Proverbs 15:3 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The eyes of the LORD are in every place, keeping watch on the evil and the good.

NIV: The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good.

NASB: The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Watching the evil and the good.

CSB: The eyes of the Lord are everywhere, observing the wicked and the good.

NLT: The Lord is watching everywhere, keeping his eye on both the evil and the good.

KJV: The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.

NKJV: The eyes of the Lord are in every place, Keeping watch on the evil and the good.

Nothing escapes the Lord's attention. His eyes watch everywhere, seeing all things (Hebrews 4:13). This seems like common sense, but it's a reminder every person needs to hear. We tend to assume we can hide things from God, or that He might not notice when we sin. In truth, there is no hiding from God (Psalm 139:7–12).

When King David sinned by committing adultery with Bathsheba and having her husband murdered, he tried to cover his sins, but God saw them. He sent the prophet Nathan to confront David. Nathan boldly accused David of doing evil in the Lord's sight (2 Samuel 12:9). Early in the Christian church, Ananias and Sapphira assumed they could hide their sin of hypocrisy, but they were wrong. The Lord was aware of their deception and exposed it. Peter asked Ananias, "Why is it that you have contrived this deed in your heart? You have not lied to man but to God" (Acts 5:4). Their sin cost Ananias and his wife Sapphira their lives (Acts 5:5, 9–10).

Just as importantly, the Lord also sees the good (Matthew 10:40–42). Hebrews 11 lists faithful believers who honored God. The chapter shows clearly that the Lord sees the good and rewards those who do good.

Proverbs 15:1–5 focuses on the wisdom of responding correctly to disagreement and correction. Several verses note the value in "soft" or "gentle" answers in resolving conflict. Those who unleash a torrent of attacks and criticisms are foolish, compared to those who take the time to consider an answer. Solomon reminds the reader that God sees and knows all, and he gives another reminder of the importance of listening to wise counselors.

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.