Proverbs 15:3
The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good.
The eyes of the LORD
This phrase emphasizes the omnipresence and omniscience of God. In Hebrew, the word for "eyes" is "עֵינַיִם" (eynayim), which often symbolizes perception and awareness. Theologically, this suggests that God is not a distant deity but one who is actively observing His creation. The "eyes of the LORD" convey a sense of divine watchfulness and care, reminding believers that God is intimately involved in the world. Historically, this concept would have been comforting to the Israelites, who understood their God as one who sees and knows all, contrasting with the idols of surrounding nations, which were often depicted as blind and powerless.

are in every place
This phrase underscores the omnipresence of God, meaning He is present everywhere at all times. The Hebrew root for "every place" is "מָקוֹם" (makom), which can refer to any location or space. This is a powerful reminder that there is no place hidden from God's presence. For the believer, this is both a comfort and a call to live righteously, knowing that God's presence is not confined to the temple or any single location but permeates all of creation. Historically, this would have been a radical idea in a world where gods were often thought to be localized.

observing the wicked and the good
Here, the focus is on God's moral awareness and judgment. The Hebrew word for "observing" is "צָפָה" (tzafah), which implies a careful and discerning watch. This indicates that God is not merely a passive observer but one who actively discerns the actions and intentions of individuals. The "wicked" (רָשָׁע, rasha) and the "good" (טוֹב, tov) represent the moral spectrum of human behavior. This dual observation assures believers that God is just and will ultimately hold everyone accountable. Scripturally, this aligns with the broader biblical narrative of divine justice and righteousness, where God rewards the good and punishes the wicked. This serves as both a warning and an encouragement to live according to God's standards.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and sovereignty. In this verse, it highlights His omniscience and omnipresence.

2. Every Place
This phrase signifies the entirety of creation, indicating that there is no location beyond God's watchful presence.

3. The Evil and the Good
Represents the moral spectrum of human actions and intentions, which are fully visible to God.
Teaching Points
God's Omniscience and Omnipresence
God sees everything, both good and evil, which should encourage believers to live righteously and with integrity.

Accountability Before God
Understanding that God observes all actions should lead to a life of accountability, knowing that nothing is hidden from Him.

Comfort in God's Watchfulness
For the righteous, God's constant watchfulness is a source of comfort and assurance that He is aware of their struggles and faithfulness.

Encouragement to Do Good
Knowing that God sees all, believers are encouraged to continue doing good, even when it seems unnoticed by others.

Warning Against Sin
This verse serves as a warning to those who engage in evil, reminding them that their actions are not hidden from God.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the understanding of God's omnipresence and omniscience affect your daily life and decision-making?

2. In what ways can the knowledge that God sees both the evil and the good encourage you to pursue righteousness?

3. How can you find comfort in the fact that God's eyes are in every place, especially during difficult times?

4. What are some practical steps you can take to live with greater accountability, knowing that nothing is hidden from God?

5. How can you use the truth of Proverbs 15:3 to encourage others who may feel unnoticed or unappreciated in their good deeds?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 139
This psalm elaborates on God's omnipresence and omniscience, affirming that there is no place where one can escape His presence.

Hebrews 4:13
This verse reinforces the idea that nothing in creation is hidden from God's sight, and everything is uncovered before Him.

Jeremiah 23:24
God declares that He fills heaven and earth, emphasizing His omnipresence and the impossibility of hiding from Him.
God's Searching GlanceW. Clarkson Proverbs 15:3
On the Omniscience of GodBp. Z. Pearce.Proverbs 15:3
The Diffusiveness of the Divine SpiritN. Marshall, D.D.Proverbs 15:3
The Divine OmniscienceN. Ball.Proverbs 15:3
The Eye of God on the Sons of MenProverbs 15:3
The Eyes of the LordHomiletic ReviewProverbs 15:3
The Eyes of the Lord are EverywhereH. Constable, M.A.Proverbs 15:3
The Omnipresence of GodE. Johnson Proverbs 15:3
The Omnipresent Eye of GodR. Ward, M.A.Proverbs 15:3
A Meek and Gentle Manner of Discourse is the Most Effectual Means to Soften the Fiercest DispositionH. Usher, D.D.Proverbs 15:1-3
A Soft AnswerJ. Spencer.Proverbs 15:1-3
A Soft AnswerProverbs 15:1-3
A Soft AnswerMalcolm's "PersiaProverbs 15:1-3
A Soft Answer (To Children)J. M. Gibbon.Proverbs 15:1-3
Bad Temper to be ControlledR. F. Horton, D.D.Proverbs 15:1-3
Mild Replies to Angry SpeechesJ. Parker, D.D.Proverbs 15:1-3
Soft AnswersJ. M. Sherwood, D. D.Proverbs 15:1-3
Submissive AnswersW. Reading, M.A.Proverbs 15:1-3
The Christian Government of the TongueGeo. Spence, D.C.L.Proverbs 15:1-3
The Utility of Gentle ForcesW. Unsworth.Proverbs 15:1-3
Try the VelvetBlind Amos.Proverbs 15:1-3
Turning Away WrathW. Arnot, D.D.Proverbs 15:1-3
WordsD. Thomas, D.D.Proverbs 15:1-3
Virtues and Vices of the TongueE. Johnson Proverbs 15:1, 2, 4, 7
People
Abaddon, Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Beholding, Everywhere, Evil, Keeping, Watch, Watching, Wicked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 15:3

     1110   God, present everywhere
     1210   God, human descriptions
     1255   face of God
     1670   symbols
     5149   eyes

Library
God, the All-Seeing One
A sermon (No. 177) delivered on Sabbath morning, February 14, 1858 At The Music Hall, Royal Surrey Gardens by C. H. Spurgeon. "Hell and destruction are before the Lord: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?" -- Proverbs 15:11. You have often smiled at the ignorance of heathens who bow themselves before gods of wood and stone. You have quoted the words of Scripture and you have said, "Eyes have they, but they see not; ears have they, but they hear not." You have therefore argued that
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Hedge of Thorns and the Plain Way
A sermon (No. 1948) delivered at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "The way of the slothful man is as an hedge of thorns: but the way of the righteous is made plain."--Proverbs 15:19. You must have noticed how frequently godly people almost wear out their Bibles in certain places. The Psalms, the Gospel of John, and parts of the Epistles are favourite portions, and are thumbed in many an old believer's Bible till the fact is very noticeable. There are certain sheep-tracks
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

God, the All-Seeing One
We have in our text, first of all, a great fact declared,--"Hell and destruction are before the Lord ;" we have, secondly, a great fact inferred,--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" I. We will begin with THE GREAT FACT WHICH IS DECLARED--a fact which furnishes us with premises from which we deduce the practical conclusion of the second sentence--"How much more then the hearts of the children of men?" The best interpretation that you can give of those two words, "hell" and "destruction,"
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 4: 1858

How the Humble and the Haughty are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 18.) Differently to be admonished are the humble and the haughty. To the former it is to be insinuated how true is that excellence which they hold in hoping for it; to the latter it is to be intimated how that temporal glory is as nothing which even when embracing it they hold not. Let the humble hear how eternal are the things that they long for, how transitory the things which they despise; let the haughty hear how transitory are the things they court, how eternal the things they
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

And He had Also this Favour Granted Him. ...
66. And he had also this favour granted him. For as he was sitting alone on the mountain, if ever he was in perplexity in his meditations, this was revealed to him by Providence in prayer. And the happy man, as it is written, was taught of God [1112] . After this, when he once had a discussion with certain men who had come to him concerning the state of the soul and of what nature its place will be after this life, the following night one from above called him, saying, Antony, rise, go out and look.'
Athanasius—Select Works and Letters or Athanasius

Epistle cxxii. To Rechared, King of the visigoths .
To Rechared, King of the Visigoths [82] . Gregory to Rechared, &c. I cannot express in words, most excellent son, how much I am delighted with thy work and thy life. For on hearing of the power of a new miracle in our days, to wit that the whole nation of the Goths has through thy Excellency been brought over from the error of Arian heresy to the firmness of a right faith, one is disposed to exclaim with the prophet, This is the change wrought by the right hand of the Most High (Ps. lxxvi. 11 [83]
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

Contention Over the Man Born Blind.
(Jerusalem.) ^D John IX. 1-41. [Some look upon the events in this and the next section as occurring at the Feast of Tabernacles in October, others think they occurred at the Feast of Dedication in December, deriving their point of time from John x. 22.] ^d 1 And as he passed by, he saw a man blind from his birth. [The man probably sought to waken compassion by repeatedly stating this fact to passers-by.] 2 And his disciples asked him, saying, Rabbi, who sinned, this man, or his parents, that he should
J. W. McGarvey—The Four-Fold Gospel

"And the Life. " How Christ is the Life.
This, as the former, being spoken indefinitely, may be universally taken, as relating both to such as are yet in the state of nature, and to such as are in the state of grace, and so may be considered in reference to both, and ground three points of truth, both in reference to the one, and in reference to the other; to wit, 1. That our case is such as we stand in need of his help, as being the Life. 2. That no other way but by him, can we get that supply of life, which we stand in need of, for he
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

"Now the End of the Commandment," &C.
1 Tim. i. 5.--"Now the end of the commandment," &c. We come now, as was proposed, to observe, Thirdly,(474) That faith unfeigned is the only thing which gives the answer of a good conscience towards God. Conscience, in general, is nothing else but a practical knowledge of the rule a man should walk by, and of himself in reference to that rule. It is the laying down a man's state, and condition, and actions beside the rule of God's word, or the principles of nature's light. It is the chief piece
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"Thou Shall Keep Him in Perfect Peace, Whose Mind is Stayed on Thee, Because He Trusteth in Thee. "
Isaiah xxvi. 3.--"Thou shall keep him in perfect peace, whose mind is stayed on thee, because he trusteth in thee." All men love to have privileges above others. Every one is upon the design and search after some well-being, since Adam lost that which was true happiness. We all agree upon the general notion of it, but presently men divide in the following of particulars. Here all men are united in seeking after some good; something to satisfy their souls, and satiate their desires. Nay, but they
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

An Exposition on the First Ten Chapters of Genesis, and Part of the Eleventh
An unfinished commentary on the Bible, found among the author's papers after his death, in his own handwriting; and published in 1691, by Charles Doe, in a folio volume of the works of John Bunyan. ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR Being in company with an enlightened society of Protestant dissenters of the Baptist denomination, I observed to a doctor of divinity, who was advancing towards his seventieth year, that my time had been delightfully engaged with John Bunyan's commentary on Genesis. "What,"
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

I Will Pray with the Spirit and with the Understanding Also-
OR, A DISCOURSE TOUCHING PRAYER; WHEREIN IS BRIEFLY DISCOVERED, 1. WHAT PRAYER IS. 2. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT. 3. WHAT IT IS TO PRAY WITH THE SPIRIT AND WITH THE UNDERSTANDING ALSO. WRITTEN IN PRISON, 1662. PUBLISHED, 1663. "For we know not what we should pray for as we ought:--the Spirit--helpeth our infirmities" (Rom 8:26). ADVERTISEMENT BY THE EDITOR. There is no subject of more solemn importance to human happiness than prayer. It is the only medium of intercourse with heaven. "It is
John Bunyan—The Works of John Bunyan Volumes 1-3

How Christ is the Way in General, "I am the Way. "
We come now to speak more particularly to the words; and, first, Of his being a way. Our design being to point at the way of use-making of Christ in all our necessities, straits, and difficulties which are in our way to heaven; and particularly to point out the way how believers should make use of Christ in all their particular exigencies; and so live by faith in him, walk in him, grow up in him, advance and march forward toward glory in him. It will not be amiss to speak of this fulness of Christ
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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