Proverbs 21:12 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The Righteous One observes the house of the wicked; he throws the wicked down to ruin.

NIV: The Righteous One takes note of the house of the wicked and brings the wicked to ruin.

NASB: The righteous one considers the house of the wicked, Bringing the wicked to ruin.

CSB: The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked; he brings the wicked to ruin.

NLT: The Righteous One knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked; he will bring disaster on them.

KJV: The righteous man wisely considereth the house of the wicked: but God overthroweth the wicked for their wickedness.

NKJV: The righteous God wisely considers the house of the wicked, Overthrowing the wicked for their wickedness.

Only God is credited with the ability to render absolute judgment (Psalm 1:5; 9:16). This means that the "Righteous One" in this proverb is the Lord, God, Himself. The book of Proverbs warns about evil leading to God's wrath (Proverbs 10:29; 14:32) and notes that His knowledge is complete over such matters (Proverbs 15:11). Nothing is hidden from God's knowledge (Hebrews 4:13; Matthew 12:36) and only a fool thinks God does not notice (Psalm 10:9–15; 94:2–7).

God searches the heart and mind (1 Samuel 16:7) and observes everything about every person. Jeremiah 17:10 says, "I the LORD search the heart and test the mind, to give to every man according to his ways, according to the fruit of his deeds." At the great white throne, history's final judgment, God will consign all unbelievers to the lake of fire because they did not believe on Jesus as their Savior (John 3:16–18, 36). At that time, He will also produce the record of everyone's deeds as proof of their sin. Revelation 20:12 says, "And I saw the dead, great and small, standing before the throne, and books were opened. Then another book was opened, which is the book of life. And the dead were judged by what was written in the books, according to what they had done."

Proverbs 21:1–16 continues Solomon's wise observations (Proverbs 10:1) by acknowledging the Lord's control of kings. He also mentions what the Lord despises: pride, love of money, violence, the conduct of the wicked, the withholding of charity, bribery, and apostasy. On the other hand, he commends righteousness and justice, pure conduct, wise acceptance of instruction, and charity.

This chapter begins and ends with a declaration of God's sovereignty. He alone judges the heart; the Lord considers intentions just as important as physical actions. Other comments include statements about unpleasant spouses, proper perspectives on wealth, work ethic, and the essential nature of godly wisdom. Human wisdom is no match for the sovereign Lord, who alone is ultimately responsible for victory in battle.

This is part of the second major section of the book (Proverbs 10—22) featuring nearly four hundred statements. Most of these are two-line comments presenting common sense and general wisdom. The vague theme of chapter 21 is God's control. Man may believe he is in control of his circumstances, but God superintends everything. The chapter begins and ends by assuring the readers that God holds ultimate sway over all things.

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.