Proverbs 28:5

Evil people ¹  do not understand justice, ²  but those who seek the Lord ³  understand it all.

Ps 25:14; Ps 92:6; Pr 15:24; Pr 24:7; Jer 4:22; Mr 4:10-13; Joh 7:17; 1Co 2:14,15; Jas 1:5; 1Jo 2:20,27

¹ tn Heb “men of evil”; the context does not limit this to males only, however.

² tn The term translated “justice” is מִשְׁפָּט (mishpat); it refers to the legal rights of people, decisions that are equitable in the community. W. G. Plaut observes that there are always those who think that “justice” is that which benefits them, otherwise it is not justice (Proverbs, 282).

³ sn The contrast (and the difference) is between the wicked and those who seek the Lord. Originally the idea of seeking the Lord meant to obtain an oracle (2 Sam 21:1), but then it came to mean devotion to God – seeking to learn and do his will. Only people who are interested in doing the Lord’s will can fully understand justice. Without that standard, legal activity can become self-serving.