Proverbs 14:19

14:19 Those who are evil will bow before those who are good,

and the wicked will bow at the gates of the righteous.

Proverbs 15:3

15:3 The eyes of the Lord are in every place,

keeping watch on those who are evil and those who are good.


tn Many versions nuance the perfect tense verb שָׁחַח (shakhakh) as a characteristic perfect. But the proverb suggests that the reality lies in the future. So the verb is best classified as a prophetic perfect (cf. NASB, NIV, CEV, NLT): Ultimately the wicked will acknowledge and serve the righteous – a point the prophets make.

tn The phrase “will bow” does not appear in this line but is implied by the parallelism; it is supplied in the translation for clarity and smoothness.

sn J. H. Greenstone suggests that this means that they are begging for favors (Proverbs, 154).

sn The proverb uses anthropomorphic language to describe God’s exacting and evaluating knowledge of all people.

tn The form צֹפוֹת (tsofot, “watching”) is a feminine plural participle agreeing with “eyes.” God’s watching eyes comfort good people but convict evil.