The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.
Parallel translations
- WEB The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.
- BSB The soul of the wicked man craves evil; his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
- NKJV The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes.
- NASB The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor is shown no compassion in his eyes.
- NLT Evil people desire evil; their neighbors get no mercy from them.
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
The wicked crave evil and show no mercy even to their neighbor. It matters because it exposes the merciless heart bent on doing harm.
Overview
The soul of the wicked is set on evil, so that not even a neighbor receives compassion (Proverbs 4:16; 12:10). This reveals how sin hardens the heart against others. By contrast, those renewed by God love their neighbor and show the mercy they themselves have received in Christ.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 16
- Mic 3:2–3Who hate the good, and love the evil; who pluck off their skin from off them, and their flesh from off their bones;
- 1 Jn 2:16For all that is in the world, the lust of the flesh, and the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life, is not of the Father, but is of the world.
- Prov 3:29Devise not evil against thy neighbour, seeing he dwelleth securely by thee.
- 1 Cor 10:6Now these things were our examples, to the intent we should not lust after evil things, as they also lusted.
- Mark 7:21–22For from within, out of the heart of men, proceed evil thoughts, adulteries, fornications, murders,
- Ps 36:4He deviseth mischief upon his bed; he setteth himself in a way that is not good; he abhorreth not evil.
- Isa 32:6–8For the vile person will speak villany, and his heart will work iniquity, to practise hypocrisy, and to utter error against the LORD, to make empty the soul of the hungry, and he will cause the drink of the thirsty to fail.
- Ps 112:9He hath dispersed, he hath given to the poor; his righteousness endureth for ever; his horn shall be exalted with honour.
- Prov 21:13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard.
- Ps 52:2–3Thy tongue deviseth mischiefs; like a sharp razor, working deceitfully.
- Jas 2:13For he shall have judgment without mercy, that hath shewed no mercy; and mercy rejoiceth against judgment.
- 1 Sam 25:8–11Ask thy young men, and they will shew thee. Wherefore let the young men find favour in thine eyes: for we come in a good day: give, I pray thee, whatsoever cometh to thine hand unto thy servants, and to thy son David.
- Jas 5:4–6Behold, the hire of the labourers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth.
- Ps 112:5A good man sheweth favour, and lendeth: he will guide his affairs with discretion.
- Prov 12:12The wicked desireth the net of evil men: but the root of the righteous yieldeth fruit.
- Jas 4:1–5From whence come wars and fightings among you? come they not hence, even of your lusts that war in your members?
Themes, concepts, people & topics
Resources, by level
Commentaries & study tools
Free animated overview and word-study videos for this book.
Sermons and teaching on this passage from across YouTube.
Clear, readable, conservative exposition — the best free place to start on any passage.
Matthew Henry, Barnes, Gill, the Pulpit Commentary, Ellicott, Cambridge, and more — stacked on one page for this exact verse.
The beloved Puritan exposition of this whole book — warm, devotional, and verse by verse (free, CCEL).
Hebrew/Greek interlinear, word definitions, and cross-references for this verse.
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 21:10 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.