◄ Proverbs 29:27 ►
An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.
Study Bible
An unjust man
The Hebrew word for "unjust" is "עָוֶל" (avel), which conveys a sense of moral wrongness, iniquity, or unrighteousness. In the biblical context, an unjust man is one who acts contrary to God's laws and principles. Historically, such individuals were often seen as corrupt or deceitful, engaging in practices that harm others for personal gain. The righteous, who strive to live according to God's commandments, naturally find such behavior detestable because it stands in stark contrast to the values of justice and integrity that they uphold.

is detestable
The Hebrew word "תּוֹעֲבָה" (to'evah) is used here, meaning something that is abominable or loathsome. This term is often used in the Old Testament to describe practices that are abhorrent to God, such as idolatry or moral corruption. The use of this word underscores the strong aversion that the righteous feel towards injustice. It is not merely a mild dislike but a profound moral repulsion, reflecting God's own view of sin and unrighteousness.

to the righteous
The "righteous" are those who live in accordance with God's laws and seek to embody His character. The Hebrew word "צַדִּיק" (tzaddik) refers to individuals who are just, ethical, and upright. In the biblical narrative, the righteous are often portrayed as those who are blessed by God and who serve as examples of faithfulness and integrity. Their detestation of the unjust is rooted in their commitment to uphold God's standards and their desire to see His justice prevail in the world.

and one whose way is upright
The phrase "whose way is upright" refers to a person who lives a life of integrity and moral rectitude. The Hebrew word for "upright" is "יָשָׁר" (yashar), which means straight, level, or right. This imagery suggests a path that is free from deviation or corruption, symbolizing a life that aligns with God's will. In the biblical context, an upright way is one that leads to life and blessing, as opposed to the crooked paths of the wicked that lead to destruction.

is detestable to the wicked
The "wicked," or "רָשָׁע" (rasha) in Hebrew, are those who live in opposition to God's laws, often characterized by their pursuit of evil and rebellion against divine authority. To the wicked, the upright are detestable because their lives serve as a constant reminder of the moral standards they reject. The righteous, by their very existence, challenge the wicked's worldview and expose the futility of their ways. This mutual detestation highlights the fundamental conflict between good and evil, a theme that runs throughout the biblical narrative.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Unjust Man
Represents those who live in opposition to God's laws and principles, often engaging in deceit, corruption, and immorality.

2. The Righteous
Individuals who strive to live according to God's commandments, seeking justice, truth, and moral integrity.

3. The Wicked
Those who reject God's ways and often oppose those who live righteously, finding their uprightness offensive or threatening.

4. The Upright Way
The path of life that aligns with God's will, characterized by honesty, integrity, and moral uprightness.

5. The Detestable Nature
The mutual disdain between the righteous and the wicked, highlighting the spiritual and moral divide between them.
Teaching Points
The Incompatibility of Righteousness and Wickedness
Just as light cannot coexist with darkness, the righteous and the wicked are fundamentally opposed in their values and actions.

The Call to Righteous Living
Believers are encouraged to pursue righteousness, even when it leads to opposition or disdain from the world.

Understanding Spiritual Conflict
Recognize that the disdain from the wicked is often a spiritual battle, reflecting the deeper conflict between God's kingdom and the world.

Maintaining Integrity Amidst Opposition
Uphold your commitment to God's ways, knowing that the approval of God is more important than the acceptance of the world.

The Importance of Community
Surround yourself with fellow believers who can support and encourage you in your walk of faith, especially when facing opposition.
Bible Study Questions
1. How does the mutual detestability between the righteous and the wicked manifest in today's society, and how should Christians respond to it?

2. In what ways can believers maintain their integrity and commitment to righteousness when faced with opposition from the world?

3. How does understanding the spiritual conflict between righteousness and wickedness help us navigate our daily interactions with non-believers?

4. What practical steps can you take to ensure that you are walking in the "upright way" as described in Proverbs 29:27?

5. How can the principles found in Proverbs 29:27 be applied to strengthen the Christian community and support one another in living righteously?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 1
This passage contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked, emphasizing the blessings of following God's law and the ultimate downfall of the wicked.

2 Corinthians 6:14-18
Paul speaks about the incompatibility between righteousness and wickedness, urging believers to separate themselves from unbelievers in terms of values and practices.

1 John 3:12
The account of Cain and Abel illustrates the hatred of the wicked towards the righteous, as Cain's evil deeds led him to murder his righteous brother.
Sermons
How to Hate the WickedW. Clarkson Proverbs 29:27
Prevalence in Alliance with ReligionE. Johnson Proverbs 29:24-27
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Abominable, Abomination, Detest, Detests, Disgusting, Dishonest, Evil, Evil-doers, Perverse, Righteous, Straight, Unjust, Upright, Wicked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 29:27

     5350   injustice, hated by God
     7150   righteous, the
     8275   honesty

Proverbs 29:26-27

     5361   justice, human

Library
An Obscured vision
(Preached at the opening of the Winona Lake Bible Conference.) TEXT: "Where there is no vision, the people perish."--Proverbs 29:18. It is not altogether an easy matter to secure a text for such an occasion as this; not because the texts are so few in number but rather because they are so many, for one has only to turn over the pages of the Bible in the most casual way to find them facing him at every reading. Feeling the need of advice for such a time as this, I asked a number of my friends who …
J. Wilbur Chapman—And Judas Iscariot

Two Ancient Proverbs
A Sermon (No. 3080) Published on Thursday, February 20th, 1908. Delivered by C.H. Spurgeon at the Metropolitan Tabernacle, Newington on Lord's Day evening, March 29th, 1874. "The fear of man bringeth a snare; but whoso puteth his trust in the Lord shall be safe." --Proverbs 29:25. We have two ancient proverbs here; each of them is true as a separate proverb, and they are equally true when linked together. The independent proposition, that the fear of man bringeth a snare, is a truth which experience …
C.H. Spurgeon—Sermons on Proverbs

The Baptismal Covenant Can be Kept Unbroken. Aim and Responsibility of Parents.
We have gone "to the Law and to the Testimony" to find out what the nature and benefits of Baptism are. We have gathered out of the Word all the principal passages bearing on this subject. We have grouped them together, and studied them side by side. We have noticed that their sense is uniform, clear, and strong. Unless we are willing to throw aside all sound principles of interpretation, we can extract from the words of inspiration only one meaning, and that is that the baptized child is, by virtue …
G. H. Gerberding—The Way of Salvation in the Lutheran Church

But Sometimes a Peril to Eternal Salvation Itself is Put Forth against Us...
40. But sometimes a peril to eternal salvation itself is put forth against us; [2466] which peril, they cry out, we by telling a lie, if otherwise it cannot be, must ward off. As, for instance, if a person who is to be baptized be in the power of impious and infidel men, and cannot be got at that he may be washed with the laver of regeneration, but by deceiving his keepers with a lie. From this most invidious cry, by which we are compelled, not for a man's wealth or honors in this world which are …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

Little Sarah Howley.
MISS SARAH HOWLEY, when she was between eight and nine years old, was carried by her friends to hear a sermon, where the minister preached upon Matt. xi, 30, "My yoke is easy, and my burden is light;" in the applying of which scripture the child was mightily awakened, and made deeply sensible of the condition of her soul, and her need of Christ: she wept bitterly to think what a case she was in; went home, retired into a chamber, and upon her knees she wept and cried to the Lord as well as she could, …
John Wesley—Stories of Boys and Girls Who Loved the Saviour

For, Concerning False Witness, which is Set Down in the Ten Commands of The...
36. For, concerning false witness, which is set down in the ten commands of the Law, it can indeed in no wise be contended that love of truth may at heart be preserved, and false witness brought forth to him unto whom the witness is borne. For, when it is said to God only, then it is only in the heart that the truth is to be embraced: but when it is said to man, then must we with the mouth also of the body bring forth truth, because man is not an inspector of the heart. But then, touching the witness …
St. Augustine—On Lying

Palm Sunday
Text: Philippians 2, 5-11. 5 Have this mind in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: 6 who, existing in the form of God, counted not the being on an equality with God a thing to be grasped, 7 but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant, being made in the likeness of men; 8 and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross. 9 Wherefore also God highly exalted him, and gave unto him the name which is above every name; 10 that …
Martin Luther—Epistle Sermons, Vol. II

It Remains Then that we Understand as Concerning those Women...
33. It remains then that we understand as concerning those women, whether in Egypt or in Jericho, that for their humanity and mercy they received a reward, in any wise temporal, which indeed itself, while they wist not of it, should by prophetical signification prefigure somewhat eternal. But whether it be ever right, even for the saving of a man's life, to tell a lie, as it is a question in resolving which even the most learned do weary themselves, it did vastly surpass the capacity of those poor …
St. Augustine—Against Lying

What are Evidences of Backsliding in Heart.
1. Manifest formality in religious exercises. A stereotyped, formal way of saying and doing things, that is clearly the result of habit, rather than the outgushing of the religious life. This formality will be emotionless and cold as an iceberg, and will evince a total want of earnestness in the performance of religious duty. In prayer and in religious exercises the backslider in heart will pray or praise, or confess, or give thanks with his lips, so that all can hear him, perhaps, but in such a …
Charles G. Finney—The Backslider in Heart

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

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

Humility is the Root of Charity, and Meekness the Fruit of Both. ...
Humility is the root of charity, and meekness the fruit of both. There is no solid and pure ground of love to others, except the rubbish of self-love be first cast out of the soul; and when that superfluity of naughtiness is cast out, then charity hath a solid and deep foundation: "The end of the command is charity out of a pure heart," 1 Tim. i. 5. It is only such a purified heart, cleansed from that poison and contagion of pride and self-estimation, that can send out such a sweet and wholesome …
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

How to Make Use of Christ as the Truth, when Error Prevaileth, and the Spirit of Error Carrieth Many Away.
There is a time when the spirit of error is going abroad, and truth is questioned, and many are led away with delusions. For Satan can change himself into an angel of light, and make many great and fairlike pretensions to holiness, and under that pretext usher in untruths, and gain the consent of many unto them; so that in such a time of temptation many are stolen off their feet, and made to depart from the right ways of God, and to embrace error and delusions instead of truth. Now the question is, …
John Brown (of Wamphray)—Christ The Way, The Truth, and The Life

Characters and Names of Messiah
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given: and the government shall be upon his shoulder: and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace. S uch was the triumphant exultation of the Old Testament Church! Their noblest hopes were founded upon the promise of MESSIAH; their most sublime songs were derived from the prospect of His Advent. By faith, which is the substance of things hoped for, they considered the gracious declarations …
John Newton—Messiah Vol. 1

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

Links
Proverbs 29:27 NIV
Proverbs 29:27 NLT
Proverbs 29:27 ESV
Proverbs 29:27 NASB
Proverbs 29:27 KJV

Proverbs 29:27 Commentaries

Bible Hub
Proverbs 29:26
Top of Page
Top of Page