Who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the frowardness of the wicked;
Parallel translations
- WEB who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;
- BSB from those who enjoy doing evil and rejoice in the twistedness of evil,
- NKJV Who rejoice in doing evil, And delight in the perversity of the wicked;
- NASB Who delight in doing evil And rejoice in the perversity of evil;
- NLT They take pleasure in doing wrong, and they enjoy the twisted ways of evil.
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
They actually rejoice in doing evil and delight in its perverseness. It matters because it reveals how deeply sin can corrupt the heart's affections.
Overview
The wicked do not merely sin but take pleasure in it, celebrating evil and perversity. When the heart delights in wrong, corruption has gone deep. This sobering portrait shows the need for the new heart that only God's grace can give.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- Prov 10:23It is as sport to a fool to do mischief: but a man of understanding hath wisdom.
- Rom 1:32Who knowing the judgment of God, that they which commit such things are worthy of death, not only do the same, but have pleasure in them that do them.
- Jer 11:15What hath my beloved to do in mine house, seeing she hath wrought lewdness with many, and the holy flesh is passed from thee? when thou doest evil, then thou rejoicest.
- Luke 22:4–5And he went his way, and communed with the chief priests and captains, how he might betray him unto them.
- 1 Cor 13:6Rejoiceth not in iniquity, but rejoiceth in the truth;
- Hos 7:3They make the king glad with their wickedness, and the princes with their lies.
- Zeph 3:11In that day shalt thou not be ashamed for all thy doings, wherein thou hast transgressed against me: for then I will take away out of the midst of thee them that rejoice in thy pride, and thou shalt no more be haughty because of my holy mountain.
- Hab 1:15They take up all of them with the angle, they catch them in their net, and gather them in their drag: therefore they rejoice and are glad.
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 2:14 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.