Proverbs 15:29 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

NIV: The LORD is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

NASB: The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

CSB: The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.

NLT: The Lord is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayers of the righteous.

KJV: The LORD is far from the wicked: but he heareth the prayer of the righteous.

NKJV: The Lord is far from the wicked, But He hears the prayer of the righteous.

The apostle Paul underscores the fact that righteousness and lawlessness are incompatible. So are light and darkness, Christ and the Devil, a believer's portion and that of an unbeliever, the temple of God and idols (2 Corinthians 6:14–16). The Lord is holy, holy, holy, high and lifted up (Isaiah 6:1–3). He cannot coexist with sin (Habakkuk 1:13).

To distinguish from God being intimate and attentive, Solomon notes that God is "far from" those who reject His commands (Proverbs 4:14; 10:27). In Ephesians 2:12 Paul calls upon the Ephesians to "remember that you were at that time separated from Christ." An unbeliever may appear religious by attending church, reciting prayers, and donating money. However, if someone has not come to God through faith in Jesus (John 14:6), he is alienated from God.

On the other hand, whoever believes in Jesus as Savior is close to God, and God hears his prayers. As a matter of fact, God invites believers to confidently approach His throne, expecting both mercy and help with their prayerful needs (Hebrews 4:16).

Proverbs 15:13–30 continues Solomon's contrasting descriptions of the wise and the foolish. In this book, those ideas are associated with accepting or rejecting God's truth, respectively (Proverbs 1:7). He writes about the gladness of the upright, wise person and the depressing existence of the wicked, foolish person. He contrasts attitudes, thoughts, and actions of both kinds of individuals, and he states that the Lord is far from the wicked but close enough to the righteous to hear their prayers.

Solomon begins this chapter of Proverbs by addressing subjects such as anger and self-control and how those reactions produce different responses from others. That extends to how carefully a person guards their words, and their responses to questions. Wise people seek wisdom and humbly accept it. Foolish people are careless, lazy, or arrogant. Solomon also notes the importance of perspective, and once again commends those who sincerely seek godly wisdom.

Chapter 10 began a long list of Solomon's wise sayings. This passage continues to emphasize common themes such as hard work, humility, godly wisdom, and self-control. This extended collection of proverbs continues through much of chapter 22.

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.

Accessed 5/3/2024 12:31:00 PM