New Living Translation
Proverbs 27:21
21Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised.
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 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.
Context of Proverbs 27:21
19As a face is reflected in water, so the heart reflects the real person. 20Just as Death and Destruction are never satisfied, so human desire is never satisfied. Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but a person is tested by being praised. 22You cannot separate fools from their foolishness, even though you grind them like grain with mortar and pestle. 23Know the state of your flocks, and put your heart into caring for 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 17:3Fire tests the purity of silver and gold, but the Lord tests the heart.
- Psalms 12:6The Lord’s promises are pure, like silver refined in a furnace, purified seven times over.
- Psalms 66:10You have tested us, O God; you have purified us like silver.
- Zechariah 13:9I will bring that group through the fire and make them pure. I will refine them like silver and purify them like gold. They will call on my name, and I will answer them. I will say, ‘These are my people,’ and they will say, ‘The Lord is our God.’”
- Malachi 3:3He will sit like a refiner of silver, burning away the dross. He will purify the Levites, refining them like gold and silver, so that they may once again offer acceptable sacrifices to the Lord.
- 1 Peter 1:7These trials will show that your faith is genuine. It is being tested as fire tests and purifies gold—though your faith is far more precious than mere gold. So when your faith remains strong through many trials, it will bring you much praise and glory and honor on the day when Jesus Christ is revealed to the whole world.
- 1 Peter 4:12Dear friends, don’t be surprised at the fiery trials you are going through, as if something strange were happening to you.
- 1 Samuel 18:7This was their song: “Saul has killed his thousands, and David his ten thousands!”
- 2 Samuel 14:25Now Absalom was praised as the most handsome man in all Israel. He was flawless from head to foot.
- 2 Samuel 15:6Absalom did this with everyone who came to the king for judgment, and so he stole the hearts of all 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
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
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