Lexical Summary vazar: To scatter, disperse Original Word: וָזָר Strong's Exhaustive Concordance strange Presumed to be from an unused root meaning to bear guilt; crime -- X strange. NAS Exhaustive Concordance Word Originfrom an unused word Definition criminal, guilty NASB Translation guilty (1). Brown-Driver-Briggs וָזָר adjective criminal, guilty חֲפַכְמַּךְ דֶּרֶךְ אִישׁ וָזָר֑ Proverbs 21:8 crooked is the way of a guilty man (si vera lectio; text dubious; possible dittograph in וָזָר וְזַךְ?). Topical Lexicon Occurrence and Immediate Context Proverbs 21:8 is the only verse in which the term appears: “The way of a guilty man is crooked, but the conduct of the innocent is upright.” (Berean Standard Bible) The word paints a picture of a path that is “scattered” or “irregular,” contrasting with the straight course of the blameless. It conveys the idea of a life pattern that is wasteful, disordered, and morally askew. Theological Themes 1. Moral Polarity. The verse sets the disordered way of the guilty against the orderly way of the innocent, echoing the larger wisdom motif that “the LORD weighs the hearts” (Proverbs 21:2). Historical Background In ancient Israel the road symbolized one’s entire course of life. A straight road was safe and direct; a broken, winding road was dangerous. The proverb, therefore, is more than a literary contrast; it reflects everyday travel realities familiar to the original hearers. Intertextual Echoes • Proverbs 11:24 highlights both righteous generosity and reckless scattering: “One gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty.” Christological Perspective Jesus Christ embodies the “straight way” (John 14:6). All crooked paths ultimately meet their correction in Him (Isaiah 40:3–4; Luke 3:5). The singular occurrence of the word in Proverbs foreshadows the Gospel invitation to exchange a scattered life for the ordered walk of discipleship. Practical Ministry Application • Discipleship Counseling: Help believers identify areas where their lives appear “scattered”—finances, relationships, spiritual disciplines—and guide them toward structured, godly patterns. Homiletical Insight The verse can be framed around three movements: 1. Diagnosis—recognizing the crooked path. Such a sermon naturally leads to an invitation to repentance and faith, offering both warning and hope. Summary Though occurring only once, the term vividly captures the essence of a life that is morally and practically disarrayed. Scripture consistently calls God’s people away from such scattered paths toward the straight road marked by obedience, stewardship, and fellowship with the Lord. Forms and Transliterations וָזָ֑ר וזר vaZar wā·zār wāzārLinks Interlinear Greek • Interlinear Hebrew • Strong's Numbers • Englishman's Greek Concordance • Englishman's Hebrew Concordance • Parallel TextsEnglishman's Concordance Proverbs 21:8 HEB: דֶּ֣רֶךְ אִ֣ישׁ וָזָ֑ר וְ֝זַ֗ךְ יָשָׁ֥ר NAS: The way of a guilty man is crooked, KJV: [is] froward and strange: but [as for] the pure, INT: the way man of a guilty the pure is upright |
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