Proverbs 16 · Verse 6

Proverbs 16:6

By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.
Proverbs 16:6, King James Version

Proverbs 16:6 in other translations

BSBBy loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
WEBBy mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for. By the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.
ASVBy mercy and truth iniquity is atoned for; And by the fear of Jehovah men depart from evil.
YLTIn kindness and truth pardoned is iniquity, And in the fear of Jehovah Turn thou aside from evil.
DARBYBy loving-kindness and truth iniquity is atoned for; and by the fear of Jehovah men depart from evil.
BBEBy mercy and good faith evil-doing is taken away: and by the fear of the Lord men are turned away from evil.
WebsterBy mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the LORD men depart from evil.

What does Proverbs 16:6 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
6. By mercy and truth--that is, God's (Psa 85:10); He effects the atonement, or covering of sin; and the principles of true piety incline men to depart from evil; or, "mercy" and "truth" may be man's, indicative of the gracious tempers which work instrumentally in procuring pardon. purged--expiated (as in Le 16:33; Is 27:9, Hebrew).

Robert Jamieson, A. R. Fausset & David Brown, 1871 · public domain

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 6 By mercy and truth iniquity is purged - This may be misunderstood, as if a man, by showing mercy and acting according to truth, could atone for his own iniquity. The Hebrew text is not ambiguous: בחסד ואמת יכפר עון bechesed veemeth yechapper avon; "By mercy and truth he shall atone for iniquity." He - God, by his mercy, in sending his son Jesus into the world, - "shall make an atonement for iniquity" according to his truth - the word which he declared by his holy prophets since the world began. Or, if we retain the present version, and follow the points in יכפר yecuppar, reading "iniquity is purged" or "atoned for," the sense is unexceptionable, as we refer the mercy and the truth to God. But what an awful comment is that of Don Calmet, in which he expresses, not only his own opinion, but the staple doctrine of his own Church, the Romish! The reader shall have his own words: "'L'iniquite se rachete par la misericorde et la verite.' On expie ses pechez par des oeuvres de misericorde envers le prochein; par la clemence, par la douceur, par compassion, par les aumones: et par la verite-par la fidelity, la bonne foi, la droiture, requite dans le commerce. Voyez Pro 3:3, Pro 14:22, Pro 20:28." "'Iniquity is redeemed by mercy and truth.' We expiate our sins by works of mercy towards our neighbor; by clemency, by kindness, by compassion, and by alms: and by truth - by fidelity, by trustworthiness, by uprightness, by equity in commerce." If this be so, why was Jesus incarnated? Why his agony and bloody sweat, his cross and passion, his death and burial, his resurrection and ascension? Was it only to supply a sufficient portion of merit for those who had neglected to make a fund for themselves? Is the guilt of sin so small in the sight of Divine justice, that a man can atone for it by manifesting good dispositions towards his neighbors, by giving some alms, and not doing those things for which he might be hanged? Why then did God make such a mighty matter of the redemption of the world? Why send his Son at all? An angel would have been more than sufficient; yea, even a sinner who had been converted by his own compassion, alms-deeds, etc., would have been sufficient. And is not this the very doctrine of this most awfully fallen and corrupt Church? Has she not provided a fund of merit in her saints, of what was more than requisite for themselves that it might be given, or sold out, to those who had not enough of their own? Now such is the doctrine of the Romish Church - grossly absurd, and destructively iniquitous! And because men cannot believe this, cannot believe these monstrosities, that Church will burn them to ashes. Ruthless Church! degenerated, fallen, corrupt, and corrupting! once a praise now a curse, in the earth. Thank the blessed God, whose blood alone can expiate sin, that he has a Church upon the earth; and that the Romish is not the Catholic Church; and that it has not that political power by which it would subdue all things to itself.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
By the mercy and truth of God in Christ Jesus, the sins of believers are taken away, and the power of sin is broken.

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 16:6 in the original Hebrew

Word-by-word with transliteration, English gloss and Strong's number. Tap a number for the full definition and every place the word is used.

בְּחֶ֣סֶדbe.Che.sedby loyaltyH2617
וֶ֭אֱמֶתVe.'e.metand faithfulnessH571
יְכֻפַּ֣רye.khu.Parit is atoned forH3722
עָוֹ֑ן'a.VoniniquityH5771
וּבְיִרְאַ֥תu.ve.yir.'Atand [is] by [the] fear ofH3374
יְ֝הוָ֗הYah.wehYahwehH3068
ס֣וּרsurturning asideH5493
מֵרָֽע\׃me.Ra'from evilH7451

Source: STEPBible TAHOT/TAGNT (Tyndale House, CC BY 4.0).

Cross references for Proverbs 16:6

  • Proverbs 14:16

    A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

  • Job 28:28

    And unto man he said, Behold, the fear of the Lord, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

  • 2 Corinthians 7:1

    Having therefore these promises, dearly beloved, let us cleanse ourselves from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit, perfecting holiness in the fear of God.

  • Daniel 4:27

    Wherefore, O king, let my counsel be acceptable unto thee, and break off thy sins by righteousness, and thine iniquities by shewing mercy to the poor; if it may be a lengthening of thy tranquillity.

  • Luke 11:41

    But rather give alms of such things as ye have; and, behold, all things are clean unto you.

  • Proverbs 8:13

    The fear of the Lord is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

  • Proverbs 14:27

    The fear of the Lord is a fountain of life, to depart from the snares of death.

  • Proverbs 20:28

    Mercy and truth preserve the king: and his throne is upholden by mercy.

  • Job 1:1-8

    There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil. And there were born unto him seven sons and three daughters. His substance also was seven thousand sheep, and three thousand camels, and five hundred yoke of oxen, and five hundred she asses, and a very great household; so that this man was the greatest of all the men of the east. And his sons went and feasted in their houses, every one his day; and sent and called for their three sisters to eat and to drink with them. …

  • Nehemiah 5:15

    But the former governors that had been before me were chargeable unto the people, and had taken of them bread and wine, beside forty shekels of silver; yea, even their servants bare rule over the people: but so did not I, because of the fear of God.

  • Acts 15:9

    And put no difference between us and them, purifying their hearts by faith.

  • Micah 7:18-20

    Who is a God like unto thee, that pardoneth iniquity, and passeth by the transgression of the remnant of his heritage? he retaineth not his anger for ever, because he delighteth in mercy. He will turn again, he will have compassion upon us; he will subdue our iniquities; and thou wilt cast all their sins into the depths of the sea. Thou wilt perform the truth to Jacob, and the mercy to Abraham, which thou hast sworn unto our fathers from the days of old.

Ranked by reader votes · OpenBible.info cross references (CC BY).

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
mercy.
20:28; Ps 85:10; Da 4:27; Mic 7:18-20; Lu 11:41; Joh 15:2; Ac 15:9
1Pe 1:22
by the.
8:13; 14:16,27; Ge 20:11; Ne 5:9,15; Job 1:1-8; 28:28; 2Co 7:1
Eph 5:21

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (Samuel Bagster, c. 1836) · public domain

Context

  • Proverbs 16:5

    Every one that is proud in heart is an abomination to the Lord: though hand join in hand, he shall not be unpunished.

  • Proverbs 16:6

    By mercy and truth iniquity is purged: and by the fear of the Lord men depart from evil.

  • Proverbs 16:7

    When a man’s ways please the Lord, he maketh even his enemies to be at peace with him.

Read all of Proverbs 16

Proverbs 16:6 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		Con misericordia y verdad se corrige el pecado: y con el temor de Jehová se apartan del mal los hombres.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		Par la bonté et par la vérité, propitiation est faite pour l’iniquité, et par la crainte de l’ Éternel on se détourne du mal.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Durch Güte und Wahrheit wird die Missetat gesühnt, und durch die Furcht Jehovas weicht man vom Bösen.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Misericordia et veritate redimitur iniquitas, et in timore Domini declinatur a malo.