Proverbs 16:6
By loving devotion and faithfulness iniquity is atoned for, and by the fear of the LORD one turns aside from evil.
By loving devotion and faithfulness
This phrase emphasizes the dual virtues of "loving devotion" and "faithfulness" as foundational to a righteous life. The Hebrew word for "loving devotion" is "chesed," which conveys a sense of steadfast love, mercy, and kindness. It is a covenantal term often used to describe God's unwavering love for His people. "Faithfulness" is translated from the Hebrew word "emet," which means truth, reliability, and stability. Together, these virtues reflect a life committed to God and others, embodying the character of God Himself. Historically, these qualities were essential in maintaining the covenant relationship between God and Israel, and they remain vital for Christians today in their relationship with God and fellow believers.

iniquity is atoned for
The concept of atonement in this context refers to the covering or removal of sin. The Hebrew word "kaphar" is used here, which means to cover, purge, or make reconciliation. In the Old Testament, atonement was achieved through sacrificial offerings, pointing forward to the ultimate atonement made by Jesus Christ on the cross. This phrase underscores the transformative power of love and faithfulness in dealing with sin, highlighting that true repentance and a heart aligned with God's will can lead to forgiveness and reconciliation.

and by the fear of the LORD
The "fear of the LORD" is a recurring theme in Proverbs, representing a deep reverence and awe for God. The Hebrew word "yirah" conveys a sense of respect, honor, and submission to God's authority. This fear is not about being afraid but about recognizing God's holiness and sovereignty. It is the beginning of wisdom and understanding, guiding believers to live in a way that pleases God. Historically, this reverence was central to the Israelites' identity as God's chosen people, and it remains crucial for Christians as they seek to live according to God's will.

evil is avoided
The avoidance of evil is a natural outcome of living in the fear of the LORD. The Hebrew word "suwr" means to turn aside, depart, or remove. This phrase suggests an active choice to shun wickedness and pursue righteousness. In the biblical context, avoiding evil is not merely about abstaining from wrongdoing but involves a proactive pursuit of holiness and godliness. This aligns with the teachings of the New Testament, where believers are called to resist the devil and flee from sin, empowered by the Holy Spirit to live lives that reflect the character of Christ.

Persons / Places / Events
1. Solomon
- Traditionally regarded as the author of Proverbs, Solomon was the son of King David and known for his wisdom. He compiled these sayings to impart wisdom and understanding.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
- The covenant name of God in the Hebrew Bible, representing His eternal and unchanging nature. The fear of the LORD is a central theme in Proverbs.

3. Israel
- The original audience of the Proverbs, the nation of Israel was chosen by God to be His people and to live according to His laws and wisdom.
Teaching Points
Loving Devotion and Faithfulness
The Hebrew words for "loving devotion" (chesed) and "faithfulness" (emet) emphasize a covenantal loyalty and truthfulness. In our lives, we are called to reflect God's steadfast love and faithfulness in our relationships and commitments.

Atonement of Iniquity
Iniquity is atoned for not by human effort alone but through a heart aligned with God's character. This points to the ultimate atonement through Christ, who embodies perfect loving devotion and faithfulness.

Fear of the LORD
The "fear of the LORD" (yirah) is a reverential awe and respect for God. It is foundational for wisdom and leads to a life that turns away from evil. Cultivating this fear involves regular prayer, study of Scripture, and obedience to God's commands.

Turning from Evil
True repentance involves a conscious decision to turn away from sin and towards God. This is an ongoing process that requires the Holy Spirit's guidance and strength.
Bible Study Questions
1. How do the concepts of loving devotion and faithfulness in Proverbs 16:6 challenge your current understanding of atonement and forgiveness?

2. In what ways can you cultivate a deeper fear of the LORD in your daily life, and how might this help you turn from evil?

3. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's loving devotion and faithfulness. How did this impact your relationship with Him and others?

4. How do the themes in Proverbs 16:6 connect with the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament, particularly regarding love and repentance?

5. What practical steps can you take to ensure that your actions reflect the loving devotion and faithfulness described in this proverb?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 85:10
- This verse speaks of mercy and truth meeting together, similar to the themes of loving devotion and faithfulness in Proverbs 16:6.

Micah 6:8
- This verse emphasizes doing justice, loving kindness, and walking humbly with God, which aligns with the call to loving devotion and faithfulness.

1 John 1:9
- This New Testament verse speaks of confession and forgiveness, connecting to the atonement of iniquity through faithfulness.

James 4:7-8
- These verses discuss submitting to God and resisting the devil, which parallels turning from evil through the fear of the LORD.
Mercy and Truth Evidential of SalvationR. Wardlaw, D.D.Proverbs 16:6
Sins of Men Arising from a Want of the Fear of GodG. Haggitt, M.A.Proverbs 16:6
The Fear of GodC. W. Le Bas, M.A.Proverbs 16:6
The Mission of Mercy and TruthF. D. Maurice, M.A.Proverbs 16:6
The Penitent's Review and ProspectW. Clarkson Proverbs 16:6
Thought, Action, PrayerW. Clarkson Proverbs 16:1, 3, 9
The Administration of Rewards and PunishmentsE. Johnson Proverbs 16:4-9
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Aside, Atoned, Avoids, Depart, Evil, Evil-doing, Expiated, Faith, Faithfulness, Fear, Iniquity, Keeps, Kindness, Lovingkindness, Loving-kindness, Loyalty, Mercy, Pardoned, Purged, Sin, Truth, Turn
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 16:6

     6028   sin, deliverance from
     6030   sin, avoidance
     6616   atonement, in OT
     8336   reverence, and obedience
     8470   respect, for God

Library
April 27. "The Sweetness of the Lips" (Prov. xvi. 21).
"The sweetness of the lips" (Prov. xvi. 21). Spiritual conditions are inseparably connected with our physical life. The flow of the divine life-currents may be interrupted by a little clot of blood; the vital current may leak out through a very trifling wound. If you want to keep the health of Christ, keep from all spiritual sores, from all heart wounds and irritations. One hour of fretting will wear out more vitality than a week of work; and one minute of malignity, or rankling jealousy or envy
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

June 13. "The Sweetness of the Lips Increaseth Learning" (Prov. xvi. 21).
"The sweetness of the lips increaseth learning" (Prov. xvi. 21). Life is very largely made up of words. They are not so emphatic, perhaps, as deeds. Deeds are more deliberate expressions of thought. One of the most remarkable authors of the New Testament has said, "If any man offend not in word, the same is a perfect man." It is very often a test of victory in Christian life. Our triumph in this often depends on what we say, or what we do not say. It is said by James of the tongue, "It is set on
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

April 17. "He that Ruleth his Spirit is Better than He that Taketh a City" (Prov. xvi. 32).
"He that ruleth his spirit is better than he that taketh a city" (Prov. xvi. 32). Temperance is true self-government. It involves the grace of self-denial and the spirit of a sound mind. It is that poise of spirit that holds us quiet, self-possessed, recollected, deliberate, and subject ever to the voice of God and the conviction of duty in every step we take. Many persons have not that poise and recollected spirit. They are drifting at the impulse of their own impressions, moods, the influence of
Rev. A. B. Simpson—Days of Heaven Upon Earth

What I Think of Myself and what God Thinks of Me
'All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.'--PROVERBS xvi. 2. 'All the ways of a man'--then there is no such thing as being conscious of having gone wrong, and having got into miry and foul ways? Of course there is; and equally of course a broad statement such as this of my text is not to be pressed into literal accuracy, but is a simple, general assertion of what we all know to be true, that we have a strange power of blinding ourselves as to what is wrong
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

A Bundle of Proverbs
'Understanding is a wellspring of life unto him that hath it: but the instruction of fools is folly. 23. The heart of the wise teacheth his mouth, and addeth learning to his lips. 24. Pleasant words are as an honeycomb, sweet to the soul, and health to the bones. 25. There is a way that seemeth right unto a man, but the end thereof are the ways of death. 26. He that laboureth laboureth for himself; for his mouth craveth it of him. 27. An ungodly man diggeth up evil: and in his lips there is as a
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

Unsound Spiritual Trading
A sermon (No. 849) delivered on Lord's Day morning, January 10th, 1869, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits."----Proverbs 16:2. During the last two years some of the most notable commercial reputations have been hopelessly destroyed. Men in the great world of trade who were trusted for hundreds of thousands of pounds, around whose characters there hovered no cloud of suspicion nor even the
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

Trust in God --True Wisdom
A sermon (No. 392) delivered on Sunday Morning, May 12th, 1861, at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington, by C. H. Spurgeon. "He that handleth a matter wisely shall find good: and whoso trusteth in the Lord, happy is he."--Proverbs 16:20. Wisdom is man's true path--that which enables him to accomplish best the end of his being, and which therefore gives to him the richest enjoyment and the fullest play for all his powers. Wisdom is the compass by which man is to steer across the trackless waste
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

A Wise Desire
I remember once going to a chapel where this happened to be the text, and the good man who occupied the pulpit was more than a little of an Arminian. Therefore, when he commenced, he said, "This passage refers entirely to our temporal inheritance. It has nothing whatever to do with our everlasting destiny: for," said he, "We do not want Christ to choose for us in the matter of heaven or hell. It is so plain and easy that every man who has a grain of common sense will choose heaven; and any person
Charles Haddon Spurgeon—Spurgeon's Sermons Volume 1: 1855

Of Predestination
Eph. i. 11.--"In whom also we have obtained an inheritance, being predestinated according to the purpose of him who worketh all things after the counsel of his own will."--Rom. ix. 22, 23.--"What if God, willing to show his wrath and to make his power known, endured with much long-suffering the vessels of wrath fitted to destruction, and that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy which he had afore prepared unto glory." In the creation of the world, it pleased the Lord,
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Conflict.
"Therefore let us also, seeing we are compassed about with so great a cloud of witnesses, lay aside every weight, and the sin which doth so easily beset us, and let us run with patience the race that is set before us, looking unto Jesus the Author and Perfecter of our faith, who for the joy that was set before Him endured the Cross, despising shame, and hath sat down at the right hand of the throne of God. For consider Him that hath endured such gainsaying of sinners against themselves, that ye
Thomas Charles Edwards—The Expositor's Bible: The Epistle to the Hebrews

Of Self-Surrender
Of Self-Surrender We should now begin to abandon and give up our whole existence unto God, from the strong and positive conviction, that the occurrence of every moment is agreeable to His immediate will and permission, and just such as our state requires. This conviction will make us resigned in all things; and accept of all that happens, not as from the creature, but as from God Himself. But I conjure you, my dearly beloved, who sincerely wish to give up yourselves to God, that after you have made
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Abandonment to God --Its Fruit and Its Irrevocability --In what it Consists --God Exhorts us to It.
It is here that true abandonment and consecration to God should commence, by our being deeply convinced that all which happens to us moment by moment is the will of God, and therefore all that is necessary to us. This conviction will render us contented with everything, and will make us see the commonest events in God, and not in the creature. I beg of you, whoever you may be, who are desirous of giving yourselves to God, not to take yourselves back when once you are given to Him, and to remember
Jeanne Marie Bouvières—A Short Method Of Prayer And Spiritual Torrents

The Providence of God
Q-11: WHAT ARE GOD'S WORKS OF PROVIDENCE? A: God's works of providence are the acts of his most holy, wise, and powerful government of his creatures, and of their actions. Of the work of God's providence Christ says, My Father worketh hitherto and I work.' John 5:17. God has rested from the works of creation, he does not create any new species of things. He rested from all his works;' Gen 2:2; and therefore it must needs be meant of his works of providence: My Father worketh and I work.' His kingdom
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

Epistle xx. To Mauricius Augustus.
To Mauricius Augustus. Gregory to Mauricius, &c. Our most pious and God-appointed lord, among his other august cares and burdens, watches also in the uprightness of spiritual zeal over the preservation of peace among the priesthood, inasmuch as he piously and truly considers that no one can govern earthly things aright unless he knows how to deal with divine things, and that the peace of the republic hangs on the peace of the universal Church. For, most serene Lord, what human power, and what strength
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

The Sovereignty of God in Reprobation
"Behold therefore the goodness and severity of God" (Rom. 11:22). In the last chapter when treating of the Sovereignty of God the Father in Salvation, we examined seven passages which represent Him as making a choice from among the children of men, and predestinating certain ones to be conformed to the image of His Son. The thoughtful reader will naturally ask, And what of those who were not "ordained to eternal life?" The answer which is usually returned to this question, even by those who profess
Arthur W. Pink—The Sovereignty of God

God's Glory the Chief End of Man's Being
Rom. xi. 36.--"Of him and through him, and to him, are all things, to whom be glory for ever." And 1 Cor. x. 31--"Whatsoever ye do, do all to the glory of God." All that men have to know, may be comprised under these two heads,--What their end is, and What is the right way to attain to that end? And all that we have to do, is by any means to seek to compass that end. These are the two cardinal points of a man's knowledge and exercise. Quo et qua eundum est,--Whither to go, and what way to go.
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Reprobation.
In discussing this subject I shall endeavor to show, I. What the true doctrine of reprobation is not. 1. It is not that the ultimate end of God in the creation of any was their damnation. Neither reason nor revelation confirms, but both contradict the assumption, that God has created or can create any being for the purpose of rendering him miserable as an ultimate end. God is love, or he is benevolent, and cannot therefore will the misery of any being as an ultimate end, or for its own sake. It is
Charles Grandison Finney—Systematic Theology

How the Rude in Sacred Learning, and those who are Learned but not Humble, are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 25.) Differently to be admonished are those who do not understand aright the words of the sacred Law, and those who understand them indeed aright, but speak them not humbly. For those who understand not aright the words of sacred Law are to be admonished to consider that they turn for themselves a most wholesome drought of wine into a cup of poison, and with a medicinal knife inflict on themselves a mortal wound, when they destroy in themselves what was sound by that whereby they ought,
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

The Consolation
Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received at the LORD 's hand double for all her sins. T he particulars of the great "mystery of godliness," as enumerated by the Apostle Paul, constitute the grand and inexhaustible theme of the Gospel ministry, "God manifest in the flesh, justified in the Spirit, seen of angels, preached unto the Gentiles, believed on
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

Epistle ii. To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch.
To Anastasius, Bishop of Antioch. Gregory to Anastasius, Patriarch of Antioch. I have received the letters of your most sweet Blessedness, which flowed with tears for words. For I saw in them a cloud flying aloft as clouds do; but, though it carried with it a darkness of sorrow, I could not easily discover at its commencement whence it came or whither it was going, since by reason of the darkness I speak of I did not fully understand its origin. Yet it becomes you, most holy ones, ever to recall
Saint Gregory the Great—the Epistles of Saint Gregory the Great

How the Impatient and the Patient are to be Admonished.
(Admonition 10.) Differently to be admonished are the impatient and the patient. For the impatient are to be told that, while they neglect to bridle their spirit, they are hurried through many steep places of iniquity which they seek not after, inasmuch as fury drives the mind whither desire draws it not, and, when perturbed, it does, not knowing, what it afterwards grieves for when it knows. The impatient are also to be told that, when carried headlong by the impulse of emotion, they act in some
Leo the Great—Writings of Leo the Great

Effects of Messiah's Appearance
The eyes of the blind shall be opened, and the ears of the deaf shall be unstopped: Then shall the lame man leap as an hart, and the tongue of the dumb sing. H ow beautiful and magnificent is the imagery, by which the Prophet, in this chapter, represents the effects of MESSIAH'S appearance! The scene, proposed to our view, is a barren and desolate wilderness. But when He, who in the beginning said, Let there be light, and there was light, condescends to visit this wilderness, the face of nature is
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

A Preliminary Discourse to Catechising
'If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' - Col 1:23. Intending next Lord's day to enter upon the work of catechising, it will not be amiss to give you a preliminary discourse, to show you how needful it is for Christians to be well instructed in the grounds of religion. If ye continue in the faith grounded and settled.' I. It is the duty of Christians to be settled in the doctrine of faith. II. The best way for Christians to be settled is to be well grounded. I. It is the duty of Christians
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

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