21:12
In this proverb, the first line describes the careful evaluation of a wicked person’s household. The second line describes the resulting punishment.
12a The Righteous One considers the house of the wicked
12b and brings the wicked to ruin.
21:12a
The Righteous One: There are two ways to interpret the Hebrew word that the Berean Standard Bible translates as The Righteous One :
(1) It refers to the LORD, who is righteous. For example:
God, the righteous one (Good News Translation)
(2) It refers to a person who is righteous. For example:
A righteous person (God’s Word)
It is recommended that you follow interpretation (1), along with most versions and scholars. The Righteous One does not occur elsewhere in Proverbs as a title for the LORD. However, his role in judging the wicked is mentioned in a number of verses. No verses say that righteous people observe the households of the wicked in order to bring them to ruin.
Righteous: In the context of judging the wicked, the word Righteous indicates that the LORD always acts in a way that is right and just.
In some languages, it may be necessary to translate the phrase “The Righteous One” as a separate sentence. For example:
The Lord always does what is right.
-or-
God is always fair! (Contemporary English Version)
considers the house of the wicked: In Hebrew, this phrase indicates that the LORD carefully observes, watches, or evaluates the household of a wicked person. The phrase probably refers to the household or family as a whole, including the wicked person. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
knows what is going on in the homes of the wicked (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
carefully observes the actions of a wicked family
-or-
He knows what the wicked do (Contemporary English Version)
21:12b
and brings the wicked to ruin: In Hebrew, this phrase is literally “and twists/overturns wicked (people) to calamity/distress.” In this context, it implies that the LORD changes the direction of wicked people’s lives so that they experience disaster instead of prosperity. Some other ways to translate this phrase are:
he will bring disaster on them (New Living Translation (2004))
-or-
and will punish them (Contemporary English Version)
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