Bible Strands
Proverbs 21:4
Haughty eyes and a proud heart—the guides of the wicked—are sin.
Berean Standard Bible
Follow its threads on the canvas →
Study note
Setting — The verse operates as a proverbial declaration situated between teachings on justice and diligence, addressing a general reader with a direct moral diagnosis.
The words — רְחַב לֵב (re.chav lev) literally means broad or proud heart, and נִר (nir) translates to lamp or guide. The syntax identifies these internal postures as the directing forces behind external wickedness.
The thread — The warning against arrogant eyes and pride recurs in Proverbs 6:17 and Proverbs 8:13, while the corrective posture of humility is commanded in 1 Peter 5:5.
Why it lands — It demands the reader examine whether internal pride, not just external action, dictates their choices. The text requires replacing arrogant self-direction with deliberate submission to righteous standards.
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.
The Hebrew words
King James Version
An high look, and a proud heart, and the plowing of the wicked, is sin.
Cross-references
- Proverbs 6:17 haughty eyes, a lying tongue, hands that shed innocent blood,
- 1 Peter 5:5 Young men, in the same way, submit yourselves to your elders. And all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, because, “God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble.”
- Proverbs 8:13 To fear the LORD is to hate evil; I hate arrogant pride, evil conduct, and perverse speech.
- Isaiah 2:17 So the pride of man will be brought low, and the loftiness of men will be humbled; the LORD alone will be exalted in that day,
- Luke 18:14 I tell you, this man, rather than the Pharisee, went home justified. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but the one who humbles himself will be exalted.”
- Proverbs 15:8 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.
- Proverbs 21:27 The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable—how much more so when brought with ill intent!
- Psalms 10:4 In his pride the wicked man does not seek Him; in all his schemes there is no God.
- Isaiah 3:16 The LORD also says: “Because the daughters of Zion are haughty—walking with heads held high and wanton eyes, prancing and skipping as they go, jingling the bracelets on their ankles—
- Romans 14:23 But the one who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that is not from faith is sin.