What is the meaning of Proverbs 21:16? The man The verse begins by spotlighting a single individual, stressing personal responsibility. Proverbs 1:31 says, “They will eat the fruit of their ways,” and Romans 14:12 reminds us that “each of us will give an account of himself to God.” No one can shift blame; the warning is for anyone who hears it. Who strays “To stray” pictures a willful step off a clearly marked road. Proverbs 19:27 warns, “If you stop listening to instruction…you will stray from the words of knowledge.” Isaiah 53:6 adds, “We all like sheep have gone astray.” The departure is deliberate, not accidental. From the path of understanding God’s wisdom is portrayed as a safe, lit path (Psalm 119:105). Rejecting it means despising God’s counsel (Proverbs 15:32) and forfeiting protection. Proverbs 2:9 promises wisdom leads to “every good path,” yet some choose another route. Will rest Here “rest” is not peaceful; it signals a final, irreversible stop. Proverbs 14:12 warns that a way can “seem right… but its end is the way of death.” Hebrews 9:27 underscores the certainty: death comes, then judgment. In the assembly of the dead The destination for the wanderer is the company of all who died in rebellion. Proverbs 9:18 says of folly’s guests, “they do not know that the dead are there,” and Revelation 20:14–15 describes the ultimate fate of those in Death and Hades. It is conscious, eternal separation from God. Summary Proverbs 21:16 teaches that anyone who knowingly abandons God’s wise way will end up forever among those cut off from Him. Staying on the path of understanding is the line between life and death, blessing and judgment. |
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