** This response is biblically sound, easy to understand, and personable. It directly answers the question and also demonstrates important Bible study skills to the questioner. The tone is genuinely kind and God’s truth is shared.
Question: What do proverbs 21:2 really mean and what’s the application to this verse?
Answered by: Robert LeClair, who has been a volunteer with us since August, 2015.
Answer: Hello friend, and welcome to our site. Thank you so much for this opportunity to answer this outstanding question for you. Let’s go directly to the Bible and see what the Holy Spirit reveals to us as we search God’s Word for an answer for you.
(Proverbs 21:2) (NKJV) “Every way of a man is right in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the hearts.”
This verse is of course from the book of Proverbs. This book is considered to be mostly written by King Solomon and unlike the majority of Scripture, each verse more or less is able to stand on its own, meaning the surrounding verses do not affect the meaning so much. Another way we are often able to better understand the idea the author intended is by comparing it to other verses of scripture that speak on the same subject, called “cross-references”. Another way to help us understand a verse is to read it in a different translation, as long as the translation is considered reliable.
The above scripture verse is from the New King James Version. Here is the same verse quoted from the New International Version. (Proverbs 21:2) (NIV) “A person may think their own ways are right, but the Lord weighs the heart.” Here we are reading the same verse except it is being spoken in a simpler, more modern English. Many people are able to better understand the NIV because the language is similar to the way a newspaper is written, using everyday English.
For this exercise let’s approach this text by using cross-references found in the Bible. The first example we find is Proverbs 14:2: “He who walks in his uprightness fears the Lord, but he who is perverse in his ways despises Him.” The second example is Proverbs 16:2: “All the ways of a man are pure in his own eyes, but the Lord weighs the spirits.”
Looking at the verse in question in light of the two cross-references we are able to gain a better understanding of what is being taught. What is being said is that every man considers what they are doing to be right, but our Creator God does not look upon outward appearances, but He looks at the heart.
The application of this verse to our lives is to beware that even if we think we are doing what is good and righteous, we need to examine our hearts to see what the motive is behind our actions. Are we doing this “righteousness” to be seen by men so they will say how good we are, or are we doing this from a pure motive of wanting to please the Lord?
Friend I noticed in your bio that you don’t say if you are a believer or not. Are you saved? Have you prayed to receive Jesus as your Savior and Lord? You can become a Christian right now in the privacy of your own home. The time before the return of Jesus is upon us. Please decide for Jesus to not be left behind. To learn more about how to be saved please follow this link:
I so hope this brief overview has helped you. If you need further explanation, or perhaps have another question, please write back to us. We are all here to help you in your walk with our Lord.
