Verse (Click for Chapter) New International Version For your ways are in full view of the LORD, and he examines all your paths. New Living Translation For the LORD sees clearly what a man does, examining every path he takes. English Standard Version For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his paths. Berean Standard Bible For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths. King James Bible For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. New King James Version For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. New American Standard Bible For the ways of everyone are before the eyes of the LORD, And He observes all his paths. NASB 1995 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. NASB 1977 For the ways of a man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He watches all his paths. Legacy Standard Bible For the ways of a man are before the eyes of Yahweh, And He watches all his tracks. Amplified Bible For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the LORD, And He carefully watches all of his paths [all of his comings and goings]. Christian Standard Bible For a man’s ways are before the LORD’s eyes, and he considers all his paths. Holman Christian Standard Bible For a man’s ways are before the LORD’s eyes, and He considers all his paths. American Standard Version For the ways of man are before the eyes of Jehovah; And he maketh level all his paths. Contemporary English Version The LORD sees everything, and he watches us closely. English Revised Version For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he maketh level all his paths. GOD'S WORD® Translation Each person's ways are clearly seen by the LORD, and he surveys all his actions. Good News Translation The LORD sees everything you do. Wherever you go, he is watching. International Standard Version Indeed, what a man does is always in the LORD's presence, and he weighs all his paths. Majority Standard Bible For a man?s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths. NET Bible For the ways of a person are in front of the LORD's eyes, and the LORD weighs all that person's paths. New Heart English Bible For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD. He examines all his paths. Webster's Bible Translation For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he pondereth all his goings. World English Bible For the ways of man are before Yahweh’s eyes. He examines all his paths. Literal Translations Literal Standard VersionFor the ways of each are before the eyes of YHWH, "" And He is pondering all his paths. Young's Literal Translation For over-against the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of each, And all his paths He is pondering. Smith's Literal Translation For before the eyes of Jehovah are the ways of man, and he makes level all his tracks. Catholic Translations Douay-Rheims BibleThe Lord beholdeth the ways of man, and considereth all his steps. Catholic Public Domain Version The Lord beholds the ways of man, and he considers all his steps. New American Bible Indeed, the ways of each person are plain to the LORD’s sight; all their paths he surveys; New Revised Standard Version For human ways are under the eyes of the LORD, and he examines all their paths. Translations from Aramaic Lamsa BibleFor the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and all his paths lie open in his presence. Peshitta Holy Bible Translated Because the ways of a man are in front of LORD JEHOVAH and all his paths are open before him. OT Translations JPS Tanakh 1917For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He maketh even all his paths. Brenton Septuagint Translation For the ways of a man are before the eyes of God, and he looks on all his paths. Additional Translations ... Audio Bible Context Avoiding Immorality…20Why be captivated, my son, by an adulteress, or embrace the bosom of a stranger? 21For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD, and the LORD examines all his paths. 22The iniquities of a wicked man entrap him; the cords of his sin entangle him.… Cross References Hebrews 4:13 Nothing in all creation is hidden from God’s sight; everything is uncovered and exposed before the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. Psalm 139:1-4 For the choirmaster. A Psalm of David. O LORD, You have searched me and known me. / You know when I sit and when I rise; You understand my thoughts from afar. / You search out my path and my lying down; You are aware of all my ways. ... Jeremiah 16:17 For My eyes are on all their ways. They are not hidden from My face, and their guilt is not concealed from My eyes. Job 34:21 For His eyes are on the ways of a man, and He sees his every step. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD roam to and fro over all the earth, to show Himself strong on behalf of those whose hearts are fully devoted to Him. You have acted foolishly in this matter. From now on, therefore, you will be at war.” Psalm 33:13-15 The LORD looks down from heaven; He sees all the sons of men. / From His dwelling place He gazes on all who inhabit the earth. / He shapes the hearts of each; He considers all their works. Jeremiah 23:24 “Can a man hide in secret places where I cannot see him?” declares the LORD. “Do I not fill the heavens and the earth?” declares the LORD. Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, observing the evil and the good. Matthew 10:30 And even the very hairs of your head are all numbered. Psalm 11:4 The LORD is in His holy temple; the LORD is on His heavenly throne. His eyes are watching closely; they examine the sons of men. 1 Samuel 16:7 But the LORD said to Samuel, “Do not consider his appearance or height, for I have rejected him; the LORD does not see as man does. For man sees the outward appearance, but the LORD sees the heart.” Luke 12:2-3 There is nothing concealed that will not be disclosed, and nothing hidden that will not be made known. / What you have spoken in the dark will be heard in the daylight, and what you have whispered in the inner rooms will be proclaimed from the housetops. Romans 2:16 on the day when God will judge men’s secrets through Christ Jesus, as proclaimed by my gospel. Ecclesiastes 12:14 For God will bring every deed into judgment, along with every hidden thing, whether good or evil. 1 Corinthians 4:5 Therefore judge nothing before the appointed time; wait until the Lord comes. He will bring to light what is hidden in darkness and will expose the motives of men’s hearts. At that time each will receive his praise from God. Treasury of Scripture For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, and he ponders all his goings. Proverbs 15:3 The eyes of the LORD are in every place, beholding the evil and the good. 2 Chronicles 16:9 For the eyes of the LORD run to and fro throughout the whole earth, to shew himself strong in the behalf of them whose heart is perfect toward him. Herein thou hast done foolishly: therefore from henceforth thou shalt have wars. Job 31:4 Doth not he see my ways, and count all my steps? Jump to Previous Examines Eyes Full Goings Level Maketh Over-Against Paths Pondereth Pondering Puts Scales View Watches WaysJump to Next Examines Eyes Full Goings Level Maketh Over-Against Paths Pondereth Pondering Puts Scales View Watches WaysProverbs 5 1. Solomon exhorts to wisdom3. He shows the mischief of unfaithfulness and riot 15. He exhorts to contentedness, generosity, and chastity 22. The wicked are overtaken with their own sins For a man’s ways are before the eyes of the LORD This phrase emphasizes the omniscience of God, a theme prevalent throughout the Bible. The idea that God sees all human actions is echoed in passages like Psalm 139:1-4, where David acknowledges that God knows every movement and thought. In the ancient Near Eastern context, this understanding of a deity's omnipresence was unique to the Israelites, contrasting with the localized gods of surrounding cultures. The phrase also serves as a moral reminder that nothing is hidden from God, encouraging believers to live righteously. This aligns with the wisdom literature's focus on living a life that honors God, as seen in Ecclesiastes 12:14, which states that God will bring every deed into judgment. and the LORD examines all his paths Persons / Places / Events 1. The LORD (Yahweh)The covenant name of God, emphasizing His eternal presence and omniscience. In this verse, the LORD is portrayed as the all-seeing and all-knowing God who observes human actions. 2. A Man Represents humanity in general. The verse speaks to every individual, highlighting personal accountability before God. 3. Paths/Ways Symbolic of the choices and actions a person takes in life. The verse underscores that these are under divine scrutiny. Teaching Points God's OmniscienceRecognize that God sees and knows everything about our lives. This awareness should lead us to live with integrity and accountability. Personal Accountability Understand that our actions are not hidden from God. This should encourage us to make choices that honor Him. The Importance of Righteous Living Since God examines all our paths, we should strive to walk in righteousness and avoid paths that lead to sin. Encouragement in God's Watchfulness God's constant watch over us is not only for judgment but also for guidance and protection. Trust in His oversight as a source of comfort. Reflecting on Our Paths Regularly evaluate the paths you are taking in life. Are they aligned with God's will and purpose for you?(21) For the ways of man . . .--Another reason for avoiding sin is the certainty of detection by the Judge, whose "eyes run to and fro through the whole earth" (2Chronicles 16:9), comp. Psalm 11:4.Verse 21. - For the ways of man are before the eyes of the Lord. The obvious meaning here is that as "the eyes of the Lord are in every place, beholding the evil and the good" (Proverbs 15:3), there is no possibility of any act of immorality escaping God's notice. The consciousness of this fact is to be the restraining motive, inasmuch as he who sees will also punish every transgression. The great truth acknowledged here is the omniscience of God, a truth which is borne witness to in almost identical language in Job: "For his eyes are upon the ways of man, and he seeth all his goings" (Job 34:21; cf. 24:23 and Job 31:4). So Hanani the seer says to Asa King of Judah, "For the eyes of the Lord run to and fro throughout the whole earth" (2 Chronicles 16:9); and Jehovah says, in Jeremiah, "For mine eyes are upon all their ways, they are not hid from my face, neither is their iniquity hid from mine eyes" (Jeremiah 16:17; cf. 32:29); and again, in Hosea, "They are before my face" (Hosea 7:2), and the same truth is re-echoed in the Epistle to the Hebrews, in all probability gathered from our passage, "All things are naked and opened unto the eyes of him with whom we have to do" (Hebrews 4:13). The ways of man; i.e. the conduct of any individual man or woman; ish, "man," being used generically. Are before the eyes of the Lord; i.e. are an object on which Jehovah fixes his gaze and scrutiny. And he pondereth all his goings. The word "he pondereth" is in the original m'phalles, the piel participle of philles, piel of the unused kal, palas, and appears to be properly rendered in the Authorized Version. This verb, however, has various meanings: (1) to make level, or prepare, as in Proverbs 4:26 and Proverbs 5:6; (2) to weigh, or consider accurately, in which sense it is used here. So Gesenius, Lee, Buxtorf, and Davidson. Jehovah not only sees, but weighs all that a man does, wheresoever he be, and will apportion rewards and punishments according to a man's actions (Patrick). The German commentators, Delitzsch and Zockler, however, look upon the word as indicating the overruling providence of God, just as the former part of the verse refers to his omniscience, and render, "he marketh out," in the sense that the Lord makes it possible for a man to walk in the way of uprightness and purity. There is nothing inherently objectionable in this view, since experience shows that the world is regulated by the Divine government, but it loses sight to some extent of the truth upon which the teacher appears to be insisting, which is that evil actions are visited with Divine retribution. Hebrew Forכִּ֤י (kî) Conjunction Strong's 3588: A relative conjunction a man’s אִ֑ישׁ (’îš) Noun - masculine singular Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person ways דַּרְכֵי־ (dar·ḵê-) Noun - common plural construct Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action are before נֹ֨כַח ׀ (nō·ḵaḥ) Preposition Strong's 5227: The front part, opposite, in front of, forward, in behalf of the eyes עֵינֵ֣י (‘ê·nê) Noun - cdc Strong's 5869: An eye, a fountain of the LORD, יְ֭הוָה (Yah·weh) Noun - proper - masculine singular Strong's 3069: YHWH and [the Lord] watches מְפַלֵּֽס׃ (mə·p̄al·lês) Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular Strong's 6424: To roll flat, prepare, to revolve, weigh all וְֽכָל־ (wə·ḵāl) Conjunctive waw | Noun - masculine singular construct Strong's 3605: The whole, all, any, every his paths. מַעְגְּלֹתָ֥יו (ma‘·gə·lō·ṯāw) Noun - feminine plural construct | third person masculine singular Strong's 4570: An entrenchment, track Links Proverbs 5:21 NIVProverbs 5:21 NLT Proverbs 5:21 ESV Proverbs 5:21 NASB Proverbs 5:21 KJV Proverbs 5:21 BibleApps.com Proverbs 5:21 Biblia Paralela Proverbs 5:21 Chinese Bible Proverbs 5:21 French Bible Proverbs 5:21 Catholic Bible OT Poetry: Proverbs 5:21 For the ways of man are before (Prov. 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