All a man’s ways seem right to him, but the LORD weighs the heart.
Parallel translations
- WEB Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but Yahweh weighs the hearts.
- KJV Every way of a man is right in his own eyes: but the LORD pondereth the hearts.
- NKJV Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, But the Lord weighs the hearts.
- NASB Every person’s way is right in his own eyes, But the Lord examines the hearts.
- NLT People may be right in their own eyes, but the Lord examines their heart.
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
People justify their own ways, but the Lord weighs the heart. It matters because God's evaluation, not our self-assessment, is what counts.
Overview
We are prone to self-deception, seeing our conduct as right while God examines our true motives (Proverbs 16:2; Jeremiah 17:9-10). The verse humbles self-righteousness and calls for honesty before God. Only the Lord, who searches hearts, can rightly judge — and only his grace can cleanse them.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 14
- Prov 16:2All a man’s ways are pure in his own eyes, but his motives are weighed out by the LORD.
- Prov 16:25There is a way that seems right to a man, but its end is the way of death.
- Luke 16:15So He said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is prized among men is detestable before God.
- Jer 17:10I, the LORD, search the heart; I examine the mind to reward a man according to his way, by what his deeds deserve.
- Prov 30:12There is a generation of those who are pure in their own eyes and yet unwashed of their filth.
- 1 Sam 16:7But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.”
- Prov 24:12If you say, “Behold, we did not know about this,” does not He who weighs hearts consider it? Does not the One who guards your life know? Will He not repay a man according to his deeds?
- Ps 36:2For his eyes are too full of conceit to detect or hate his own sin.
- Jas 1:22Be doers of the word, and not hearers only. Otherwise, you are deceiving yourselves.
- Gal 6:3If anyone thinks he is something when he is nothing, he deceives himself.
- Luke 18:11–12The Pharisee stood by himself and prayed, ‘God, I thank You that I am not like the other men—swindlers, evildoers, adulterers—or even like this tax collector.
- Rev 2:23Then I will strike her children dead, and all the churches will know that I am the One who searches minds and hearts, and I will repay each of you according to your deeds.
- Prov 20:6Many a man proclaims his loving devotion, but who can find a trustworthy man?
- John 2:24–25But Jesus did not entrust Himself to them, for He knew them all.
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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 21:2 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
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