Proverbs 2:15 Study Bible: who are crooked in their ways, and wayward in their paths:

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whose paths are crooked and whose ways are devious.

whose paths are crooked
The imagery of "crooked paths" is often used in Scripture to describe a life that deviates from God's righteous standards. In biblical times, a straight path symbolized a life of integrity and obedience to God's laws, while a crooked path indicated moral corruption and deceit. This metaphor is consistent with the wisdom literature's emphasis on the importance of following God's commandments (Proverbs 3:5-6). The concept of crooked paths can also be seen in Isaiah 59:8, where the prophet laments the lack of justice and righteousness among the people. The crooked path is a warning against the dangers of straying from God's truth, leading to spiritual and moral ruin.

and whose ways are devious
The term "devious" suggests a deliberate and cunning departure from honesty and truth. In the cultural context of ancient Israel, where community and covenant relationships were paramount, deviousness was particularly destructive. It undermined trust and harmony within the community. The Bible frequently contrasts the devious with the upright, as seen in Proverbs 11:3, which states that the integrity of the upright guides them, but the unfaithful are destroyed by their duplicity. This phrase also echoes the broader biblical theme of the two ways: the way of life and the way of death (Deuteronomy 30:19). The devious way is aligned with the path of sin and separation from God, ultimately leading to judgment. In the New Testament, Jesus Christ is presented as the way, the truth, and the life (John 14:6), offering a path of redemption and righteousness in contrast to the devious ways of the world.

Persons / Places / Events

1. Solomon
The author of Proverbs, known for his wisdom, who imparts guidance on living a righteous life.

2. The Wicked
Those who choose paths contrary to God's wisdom, characterized by crooked and devious ways.

3. The Path
A metaphor for the course of one's life, representing choices and actions.

4. Wisdom
Personified throughout Proverbs as a guiding force leading to righteousness and away from wickedness.

5. The Righteous
Those who seek and follow God's wisdom, contrasting with the wicked.

Teaching Points

Understanding Crooked Paths
Recognize that "crooked" (Hebrew: 'iqqeshim) refers to moral deviation and dishonesty. Reflect on areas in life where integrity may be compromised.

Avoiding Devious Ways
"Devious" (Hebrew: luz) implies being twisted or perverse. Consider how subtle deviations from truth can lead to significant moral decline.

The Importance of Discernment
Develop discernment through prayer and study of Scripture to identify and avoid the paths of the wicked.

Seeking Godly Wisdom
Pursue wisdom as a safeguard against the allure of crooked paths, understanding that true wisdom comes from a relationship with God.

Walking in Righteousness
Commit to walking in the ways of righteousness, knowing that this leads to life and peace, as opposed to the destruction that follows the wicked.

Bible Study Questions

1. What are some modern examples of "crooked" paths that we might encounter in daily life?

2. How can we cultivate discernment to recognize and avoid devious ways?

3. In what ways does the pursuit of godly wisdom protect us from moral deviation?

4. How do the teachings of Jesus in the New Testament reinforce the warnings found in Proverbs about the paths of the wicked?

5. Reflect on a time when you chose a righteous path over a crooked one. What were the outcomes, and how did it impact your faith journey?

Connections to Other Scriptures

Proverbs 4:14-15
Warns against entering the path of the wicked, emphasizing the need to avoid their ways.

Isaiah 59:8
Describes the way of peace as unknown to the wicked, highlighting the consequences of crooked paths.

Matthew 7:13-14
Jesus speaks of the narrow and wide gates, paralleling the choice between righteous and wicked paths.

Psalm 1:1-6
Contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked, similar to the themes in Proverbs.

Jeremiah 6:16
Encourages seeking the ancient paths, which are good and lead to rest for the soul.

Sermons

The Course of Sin and the Strength of Righteousness	W. Clarkson	Proverbs 2:10-15
The Profit of Religious Knowledge	E. Johnson	Proverbs 2:10-22

People

Solomon

Places

Jerusalem

Topics

Course, Crooked, Devious, Evil, Footsteps, Froward, Paths, Perverse, Perverted, Straight, Wayward, Yea

Dictionary of Bible Themes

Proverbs 2:12-15

4811 darkness, symbol of sin
5550 speech, negative

Library

The Beginning and End of Wisdom
PROVERBS ii. 2, 3, 5. If thou incline thine ear to wisdom, and apply thine heart to understanding; yea, if thou criest after wisdom, and liftest up thy voice for understanding; then shalt thou understand the fear of the Lord, and find the knowledge of God. We shall see something curious in the last of these verses, when we compare it with one in the chapter before. The chapter before says, that the fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom. That if we wish to be wise at all, we must BEGIN by …
Charles Kingsley—The Good News of God

The Red Lamp.
Travelling by express train the other day, we found that we were stopped a long distance from the station where we were timed to stop, and looking out of the window, saw a red light ahead. That accounted for it, we knew there was something in the way. The driver knew what he was about, and though anxious to go on, did not move until the red light was changed to white. Some of those who read this paper are living in sin. To such, the Bible speaks out in plain terms, and, like the Red Light, would …
Thomas Champness—Broken Bread

Notes on the Fourth Century
Page 238. Med. 1. In the wording of this meditation, and of several other passages in the Fourth Century, it seems as though Traherne is speaking not of himself, but of, a friend and teacher of his. He did this, no doubt, in order that he might not lay himself open to the charge of over-egotism. Yet that he is throughout relating his own experiences is proved by the fact that this Meditation, as first written, contains passages which the author afterwards marked for omission. In its original form …
Thomas Traherne—Centuries of Meditations

Letter xxiv (Circa A. D. 1126) to Oger, Regular Canon
To Oger, Regular Canon [34] Bernard blames him for his resignation of his pastoral charge, although made from the love of a calm and pious life. None the less, he instructs him how, after becoming a private person, he ought to live in community. To Brother Oger, the Canon, Brother Bernard, monk but sinner, wishes that he may walk worthily of God even to the end, and embraces him with the fullest affection. 1. If I seem to have been too slow in replying to your letter, ascribe it to my not having …
Saint Bernard of Clairvaux—Some Letters of Saint Bernard, Abbot of Clairvaux

Truth Hidden when not Sought After.
"They shall turn away their ears from the truth, and shall be turned unto fables."--2 Tim. iv. 4. From these words of the blessed Apostle, written shortly before he suffered martyrdom, we learn, that there is such a thing as religious truth, and therefore there is such a thing as religious error. We learn that religious truth is one--and therefore that all views of religion but one are wrong. And we learn, moreover, that so it was to be (for his words are a prophecy) that professed Christians, …
John Henry Newman—Parochial and Plain Sermons, Vol. VIII

Sundry Sharp Reproofs
This doctrine draws up a charge against several sorts: 1 Those that think themselves good Christians, yet have not learned this art of holy mourning. Luther calls mourning a rare herb'. Men have tears to shed for other things, but have none to spare for their sins. There are many murmurers, but few mourners. Most are like the stony ground which lacked moisture' (Luke 8:6). We have many cry out of hard times, but they are not sensible of hard hearts. Hot and dry is the worst temper of the body. Sure …
Thomas Watson—The Beatitudes: An Exposition of Matthew 5:1-12

Sunday Before Lent
Text: First Corinthians 13. 1 If I speak with the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am become sounding brass, or a clanging cymbal. 2 And if I have the gift of prophecy, and know all mysteries and all knowledge; and if I have all faith, so as to remove mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. 3 And if I bestow all my goods to feed the poor, and if I give my body to be burned, but have not love, it profiteth me nothing. 4 Love suffereth long, and is kind; love envieth not; love …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

The Knowledge of God
'The Lord is a God of knowledge, and by him actions are weighed.' I Sam 2:2. Glorious things are spoken of God; he transcends our thoughts, and the praises of angels. God's glory lies chiefly in his attributes, which are the several beams by which the divine nature shines forth. Among other of his orient excellencies, this is not the least, The Lord is a God of knowledge; or as the Hebrew word is, A God of knowledges.' Through the bright mirror of his own essence, he has a full idea and cognisance …
Thomas Watson—A Body of Divinity

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God and his Righteousness," &C.
Matt. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God and his righteousness," &c. This is a part of Christ's long sermon. He is dissuading his disciples and the people from carnal carefulness and worldly mindedness. The sermon holds out the Christian's diverse aspects towards spiritual and external things. What is the Christian's disposition in regard to the world, how should he look upon food, raiment, and all things necessary in this life? "Be careful for nothing." "Take no thought for your life, …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

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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