Evil men do not understand justice, but those who seek the LORD comprehend fully.
Parallel translations
- WEB Evil men don’t understand justice; but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.
- KJV Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
- NKJV Evil men do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand all.
- NASB Evil people do not understand justice, But those who seek the Lord understand everything.
- NLT Evil people don’t understand justice, but those who follow the Lord understand completely.
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
Evil people fail to grasp justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it fully. It links true moral understanding to knowing God.
Overview
The proverb teaches that wickedness blinds people to justice, while seeking Yahweh opens full understanding of what is right. Moral clarity flows from relationship with God, not mere intellect. This finds its fulfillment in Christ, in whom are hidden all the treasures of wisdom and knowledge, and who gives understanding to those who seek Him (Colossians 2:3).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 12
- Jas 1:5Now if any of you lacks wisdom, he should ask God, who gives generously to all without finding fault, and it will be given to him.
- Ps 92:6A senseless man does not know, and a fool does not understand,
- 1 Jn 2:20You, however, have an anointing from the Holy One, and all of you know the truth.
- 1 Jn 2:27And as for you, the anointing you received from Him remains in you, and you do not need anyone to teach you. But just as His true and genuine anointing teaches you about all things, so remain in Him as you have been taught.
- John 7:17If anyone desires to do His will, he will know whether My teaching is from God or whether I speak on My own.
- Mark 4:10–13As soon as Jesus was alone with the Twelve and those around Him, they asked Him about the parable.
- Jer 4:22“For My people are fools; they have not known Me. They are foolish children, without understanding. They are skilled in doing evil, but they know not how to do good.”
- Ps 25:14The LORD confides in those who fear Him, and reveals His covenant to them.
- 1 Cor 2:14–15The natural man does not accept the things that come from the Spirit of God. For they are foolishness to him, and he cannot understand them, because they are spiritually discerned.
- Prov 15:24The path of life leads upward for the wise, that he may avoid going down to Sheol.
- Ps 119:100I discern more than the elders, for I obey Your precepts.
- Prov 24:7Wisdom is too high for a fool; he does not open his mouth in the meeting place.
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 28:5 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.