Proverbs 21 · Verse 29

Proverbs 21:29

A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.
Proverbs 21:29, King James Version

Proverbs 21:29 in other translations

BSBA wicked man hardens his face, but the upright man makes his way sure.
WEBA wicked man hardens his face; but as for the upright, he establishes his ways.
ASVA wicked man hardeneth his face; But as for the upright, he establisheth his ways.
YLTA wicked man hath hardened by his face, And the upright--he prepareth his way.
DARBYA wicked man hardeneth his face; but as for the upright, he establisheth his way.
BBEThe evil-doer makes his face hard, but as for the upright, he gives thought to his way.
WebsterA wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

What does Proverbs 21:29 mean?

Jamieson-Fausset-Brown
29. hardeneth his face--is obstinate. directeth ... way--considers it, and acts advisedly.

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

Adam Clarke's Commentary
Verse 29 He directeth his way - Instead of יכין yachin, he directeth, upwards of fifty of Kennicott's and De Rossi's MSS., several ancient editions with some of the versions, read יבין yabin, he understands; and because he understands his way, he is able to direct himself in walking in it.

Adam Clarke, 1831 · public domain

Matthew Henry's Concise Commentary
A wicked man bids defiance to the terrors of the law and the rebukes of Providence. But a good man asks, What does God require of me?

Matthew Henry, 1706 · public domain

Proverbs 21:29 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.

הֵעֵ֬זhe.'Ezhe makes strongH5810
אִ֣ישׁ'isha personH376
רָשָׁ֣עra.Sha'wickedH7563
בְּפָנָ֑יוbe.fa.Navwith face hisH6440
וְ֝יָשָׁ֗רve.ya.Sharand an upright [person]H3477
ה֤וּא\׀hu'heH1931
יָבִ֬יןya.chinhe considersH995
דַּרְכּֽוֹ\׃de.ra.khavway hisH1870

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

Cross references for Proverbs 21:29

  • 1 Thessalonians 3:11

    Now God himself and our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ, direct our way unto you.

  • Haggai 1:7

    Thus saith the Lord of hosts; Consider your ways.

  • Proverbs 11:5

    The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way: but the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

  • Haggai 2:18-19

    Consider now from this day and upward, from the four and twentieth day of the ninth month, even from the day that the foundation of the Lord’s temple was laid, consider it. Is the seed yet in the barn? yea, as yet the vine, and the fig tree, and the pomegranate, and the olive tree, hath not brought forth: from this day will I bless you.

  • Ezekiel 18:28

    Because he considereth, and turneth away from all his transgressions that he hath committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

  • Psalms 119:5

    O that my ways were directed to keep thy statutes!

  • Proverbs 28:14

    Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.

  • Jeremiah 44:16-17

    As for the word that thou hast spoken unto us in the name of the Lord, we will not hearken unto thee. But we will certainly do whatsoever thing goeth forth out of our own mouth, to burn incense unto the queen of heaven, and to pour out drink offerings unto her, as we have done, we, and our fathers, our kings, and our princes, in the cities of Judah, and in the streets of Jerusalem: for then had we plenty of victuals, and were well, and saw no evil.

  • Psalms 119:59

    I thought on my ways, and turned my feet unto thy testimonies.

  • Jeremiah 8:12

    Were they ashamed when they had committed abomination? nay, they were not at all ashamed, neither could they blush: therefore shall they fall among them that fall: in the time of their visitation they shall be cast down, saith the Lord.

  • Proverbs 29:1

    He, that being often reproved hardeneth his neck, shall suddenly be destroyed, and that without remedy.

  • Jeremiah 5:3

    O Lord, are not thine eyes upon the truth? thou hast stricken them, but they have not grieved; thou hast consumed them, but they have refused to receive correction: they have made their faces harder than a rock; they have refused to return.

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

Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
hardeneth.
28:14; 29:1; Jer 3:2,3; 5:3; 8:12; 44:16,17
he directeth. or, he considereth.
11:5; Ps 119:59; Eze 18:28; Hag 1:5,7; 2:15,18,19; Lu 15:17,18
1Th 3:11

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

Context

  • Proverbs 21:28

    A false witness shall perish: but the man that heareth speaketh constantly.

  • Proverbs 21:29

    A wicked man hardeneth his face: but as for the upright, he directeth his way.

  • Proverbs 21:30

    There is no wisdom nor understanding nor counsel against the Lord.

Read all of Proverbs 21

Proverbs 21:29 in other languages

Spanish
Reina-Valera 1909		El hombre impío afirma su rostro: mas el recto ordena sus caminos.
French
Bible J.N. Darby 1885		L’homme méchant enhardit son visage, mais celui qui est droit règle sa voie.
German
Elberfelder 1871		Ein gesetzloser Mann zeigt ein trotziges Gesicht; aber der Aufrichtige, er merkt auf seinen Weg.
Latin
Clementine Vulgate		Vir impius procaciter obfirmat vultum suum; qui autem rectus est corrigit viam suam.