along with crushed grain, Yet his foolishness will not depart from him. 23Be diligent to know the state of your flocks, And attend to your herds;
Read all of Proverbs 27Proverbs 27:21 word by word
מַצְרֵ֣ף לַ֭כֶּסֶף וְכ֣וּר לַזָּהָ֑ב וְ֝אִ֗ישׁ לְפִ֣י מַהֲלָלֽוֹ׃Read the interlinear
Words taken from the KJV.
Cross-references for Proverbs 27:21
- Proverbs 17:3The refining pot is for silver and the furnace for gold, But the Lord tests the hearts.
- Psalms 12:6The words of the Lord are pure words, Like silver tried in a furnace of earth, Purified seven times.
- Psalms 66:10For You, O God, have tested us; You have refined us as silver is refined.
- Zechariah 13:9I will bring the one–third through the fire, Will refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them. I will say, ‘This is My people’; And each one will say, ‘The Lord is my God.’ ”
- Malachi 3:3He will sit as a refiner and a purifier of silver; He will purify the sons of Levi, And purge them as gold and silver, That they may offer to the Lord An offering in righteousness.
- 1 Peter 1:7that the genuineness of your faith, being much more precious than gold that perishes, though it is tested by fire, may be found to praise, honor, and glory at the revelation of Jesus Christ,
- 1 Peter 4:12Beloved, do not think it strange concerning the fiery trial which is to try you, as though some strange thing happened to you;
- 1 Samuel 18:7So the women sang as they danced, and said: “Saul has slain his thousands, And David his ten thousands.”
- 2 Samuel 14:25Now in all Israel there was no one who was praised as much as Absalom for his good looks. From the sole of his foot to the crown of his head there was no blemish in him.
- 2 Samuel 15:6In this manner Absalom acted toward all Israel who came to the king for judgment. So Absalom stole the hearts of the men 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
In the dictionaries
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
New King James Version — © 1982 Thomas Nelson, Inc
Commentaries