Proverbs 16:30
in Proverbs 16He who winks his eye devises perversity; he who purses his lips is bent on evil.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
He that shutteth his eyes, it is to devise perverse things: He that compresseth his lips bringeth evil to pass.
KJV
He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things: moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass.
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This verse in Proverbs 16
Commentary
5 notes on this verseHe shutteth his eyes to devise froward things,.... Or "perverse" or "contrary things" (r); he shuts his eyes, that his thoughts might not be disturbed and distracted by visible objects, but might be more free and composed, and intent upon the things he is meditating and devising; or he shuts his eyes against light, against Scripture evidence, which he does not care to come to, lest his principles and practices should be reproved; he shuts his eyes, and will not look into the Scriptures, that he may form and devise schemes of doctrine and worship contrary to them.
This site's exposition
A perverse man spreads dissension
on Proverbs 16:28-30
“A perverse man spreads dissension, and a gossip divides close friends,” the damage the talebearer does elsewhere in the book, done here to whole relationships. “A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good,” corruption pictured as an invitation.
This site's exposition
He who winks his eye devises perversity
John Gill offers two readings of the closed eye, a man shutting out distraction to plot, or shutting his eyes against the light of Scripture. The pursed lips finish the picture. Each gesture shows a man bent on evil.
The record, by era
The Medieval Church1 voice
He who thinks evil with astonished eyes, etc. It is more grievous to accomplish evil than to do it. Not only does he accomplish evil who acts perversely and harmfully with the members of his body, but also he who with fixed intention plans to …
The Nineteenth Century1 voice
He shutteth his eyes to devise, etc. - He meditates deeply upon ways and means to commit sin. He shuts his eyes that he may shut out all other ideas, that his whole soul may be in this.
The words behind it
8 Hebrew wordsEvery Hebrew word of this verse in the order it stands, with what it means and the door to its own study. The last column counts the times a word stands in the whole Bible: the rarer the word, the more the places it appears belong together.
| Hebrew | Sound | Meaning | Word study | In the Bible |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| עֹצֶ֣ה | ʾotzeh | [one who] shuts | H6095 → | |
| עֵ֭ינָיו | ʾeinav | eyes his | H5869 → | 887 times |
| לַחְשֹׁ֣ב | lachsho | to devise | H2803 → | 124 times |
| תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹת | tahpukhot | perverse things | H8419 → | 10 times |
| קֹרֵ֥ץ | koretz | [one who] purses | H7169 → | 5 times |
| שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יו | sefatav | lips his | H8193 → | 176 times |
| כִּלָּ֥ה | kilah | he accomplishes | H3615 → | 208 times |
| רָעָֽה׃ | raah | evil | H7451 → | 662 times |
עֹצֶ֣ה[one who] shuts
ʾotzehH6095 →
עֵ֭ינָיוeyes his
ʾeinavH5869 →887 times
לַחְשֹׁ֣בto devise
lachshoH2803 →124 times
תַּהְפֻּכ֑וֹתperverse things
tahpukhotH8419 →10 times
קֹרֵ֥ץ[one who] purses
koretzH7169 →5 times
שְׂ֝פָתָ֗יוlips his
sefatavH8193 →176 times
כִּלָּ֥הhe accomplishes
kilahH3615 →208 times
רָעָֽה׃evil
raahH7451 →662 times
A shaded row is a word that stands 400 times or fewer in the Bible.
The walk
8 stopsEach card is a verse this one points to, and under it the verses that one points to in turn. Where several paths arrive at the same place, that place is listed first: the text keeps returning to it.
Through
Matthew 13:15For this people’s heart has grown callous; they hardly hear with their ears, and they have closed their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts,…
it leads to
- Isaiah 6:10
Make the hearts of this people calloused; deafen their ears and close their eyes. Otherwise they might see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their hearts, and turn and be healed.”
- Mark 4:12
so that, ‘they may be ever seeing but never perceiving, and ever hearing but never understanding; otherwise they might turn and be forgiven.’”
- Zechariah 7:11
But they refused to pay attention and turned a stubborn shoulder; they stopped up their ears from hearing.
- John 8:43–44
Why do you not understand what I am saying? It is because you are unable to accept My message.
- 2 Timothy 2:25–26
He must gently reprove those who oppose him, in the hope that God may grant them repentance leading to a knowledge of the truth.
- Isaiah 6:10
Through
Micah 7:3Both hands are skilled at evil; the prince and the judge demand a bribe. When the powerful utters his evil desire, they all conspire together.
it leads to
- Micah 3:11
Her leaders judge for a bribe, her priests teach for a price, and her prophets practice divination for money. Yet they lean upon the LORD, saying, “Is not the LORD among us? No disaster…
- Proverbs 4:16–17
For they cannot sleep unless they do evil; they are deprived of slumber until they make someone fall.
- Jeremiah 8:10
Therefore I will give their wives to other men and their fields to new owners. For from the least of them to the greatest, all are greedy for gain; from prophet to priest, all…
- Micah 3:11
Where this verse is studied
On this page
Studies11
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Bede, Commentary on Proverbs; Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763) and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament.