Proverbs 2:21
New International Version
For the upright will live in the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

New Living Translation
For only the godly will live in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it.

English Standard Version
For the upright will inhabit the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,

Berean Standard Bible
For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

King James Bible
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

New King James Version
For the upright will dwell in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;

New American Standard Bible
For the upright will live in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;

NASB 1995
For the upright will live in the land And the blameless will remain in it;

NASB 1977
For the upright will live in the land, And the blameless will remain in it;

Legacy Standard Bible
For the upright will dwell in the land And the blameless will remain in it;

Amplified Bible
For the upright [those who are in right standing with God] will live in the land And those [of integrity] who are blameless [in God’s sight] will remain in it;

Christian Standard Bible
For the upright will inhabit the land, and those of integrity will remain in it;

Holman Christian Standard Bible
For the upright will inhabit the land, and those of integrity will remain in it;

American Standard Version
For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the perfect shall remain in it.

Contemporary English Version
If you are honest and innocent, you will keep your land;

English Revised Version
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

GOD'S WORD® Translation
Decent people will live in the land. People of integrity will remain in it.

Good News Translation
Righteous people--people of integrity--will live in this land of ours.

International Standard Version
For the upright will live in the land, and people of integrity will remain in it.

Majority Standard Bible
For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it;

NET Bible
For the upright will reside in the land, and those with integrity will remain in it,

New Heart English Bible
For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.

Webster's Bible Translation
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

World English Bible
For the upright will dwell in the land. The perfect will remain in it.
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
For the upright inhabit the earth, "" And the perfect are left in it,

Young's Literal Translation
For the upright do inhabit the earth, And the perfect are left in it,

Smith's Literal Translation
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the blameless shall remain in it.
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
For they that are upright shall dwell in the earth, and the simple shall continue in it.

Catholic Public Domain Version
For those who are upright shall live upon the earth, and the simple shall continue upon it.

New American Bible
For the upright will dwell in the land, people of integrity will remain in it;

New Revised Standard Version
For the upright will abide in the land, and the innocent will remain in it;
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
For the upright shall dwell in the land, and those who are unblemished shall remain in it.

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
Because the upright dwell in the land and those without blemish are spared in it
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
For the upright shall dwell in the land, And the whole-hearted shall remain in it.

Brenton Septuagint Translation
For the upright shall dwell in the earth, and the holy shall be left behind in it.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Benefits of Wisdom
20So you will follow in the ways of the good, and keep to the paths of the righteous. 21For the upright will inhabit the land, and the blameless will remain in it; 22but the wicked will be cut off from the land, and the unfaithful will be uprooted.…

Cross References
Matthew 5:5
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the earth.

Psalm 37:9
For the evildoers will be cut off, but those who hope in the LORD will inherit the land.

Psalm 37:29
The righteous will inherit the land and dwell in it forever.

Matthew 5:10
Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

Psalm 37:11
But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

Psalm 37:22
Surely those He blesses will inherit the land, but the cursed will be destroyed.

Psalm 37:34
Wait for the LORD and keep His way, and He will raise you up to inherit the land. When the wicked are cut off, you will see it.

Isaiah 57:13
When you cry out, let your companies of idols deliver you! Yet the wind will carry off all of them, a breath will take them away. But he who seeks refuge in Me will inherit the land and possess My holy mountain.”

Matthew 13:43
Then the righteous will shine like the sun in the kingdom of their Father. He who has ears, let him hear.

Psalm 112:6
Surely he will never be shaken; the righteous man will be remembered forever.

Psalm 125:1
A song of ascents. Those who trust in the LORD are like Mount Zion. It cannot be moved; it abides forever.

Isaiah 60:21
Then all your people will be righteous; they will possess the land forever; they are the branch of My planting, the work of My hands, so that I may be glorified.

1 Peter 1:4-5
and into an inheritance that is imperishable, undefiled, and unfading, reserved in heaven for you, / who through faith are shielded by God’s power for the salvation that is ready to be revealed in the last time.

2 Peter 3:13
But in keeping with God’s promise, we are looking forward to a new heaven and a new earth, where righteousness dwells.

Revelation 21:7
The one who overcomes will inherit all things, and I will be his God, and he will be My son.


Treasury of Scripture

For the upright shall dwell in the land, and the perfect shall remain in it.

Job 1:1
There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God, and eschewed evil.

Job 42:12
So the LORD blessed the latter end of Job more than his beginning: for he had fourteen thousand sheep, and six thousand camels, and a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she asses.

Psalm 37:3,9,11,22,29
Trust in the LORD, and do good; so shalt thou dwell in the land, and verily thou shalt be fed…

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Proverbs 2
1. wisdom promises godliness to her children
10. and safety from evil company
20. and direction in good ways














For the upright
The term "upright" in Hebrew is "יָשָׁר" (yashar), which conveys a sense of being straight, level, or right. In the biblical context, it refers to those who live in accordance with God's laws and principles. The upright are those who align their lives with divine wisdom and righteousness. Historically, the concept of uprightness is deeply rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people, where obedience and moral integrity are paramount. The upright are promised blessings and stability, reflecting God's favor upon those who walk in His ways.

will inhabit the land
The phrase "will inhabit the land" is significant in the Hebrew Bible, often symbolizing God's promise of security, prosperity, and peace. The land, in this context, is not just a physical territory but represents a place of divine blessing and fulfillment of God's promises. For the Israelites, the land was a tangible sign of God's covenant with Abraham and his descendants. To inhabit the land implies a settled, enduring presence, suggesting that those who are upright will enjoy God's provision and protection in a stable and lasting manner.

and the blameless
The word "blameless" is translated from the Hebrew "תָּמִים" (tamim), meaning complete, whole, or without defect. In a spiritual sense, it refers to those who live with integrity and sincerity, whose lives are marked by a wholehearted devotion to God. The blameless are not sinless but are characterized by a consistent pursuit of righteousness and a desire to live in harmony with God's will. This term underscores the importance of inner purity and moral wholeness in the life of a believer.

will remain in it
The phrase "will remain in it" suggests permanence and stability. In the biblical narrative, remaining in the land is contingent upon faithfulness to God's commandments. It implies a continued blessing and presence in the place of God's provision. Historically, the Israelites' tenure in the Promised Land was directly linked to their obedience to God. For the blameless, remaining in the land signifies a life that is secure and anchored in God's promises, reflecting a steadfast relationship with the Creator. This assurance of permanence is a powerful reminder of the enduring nature of God's covenant with those who are faithful.

(21) The upright shall dwell in the land--i.e., of Canaan, according to the old promise made to Abraham, renewed in the fifth commandment, and constantly repeated in the prophets.

Verse 21. - For the upright shall dwell in the land. Much the same language is met with in Psalm 37:29, "The righteous shall inherit the land, and dwell therein forever." It is the secure and peaceful dwelling in the land which is intended (cf. Proverbs 10:30). To dwell in the land was always put forward as the reward of obedience to God's commandments (see Exodus 20:12; Leviticus 25:18; Leviticus 26:5), and the phrase conveyed to the Hebrew mind the idea of one of the greatest, if not the greatest, of all temporal blessings. The love of country was a predominant characteristic of the race. Elster, quoted by Zockler, remarks, "The Israelite was beyond the power of natural feeling, which makes home dear to every one, more closely bound to the ancestral soil by the whole form of the theocracy; torn kern it, he was in the inmost roots of life strained and broken. Especially from psalms belonging to the period of the exile this patriotic feeling is breathed out in the fullest glow and intensity." The land (אָרֶצ arets) was the promised land, the land of Canaan. The word is not used here in the wider sense in which it occurs in Matthew 5:5, "Blessed are the meek: for they shall inherit the earth." And the perfect shall remain in it; i.e. they shall not, as Rabbi Levi remarks, be driven thence nor caused to migrate. The perfect (תְמִימִים th'mimim), the holy (LXX., ὅσιοι), the spotless (immaeulati, Targum), those without a staid (qui sine labe, Syriae), the guileless (simplices, Vulgate). Shall remain; יִוָּתְרוּ (yivrath'ru), niph. future of יָתַר (yathar), properly "to be redundant," and in the niph. form, "to be left," or "to remain." LXX., ὑπολειφθήσαντι "shall remain;" permanebunt, Vulgate.

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
For
כִּֽי־ (kî-)
Conjunction
Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction

the upright
יְשָׁרִ֥ים (yə·šā·rîm)
Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 3477: Straight, right

will inhabit
יִשְׁכְּנוּ‪‬‪‬ (yiš·kə·nū-)
Verb - Qal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 7931: To settle down, abide, dwell

the land,
אָ֑רֶץ (’ā·reṣ)
Noun - feminine singular
Strong's 776: Earth, land

and the blameless
וּ֝תְמִימִ֗ים (ū·ṯə·mî·mîm)
Conjunctive waw | Adjective - masculine plural
Strong's 8549: Entire, integrity, truth

will remain in it;
יִוָּ֥תְרוּ (yiw·wā·ṯə·rū)
Verb - Nifal - Imperfect - third person masculine plural
Strong's 3498: To jut over, exceed, to excel, to remain, be left, to leave, cause to abound, preserve


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 2:21 For the upright will dwell (Prov. Pro Pr)
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