What is the meaning of Proverbs 21:7? The violence of the wicked “The violence of the wicked…” (Proverbs 21:7) • Scripture presents “violence” as more than outward aggression; it is a heart posture bent on taking rather than giving. Proverbs 4:17 shows the wicked “eat the bread of wickedness and drink the wine of violence,” revealing a lifestyle pattern. • Genesis 6:11 reports that the earth was “filled with violence,” bringing the Flood—an early demonstration that God does not overlook such behavior. • Psalm 11:5 reminds us that the LORD “hates the wicked and those who love violence.” His hatred is righteous, rooted in His holy nature. • Violence is not merely horizontal harm; it is rebellion against the God who commands love (Leviticus 19:18; Matthew 22:39). Will sweep them away “…will sweep them away…” • The picture is of a sudden surge—like a flood—carrying offenders off their feet. Proverbs 10:25 echoes, “When the whirlwind passes, the wicked are no more.” • Psalm 37:15 says, “their swords will pierce their own hearts,” emphasizing the self-destructive boomerang effect of evil. • In Esther 7:10, Haman is hanged on the gallows he built, illustrating how wicked schemes collapse upon their architects. • God’s justice is not theoretical; it intrudes into real history, sweeping away individuals, nations, and empires that persist in wrongdoing (Nahum 1:2–3). Because they refuse to do what is just “…because they refuse to do what is just.” • Refusal highlights willful rejection, not ignorance. Proverbs 28:5 observes, “Evil men do not understand justice,” because they choose darkness over light (John 3:19). • Proverbs 21:3 declares, “To do righteousness and justice is more acceptable to the LORD than sacrifice.” Neglecting justice nullifies even impressive religious activity. • Micah 6:8 condenses God’s requirement: “to act justly, to love mercy, and to walk humbly with your God.” A hardened refusal of this call invites judgment. • Romans 2:5 warns that stubbornness stores up wrath “in the day of wrath and revelation of the righteous judgment of God.” summary Proverbs 21:7 teaches that wicked people, marked by violent hearts and hands, set forces in motion that ultimately consume them. God’s unwavering justice ensures that evil is not only morally wrong but also self-defeating. Those who stubbornly reject what is right will find their own violence rushing back like a flood, sweeping them away, while those who pursue justice rest under the steady favor of the LORD. |
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