Proverbs 21:4
in Proverbs 21Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin.
BSB
The same verse in ASV and KJV ▾
ASV
A high look, and a proud heart, Even the lamp of the wicked, is sin.
KJV
An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
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This verse in Proverbs 21
Commentary
6 notes on this verseA 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.
This site's exposition
The king’s heart is a waterway
on Proverbs 21:1-4
"The king’s heart is a waterway in the hand of the LORD," so the most absolute human will is still turned where He pleases. Doing righteousness and justice is "more desirable to the LORD than sacrifice," the priority Samuel presses on Saul in 1 Samuel 15:22.
This site's exposition
Haughty eyes and a proud heart
Clarke reads the Hebrew word as lamp, the prosperity and posterity of the wicked, where the Berean text renders it the guides of the wicked. He calls haughty eyes and a proud heart evil in the seed, root, branch and fruit. All of it is sin.
The record, by era
The Puritans and the Awakening1 voice
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 Psa 101:
The Nineteenth Century2 voices
A commentator
Jamieson, Fausset & Brown1802–1910
Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871)
proposed
high look--(Compare Margin; Ps 131:1). proud heart--or, "heart of breadth," one that is swollen (compare Ps 101:5). ploughing--better "lamp," a frequent figure for prosperity (Pr 20:20); hence joy or delight.
quarantine:debris (2026-07-29) — starts-lowercase
A commentator
Albert Barnes1798–1870
Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869)
proposed
The plowing - The Hebrew word, with a change in its vowel points, may signify either: (1) the “fallow field,” the “tillage” of Pro 13:23, or (2) the lamp. According to: (1) the verse would mean, “The outward signs of pride, the proud heart, the broad lands of the wicked, all are evil.” (2) however, belongs, as it were, to the language of the time and of the book Pro 13:9; Pro 24:20. The “lamp of the wicked” is their outwardly bright prosperity.
The words behind it
7 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| רוּם־ | rum- | haughtiness of | H7312 → | |
| עֵ֭ינַיִם | ʾeinayim | eyes | H5869 → | 887 times |
| וּרְחַב־ | urechav- | and a [person] arrogant of | H7342 → | |
| לֵ֑ב | lev | heart | H3820 → | 595 times |
| נִ֖ר | nir | [the] lamp of | H5216 → | 49 times |
| רְשָׁעִ֣ים | reshaim | wicked [people] | H7563 → | 263 times |
| חַטָּֽאת׃ | chatat | [is] sin | H2403 → | 295 times |
רוּם־haughtiness of
rum-H7312 →
עֵ֭ינַיִםeyes
ʾeinayimH5869 →887 times
וּרְחַב־and a [person] arrogant of
urechav-H7342 →
לֵ֑בheart
levH3820 →595 times
נִ֖ר[the] lamp of
nirH5216 →49 times
רְשָׁעִ֣יםwicked [people]
reshaimH7563 →263 times
חַטָּֽאת׃[is] sin
chatatH2403 →295 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
1 Peter 5:5Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
it leads to
- James 4:6
But He gives us more grace. This is why it says: “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Proverbs 3:34
He mocks the mockers, but gives grace to the humble.
- Romans 12:10
Be devoted to one another in brotherly love. Outdo yourselves in honoring one another.
- Ephesians 5:21
Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- Philippians 2:3
Do nothing out of selfish ambition or empty pride, but in humility consider others more important than yourselves.
- James 4:6
Through
Proverbs 6:17haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
it leads to
- Psalms 120:2–3
Deliver my soul, O LORD, from lying lips and a deceitful tongue.
- Psalms 120:2–3
Through
Luke 18:14I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
it leads to
- Luke 14:11
For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Luke 14:11
Through
Proverbs 8:13To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
it leads to
- Psalms 97:10
Hate evil, O you who love the LORD! He preserves the souls of His saints; He delivers them from the hand of the wicked.
- Psalms 97:10
Where this verse is studied
On this page
About Proverbs
This page draws on Adam Clarke, Commentary on the Bible; Albert Barnes, Notes, Explanatory and Practical, on the Old and New Testaments (1832-1869); Franz Delitzsch, Biblical Commentary on the Proverbs of Solomon; Jamieson, Fausset & Brown, Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible; John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament and John Gill, Exposition of the Old Testament (1748-1763).