Proverbs 2:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: who rejoice in doing evil and delight in the perverseness of evil,

NIV: who delight in doing wrong and rejoice in the perverseness of evil,

NASB: Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;

CSB: from those who enjoy doing evil and celebrate perversion,

NLT: They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.

KJV: Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;

NKJV: Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;

Verses 14 and 15 describe persons who follow the opposite path of virtuous living; they are evil. According to this passage, those who pursue God's wisdom and understanding, and who live according to His truth, can have confidence in His protection. They can not only live virtuously, they can avoid the pitfalls awaiting those who fail to seek true wisdom.

The general idea reflected here in verse 14 is that the evil person delights and rejoices in their evil. Just as Solomon discusses four concepts of virtuous living, later philosophers such as Plato would also categorize the virtuous man using a small set of core values. In addition, philosophers such as Plato described natural tendencies within men which interfered with virtue. Plato, in particular, referred to knowledge (defined differently than in Proverbs), anger, and desire. Echoes of that concept are seen here: The evil person has allowed his pride to overrun him to the point that he delights in thinking he is right all the time (a perversion of knowledge). The evil person allows his emotions to drive his actions, often flying off the handle at the slightest issue (unrighteous anger), and seeks his own pleasure above all else (unrighteous desires).

The theme of prior verses was that of "righteousness and justice," and the evil people described here are the polar opposite of these. These wayward people are described using terms such as "crooked," "perverse," and "devious."

Proverbs 2:9–15 refines our understanding of justice, which is possibly the most difficult of the four virtues to master. We have long misunderstood justice as fairness or equality. Everyone is familiar with the common complaint ''that's not fair.'' This is often expressed when someone perceives that they are not being treated identically to others. However, true justice makes no claim to be equal; instead it is equitable. Justice can be defined as giving each person their due. Justice is absolutely fair, it is not necessarily equal.

In Proverbs chapter 2, Solomon highlights various virtues, as well as provides encouragement to live a virtuous life. As in chapter 1, specific concepts wil reoccur, and are used in certain ways. Here, these are ideas such as courage, integrity, wisdom, and justice. The gist of this passage is the positive effect that virtue—including these various aspects—will have on one's life. In contrast, those who pursue non-virtuous living will suffer dire consequences.

The overarching theme of Proverbs chapter 2 is the relationship between virtue and discernment. As described here, virtuous living is moral living. As a person strives to live a moral life, he or she develops a greater ability to discern right from wrong. Further, beyond simple matters of right and wrong, as virtue grows within a person, he or she becomes more proficient at discerning trickier situations. Real life predicaments often present two or more seemingly valid options. Discernment, then, also includes determining which of many different options is actually best. Likewise, many life situations appear to offer only a variety of bad options. There, discernment is once again required, to determine which option presents the correct choice, or to recognize where a ''good'' option has been hidden.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.