What is the meaning of Proverbs 21:10? The soul - Scripture views the “soul” as the seat of a person’s thoughts, motives, and will. Proverbs 4:23 reminds us, “Guard your heart with all diligence, for from it flow springs of life.” What resides deep within inevitably surfaces. Jesus echoes this truth: “For out of the heart come evil thoughts—murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, slander” (Matthew 15:19). The verse in view starts by spotlighting that inner core. of the wicked man - A “wicked man” is not merely someone who stumbles; he is one whose heart is set against God. Psalm 10:4 observes, “In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.” - Proverbs 6:12-14 paints the portrait further: the wicked “devises evil” and “continually sows discord.” The verse under study zooms in on this entrenched condition, contrasting it later with how the righteous relate to others (cf. Proverbs 21:12). craves evil - The verb pictures a habitual appetite. Genesis 6:5 reports, “Every inclination of the thoughts of his heart was altogether evil all the time.” - Micah 2:1 adds, “Woe to those who devise iniquity and plot evil on their beds!” - Paul describes the same craving in Romans 1:32: they “not only continue to do these things, but also approve of those who practice them.” Such longing is more than occasional temptation; it is a settled desire rooted in rebellion. his neighbor - God’s design is that we love the people next door, across the street, and across the aisle. Jesus made it clear: “Love your neighbor as yourself” (Matthew 22:39). The Good Samaritan story (Luke 10:29-37) shows that neighborly love extends to anyone in need. - In the wicked, however, those relational ties are severed. The verse signals a direct clash between God’s command and the sinner’s practice. finds no favor in his eyes - Favor speaks of kindness, mercy, and goodwill. Where the righteous extend grace, the wicked extend harm. Proverbs 12:10 notes, “The tender mercies of the wicked are only cruelty.” - 1 John 3:15 warns, “Everyone who hates his brother is a murderer.” Hatred, not help, is what the neighbor meets. - Romans 13:10 sums it up: “Love does no wrong to its neighbor.” By contrast, the wicked man’s gaze carries no benefit, no blessing—only selfish intent. summary Proverbs 21:10 exposes the inner engine of evil. The wicked man’s very soul hungers for wrongdoing, and that hunger shapes every relationship, withholding kindness even from the one standing nearest. The verse is both diagnosis and warning: without a new heart, the craving for sin rules and neighbor-love withers. Only when God transforms the soul does desire shift from evil to good, and favor once withheld becomes grace freely given. |
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