Proverbs 21:4

Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Proverbs 21:4

This may be taken as showing us, 1. The marks of a wicked man. He that has a high look and a proud heart, that carries himself insolently and scornfully towards both God and man, and that is always ploughing and plotting, designing and devising some mischief or other, is indeed a wicked man. The light of the wicked is sin. Sin is the pride, the ambition, the glory and joy, and the business of wicked men. 2. The miseries of wicked man. His raised expectations, his high designs, and most... read more

John Gill

John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Proverbs 21:4

An high look, and a proud heart ,.... The former is a sign of the latter, and commonly go together, and are both abominable to the Lord; see Psalm 101:5 . A man that looks above others, and with disdain upon them, shows that pride reigns in him, and swells his mind with a vain opinion of himself; this may be observed in every self-righteous man; the parable of the Pharisee and publican is a comment upon it; sometimes there may be a proud heart under a disguise of humility; but the pride of... read more

Adam Clarke

Adam Clarke's Commentary on the Bible - Proverbs 21:4

A high look - The evidence of pride, self-conceit, and vanity. A proud heart, from which the high look, etc., come. And the ploughing - נר ner , lucerna, the lamp, the prosperity and posterity of the wicked; is sin - it is evil in the seed, and evil in the root evil in the branch, and evil in the fruit. They are full of sin themselves, and what they do is sinful. read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 21:4

An high look and a proud heart; Vulgate, exaltatio oculorum est dilatatio cordis , "The lifting up of the eyes is a swelling of the heart." But it is best to make the whole verse one idea, as in the Authorized Version. The lifting of the eyes is a term implying pride, as shown in supercilious looks, as if other people were of inferior clay and not worthy of notice. So we have "haughty eyes" in Proverbs 6:17 (where see note); and in Proverbs 30:13 we read, "There is a generation, oh how... read more

Spence, H. D. M., etc.

The Pulpit Commentary - Proverbs 21:4-9

A family of vices There is a kinship between all vices as between all virtues. All sins spring from a disturbance of our true relations to God, as all virtues rest upon the deep consciousness of that relation. I. THE SIN OF PRIDE . ( Proverbs 21:4 .) Its aspect— the lofty eyes, the haughty glance—and its principle in the heart are struck by the Divine rebuke. The meaning of the second clause is not quite clear; probably it is, "The light of the wicked is only sin," i.e. ... read more

Joseph Benson

Joseph Benson's Commentary of the Old and New Testaments - Proverbs 21:4

Proverbs 21:4. A high look One sign of pride put for all the rest; and a proud heart Pride lurking and reigning in the heart, though it do not discover itself to men by outward actions, but be disguised with a show of humility, as it frequently is; and the ploughing of the wicked Even their civil or natural actions, which in themselves are lawful and good, are made sinful, as they are managed by ungodly men, without any regard to the glory of God, which ought to be the end of all our... read more

Donald C. Fleming

Bridgeway Bible Commentary - Proverbs 21:1-31

God at work in people’s lives (21:1-31)As God directs the course along which a stream flows, so he guides the decisions of national rulers according to his plan (21:1). God knows people’s motives and he will not accept their sacrifices if their thoughts and actions are wrong (2-4). Prosperity that comes through diligence is a fitting reward, but prosperity that comes through greed, lying and violence is a deadly trap (5-8). Some people make life unpleasant for those who live in the same house,... read more

E.W. Bullinger

E.W. Bullinger's Companion Bible Notes - Proverbs 21:4

And. Omit this "And". plowing: or tillage. See App-74 . the wicked = lawless ones. Hebrew. rasha'. App-44 . sin. Hebrew. chata'. App-44 . The special word for the sin offering. Render the verse "A lofty look and a proud heart, [which is] the tillage of the lawless, [is more acceptable to them than] the sin offering. "This supply of the Ellipsis ( App-6 .) from the preceding verse completes the sense, and shows that the two are strictly related. read more

James Burton Coffman

Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 21:4

"A high look, and a proud heart, Even the lamp of the wicked, is sin.""Haughty eyes, and an ambitious mind - the tillage of the wicked is sin."[1] "Haughty looks and a proud heart - these sins mark a wicked man."[2] "Haughty eyes and a proud heart, the lamp of the wicked, are sin."[3] "Because of their pride and arrogance, the vow of evil men is a sin."[4] It is evident that the translators do not know exactly what this passage says. One thing is clear, God hates pride and arrogance. The... read more

Thomas Coke

Thomas Coke Commentary on the Holy Bible - Proverbs 21:4

Proverbs 21:4. And the ploughing of the wicked— Dr. Grey is for taking the two parts of the verse separately, thus, "A lofty look and a proud heart go generally together; i.e. the countenance shews the disposition of the mind, the lamp of the wicked is sin." The lamp seems to signify that which men make the rule or guide of their actions. In this sense the law of the Lord is the lamp of the righteous, but sin is the lamp of the wicked. See chap. Proverbs 6:23.Psalms 119:105; Psalms 119:105. read more

Group of Brands