Proverbs 11:27

Study note

Setting — The text is a wisdom instruction addressed to the reader, positioned within a collection of moral directives between teachings on grain distribution and warnings against financial self-reliance.

The words — The Hebrew term שֹׁ֣חֵֽר (Sho.cher) denotes one who seeks diligently, paired with דֹרֵ֖שׁ (do.Resh), which means one who seeks carefully. Both verbs frame the deliberate pursuit of either טוֹב (Tov, good) or רָעָ֣ה (ra.'Ah, evil).

The thread — The pattern of deliberate pursuit meeting its corresponding outcome appears in Psalms 7:15, Proverbs 17:11, and Esther 7:10. These passages demonstrate that intentional action toward rebellion or harm ultimately brings the sought consequence back upon the actor.

Why it lands — The text states that diligent pursuit yields a matching result: seeking good secures favor, while pursuing evil guarantees its arrival. It demands the reader examine the object of their active pursuit and recognize that intentional seeking dictates the inevitable outcome.

Drafted by a language model from the text, its original words and its cross-references, then checked against them. It can still be wrong: open the verse in the app to report it.