Proverbs 21:10

The appetite ¹  of the wicked desires ²  evil; his neighbor is shown no favor ³  in his eyes.

1Sa 25:8-11; Ps 36:4; Ps 52:2,3; Ps 112:5,9; Pr 3:29; Pr 12:12; Pr 21:13; Isa 32:6-8; Mic 3:2,3; Mr 7:21,22; 1Co 10:6; Jas 2:13; Jas 4:1-5; Jas 5:4-6; 1Jo 2:16

¹ tn Heb “soul.” The Hebrew text uses נֶפֶשׁ (nefesh, traditionally, “soul”) as the formal subject of the sentence – “the soul of a wicked man desires.” This term has at its core the idea of appetites, and so its use here underscores that the cravings are deep-seated (BDB 660 s.v. 5), and the translation “appetite” reflects this.

² sn The word has the meanings of “desire, crave, long for, lust after.” It usually has “soul” as its subject. The word is used in the Ten Commandments in the prohibition against coveting a neighbor’s house (Deut 5:18).

³ tn The form יֻחַן (yukhan) is a Hophal imperfect from חָנַן (khanan); it means “to be shown mercy” – here negated to mean “he will not be shown mercy.” The person who lives to satisfy his own craving for evil will not be interested in meeting the needs of others.