For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings.
Parallel translations
- WEB For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes. He examines all his paths.
- BSB For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths.
- NKJV For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord, And He ponders all his paths.
- NASB For the ways of everyone are before the eyes of the Lord, And He observes all his paths.
- NLT For the Lord sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes.
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
A person's ways are fully seen by the LORD, who examines every path. God observes all our conduct, including the secret.
Overview
The decisive reason for faithfulness is that the LORD sees all, watching and weighing every path a person takes. No sin is truly hidden from God. This sobering truth of God's omniscience (cf. Ps 139; Heb 4:13) grounds moral integrity not merely in consequences but in living before the all-seeing God.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 17
- Heb 4:13Neither is there any creature that is not manifest in his sight: but all things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do.
- Prov 15:3The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good.
- Jer 32:19Great in counsel, and mighty in work: for thine eyes are open upon all the ways of the sons of men: to give every one according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings:
- Job 34:21For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings.
- Hos 7:2And they consider not in their hearts that I remember all their wickedness: now their own doings have beset them about; they are before my face.
- Ps 11:4The LORD is in his holy temple, the LORD’s throne is in heaven: his eyes behold, his eyelids try, the children of men.
- Jer 16:17For mine eyes are upon all their ways: they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes.
- Jer 23:24Can any hide himself in secret places that I shall not see him? saith the LORD. Do not I fill heaven and earth? saith the LORD.
- Job 31:4Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps?
- Ps 119:168I have kept thy precepts and thy testimonies: for all my ways are before thee.
- 2 Chr 16:9For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars.
- Ps 139:1–12O LORD, thou hast searched me, and known me.
- Job 14:16For now thou numberest my steps: dost thou not watch over my sin?
- Jer 17:10I the LORD search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings.
- Ps 17:3Thou hast proved mine heart; thou hast visited me in the night; thou hast tried me, and shalt find nothing; I am purposed that my mouth shall not transgress.
- Rev 2:23And I will kill her children with death; and all the churches shall know that I am he which searcheth the reins and hearts: and I will give unto every one of you according to your works.
- Rev 2:18And unto the angel of the church in Thyatira write; These things saith the Son of God, who hath his eyes like unto a flame of fire, and his feet are like fine brass;
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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 5:21 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.