By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
Parallel translations
- WEB By mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of Yahweh men depart from evil.
- KJV By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
- ESV By steadfast love and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns away from evil.
- NKJV In mercy and truth Atonement is provided for iniquity; And by the fear of the Lord one departs from evil.
- NASB By mercy and truth atonement is made for wrongdoing, And by the fear of the Lord one keeps away from evil.
- NLT Unfailing love and faithfulness make atonement for sin. By fearing the Lord, people avoid evil.
Scripture quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Steadfast love and faithfulness cover guilt, and reverence for God turns people from evil. It matters because mercy and the fear of the Lord together address both sin's guilt and its power.
Overview
The proverb pairs atonement for iniquity through mercy and truth with departure from evil through the fear of Yahweh. In the Old Testament context this points to God's covenant faithfulness as the ground of forgiveness. It finds its fullest meaning in Christ, whose atoning death decisively covers sin (Romans 3:25; Hebrews 9:14).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 18
- Prov 14:16A wise man fears and turns from evil, but a fool is careless and reckless.
- 2 Cor 7:1Therefore, beloved, since we have these promises, let us cleanse ourselves from everything that defiles body and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.
- Job 28:28And He said to man, ‘Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom, and to turn away from evil is understanding.’”
- Dan 4:27Therefore, may my advice be pleasing to you, O king. Break away from your sins by doing what is right, and from your iniquities by showing mercy to the oppressed. Perhaps there will be an extension of your prosperity.”
- Prov 8:13To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
- Luke 11:41But give as alms the things that are within you, and you will see that everything is clean for you.
- Prov 14:27The fear of the LORD is a fountain of life, turning a man from the snares of death.
- Job 1:1–8There was a man in the land of Uz whose name was Job. And this man was blameless and upright, fearing God and shunning evil.
- Prov 20:28Loving devotion and faithfulness preserve a king; by these he maintains his throne.
- Acts 15:9He made no distinction between us and them, for He cleansed their hearts by faith.
- Mic 7:18–20Who is a God like You, who pardons iniquity and passes over the transgression of the remnant of His inheritance—who does not retain His anger forever, because He delights in loving devotion?
- Neh 5:15The governors before me had heavily burdened the people, taking from them bread and wine plus forty shekels of silver. Their servants also oppressed the people, but I did not do this because of my fear of God.
- Neh 5:9So I continued, “What you are doing is not right. Shouldn’t you walk in the fear of our God to avoid the reproach of our foreign enemies?
- Ps 85:10Loving devotion and faithfulness have joined together; righteousness and peace have kissed.
- John 15:2He cuts off every branch in Me that bears no fruit, and every branch that does bear fruit, He prunes to make it even more fruitful.
- Gen 20:11Abraham replied, “I thought to myself, ‘Surely there is no fear of God in this place. They will kill me on account of my wife.’
- Eph 5:21Submit to one another out of reverence for Christ.
- 1 Pet 1:22Since you have purified your souls by obedience to the truth so that you have a genuine love for your brothers, love one another deeply, from a pure heart.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Wisdom personified, with God before creation and the agent of all things, anticipates Christ 'in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom' — the wisdom of God made flesh.
How Proverbs 16:6 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Hebrew word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.