8 Twisted is the way of him who is full of crime; but as for him whose heart is clean, his work is upright.
Whose ways are not straight, and whose footsteps are turned to evil:
Making no division between them and us, but making clean their hearts by faith.
If you have knowledge that he is upright, it is clear to you that everyone who does righteousness is his offspring.
And as you have made your souls clean, being ruled by what is true, and loving one another without deceit, see that your love is warm and from the heart: Because you have had a new birth, not from the seed of man, but from eternal seed, through the word of a living and unchanging God.
For in the past we were foolish, hard in heart, turned from the true way, servants of evil desires and pleasures, living in bad feeling and envy, hated and hating one another.
Who gave himself for us, so that he might make us free from all wrongdoing, and make for himself a people clean in heart and on fire with good works.
In which you were living in the past, after the ways of this present world, doing the pleasure of the lord of the power of the air, the spirit who is now working in those who go against the purpose of God; Among whom we all at one time were living in the pleasures of our flesh, giving way to the desires of the flesh and of the mind, and the punishment of God was waiting for us even as for the rest.
Because you are still in the flesh: for when there is envy and division among you, are you not still walking after the way of the flesh, even as natural men?
Make the tree good, and its fruit good; or make the tree bad, and its fruit bad; for by its fruit you will get knowledge of the tree.
This is evil in all things which are done under the sun: that there is one fate for all, and the hearts of the sons of men are full of evil; while they have life their hearts are foolish, and after that--to the dead.
This only have I seen, that God made men upright, but they have been searching out all sorts of inventions.
Evil designs are disgusting to the Lord, but the words of the clean-hearted are pleasing.
The Lord was looking down from heaven on the children of men, to see if there were any who had wisdom, searching after God. They have all gone out of the way together; they are unclean, there is not one who does good, no, not one.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 21
Commentary on Proverbs 21 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 21
Pro 21:1
Note,
Pro 21:2
Note,
Pro 21:3
Here,
Pro 21:4
This may be taken as showing us,
Pro 21:5
Here is,
Pro 21:6
This shows the folly of those that hope to enrich themselves by dishonest practices, by oppressing and over-reaching those with whom they deal, by false-witness-bearing, or by fraudulent contracts, of those that make no scruples of lying when there is any thing to be got by it. They may perhaps heap up treasures by these means, that which they make their treasure; but,
Pro 21:7
See here,
Pro 21:8
This shows that as men are so is their way.
Pro 21:9
See here,
Pro 21:10
See here the character of a very wicked man.
Pro 21:11
This we had before (ch. 19:25), and it shows that there are two ways by which the simple may be made wise:-
Pro 21:12
Pro 21:13
Here we have the description and doom of an uncharitable man.
Pro 21:14
Here is,
Pro 21:15
Note,
Pro 21:16
Here is,
Pro 21:17
Here is an argument against a voluptuous luxurious life, taken from the ruin it brings upon men's temporal interests. Here is
Pro 21:18
This intimates,
Pro 21:19
Note,
Pro 21:20
Note,
Pro 21:21
See here,
Pro 21:22
Note,
Pro 21:23
Note,
Pro 21:24
See here the mischief of pride and haughtiness.
Pro 21:25-26
Here we have,
Pro 21:27
Sacrifices were of divine institution; and when they were offered in faith, and with repentance and reformation, God was greatly honoured by them and well-pleased in them. But they were often not only unacceptable, but an abomination, to God, and he declared so, which was an indication both that they were not required for their own sakes and that there were better things, and for effectual, in reserve, when sacrifice and offering should be done away. They were an abomination,
Pro 21:28
Here is,
Pro 21:29
Here is,
Pro 21:30-31
The designing busy part of mankind are directed, in all their counsels and undertakings, to have their eye to God, and to believe,