Proverbs 16:30
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Cross References
Matthew 13:15
15for this people’s heart has grown callous, their ears are dull of hearing, and they have closed their eyes; or else perhaps they might perceive with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and would turn again, and I would heal them.’
Proverbs 6:12-14
12A worthless person, a man of iniquity, is he who walks with a perverse mouth, 13who winks with his eyes, who signals with his feet, who motions with his fingers, 14in whose heart is perverseness, who devises evil continually, who always sows discord.
Isaiah 6:10
10Make the heart of this people fat. Make their ears heavy, and shut their eyes; lest they see with their eyes, hear with their ears, understand with their heart, and turn again, and be healed.”
Micah 7:3
3Their hands are on that which is evil to do it diligently. The ruler and judge ask for a bribe. The powerful man dictates the evil desire of his soul. Thus they conspire together.
Matthew 14:7-8
7Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she should ask. 8She, being prompted by her mother, said, “Give me here on a platter the head of John the Baptizer.”
4 more
John 3:20
20For everyone who does evil hates the light and doesn’t come to the light, lest his works would be exposed.
Matthew 27:23-26
23But the governor said, “Why? What evil has he done?” But they cried out exceedingly, saying, “Let him be crucified!”
24So when Pilate saw that nothing was being gained, but rather that a disturbance was starting, he took water and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, “I am innocent of the blood of this righteous person. You see to it.”
25All the people answered, “May his blood be on us and on our children!”
26Then he released Barabbas to them, but Jesus he flogged and delivered to be crucified.
Proverbs 16:27
27A worthless man devises mischief. His speech is like a scorching fire.
Proverbs 10:10
10One who winks with the eye causes sorrow, but a chattering fool will fall.
Study
No verse-level note here; see the section overviews below.
Section overviews (1)
Proverbs 10:1–22.16
This section is called The Proverbs of Solomon. It mostly contains short pieces of advice and observations. These sayings often use antithetical parallelism to compare wisdom and righteousness with foolishness and wickedness. The proverbs seem to be arranged randomly, similar to Egyptian and Mesopotamian wisdom literature. Some proverbs repeat:
Proverbs 14:12 and 16:25
Proverbs 18:8 and 26:22
Proverbs 19:24 and 26:15
Proverbs 20:16 and 27:13
Proverbs 21:9 and 25:24
Proverbs 22:3 and 27:12
Sometimes, a group of proverbs shares a similar theme (for example, Proverbs 16:1–11).
16:30
He shutteth his eyes--denoting deep thought (Psa 64:6).
moving his lips--or, "biting his lips"--a determined purpose (Pro 6:13).
16:29-30
Here is another sort of evil men described to us, that we may neither do like them, nor have any thing to do with them. 1. Such as (like Satan) do all the mischief they can by force and violence, as roaring lions, and not only by fraud and insinuation, as subtle serpents: They are violent men, that do all by rapine and oppression, that shut their eyes, meditating with the closest intention and application of mind to devise froward things, to contrive how they may do the greatest mischief to their neighbour, to do it effectually and yet securely to themselves; and then moving their lips, giving the word of command to their agents, they bring the evil to pass, and accomplish the wicked device, biting his lips (so some read it) for vexation. When the wicked plots against the just he gnasheth upon him with his teeth. 2. Such as (like Satan still) do all they can to entice and draw in others to join with them in doing mischief, leading them in a way that is not good, that is not honest, nor honourable, nor safe, but offensive to God, and which will be in the end pernicious to the sinner. Thus he aims to ruin some in this world by bringing them into trouble, and others in the other world by bringing them into sin.
16:30
He shutteth his eyes to devise froward things,.... Or "perverse" or "contrary things" (r); he shuts his eyes, that his thoughts might not be disturbed and distracted by visible objects, but might be more free and composed, and intent upon the things he is meditating and devising; or he shuts his eyes against light, against Scripture evidence, which he does not care to come to, lest his principles and practices should be reproved; he shuts his eyes, and will not look into the Scriptures, that he may form and devise schemes of doctrine and worship contrary to them. Some render it, he winks with his eyes, as in Proverbs 6:13; so the Targum; he gives the hint thereby to his companions, when is the proper time to circumvent an innocent person, and to put in execution the scheme he had devised;
moving his lips he bringeth evil to pass; either as persons in deep thought used to do; or as a token to others to set about the evil designed and contrived; or rather as acting a deceitful part, as a false teacher; not speaking out his mind freely, but muttering out his words, handling the word of God deceitfully, and not by manifestation of the truth commending himself to every man's conscience in the sight of God, as a faithful minister does; and by such artful methods brings his evil designs to pass. The Vulgate Latin version renders it, "biting his lips"; so a wicked man does through indignation at a good man, and through desire of revenge; and when he plots against him, he gnashes at him with his teeth, Psalm 37:12. The Targum is,
"threatening with his lips;''
he gives out menaces of evil things, and performs them; which is true of the man of sin, Revelation 13:5.
(r) "perversitates", Pagninus, Montanus, Baynus, Mercerus, Gejerus; "res perversas", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator; "perversa", Michaelis.
16:30
Shutteth his eyes, that his thoughts may be more free and intent to contrive mischief.
Moving his lips; which is the gesture, either,
1. Of one whose thoughts are deeply engaged. Or,
2. Of one that speaketh or maketh signs to others to assist him in executing that wickedness which he hath contrived.
16:30
30 He who shutteth his eyes to devise falsehood;
He who biteth his lips bringeth evil to pass.
A physiognomical Caveto. The ἁπ. λεγ. עצה is connected with עצם, Isa 33:15 (Arab. transp. ghamḍ), comprimere, formed from it. Regarding קרץ of lips or eyes, vid., p. 144; the biting of the lips is the action of the deceitful, and denotes scorn, malice, knavery. The perf. denotes that he who is seen doing this has some evil as good as accomplished, for he is inwardly ready for it; Hitzig suitably compares Sa1 20:7, Sa1 20:33. Our editions (also Lwenstein) have כּלּה, but the Masora (vid., Mas. finalis, p. 1) numbers the word among those which terminate in א, and always writes כּלּא.