Proverbs 12:2
The good man obtains favor from the LORD, but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil.
The good man obtains favor from the LORD
This phrase highlights the biblical principle that righteousness and moral integrity are rewarded by God. The "good man" refers to someone who lives according to God's commandments and seeks to align their life with His will. In the Old Testament, figures like Noah (Genesis 6:8) and Joseph (Genesis 39:4) exemplify individuals who found favor with God due to their faithfulness and uprightness. The concept of obtaining favor is deeply rooted in the covenant relationship between God and His people, where obedience leads to blessings (Deuteronomy 28:1-14). This favor is not merely material but encompasses spiritual blessings and a sense of divine approval. Theologically, this aligns with the New Testament teaching that faith and works together demonstrate a living faith (James 2:14-26).

but the LORD condemns a man who devises evil
This part of the verse contrasts the fate of the wicked with that of the righteous. The term "condemns" indicates divine judgment and disapproval. In biblical history, individuals like Cain (Genesis 4:11-12) and Ahab (1 Kings 21:20-24) serve as examples of those who devised evil and faced God's condemnation. The phrase "devises evil" suggests intentional and premeditated wrongdoing, highlighting the seriousness of sin in God's eyes. This reflects the broader biblical theme that God is just and will not tolerate evil (Psalm 5:4-6). The condemnation here is not only a temporal consequence but also points to eternal judgment, as seen in the New Testament warnings about the final judgment (Matthew 25:31-46). This serves as a moral exhortation to pursue righteousness and avoid the path of wickedness.

Persons / Places / Events
1. The Good Man
Represents individuals who live righteously and seek to align their lives with God's will. In the Hebrew text, the word for "good" is (tov), which implies moral goodness and integrity.

2. The LORD (Yahweh)
The covenant name of God, emphasizing His relationship with His people and His role as the ultimate judge and source of favor.

3. The Man Who Devises Evil
Refers to individuals who intentionally plan or engage in wickedness. The Hebrew word for "devises" is (chashav), meaning to plan or calculate, indicating premeditated wrongdoing.
Teaching Points
Pursuing Righteousness
Strive to live a life that aligns with God's standards, knowing that His favor is upon those who seek to do good.

Understanding Divine Favor
Recognize that God's favor is not arbitrary but is given to those who live according to His will and purpose.

Avoiding Evil Intentions
Be mindful of your thoughts and plans, ensuring they are not rooted in wickedness or deceit, as God condemns such actions.

The Role of Intentions
Understand that God not only sees our actions but also the intentions behind them. Strive for purity in both thought and deed.

The Consequences of Wickedness
Acknowledge that devising evil leads to condemnation from God, and seek to repent and turn away from such paths.
Bible Study Questions
1. What does it mean to be a "good man" in the context of Proverbs 12:2, and how can we strive to embody this in our daily lives?

2. How does the concept of obtaining favor from the LORD in Proverbs 12:2 relate to other scriptures that discuss God's blessings on the righteous?

3. In what ways can we guard our hearts and minds against devising evil, and what practical steps can we take to align our intentions with God's will?

4. How does understanding the original Hebrew words for "good" and "devises" enhance our comprehension of this proverb?

5. Reflect on a time when you experienced God's favor in your life. How did this align with your pursuit of righteousness, and what lessons can you draw from that experience?
Connections to Other Scriptures
Psalm 5:12
This verse speaks of God's favor surrounding the righteous, similar to how Proverbs 12:2 describes the good man obtaining favor from the LORD.

Proverbs 3:33-34
These verses contrast the LORD's blessing on the righteous with His opposition to the wicked, paralleling the themes of favor and condemnation in Proverbs 12:2.

James 4:6
This New Testament passage echoes the idea that God gives grace to the humble but opposes the proud, aligning with the concept of divine favor and condemnation.
The Blessing of the Righteous and Misery of the WickedA. F. Foster.Proverbs 12:2
The Good ManJ. Parker, D. D.Proverbs 12:2
The Man of WisdomD. J. Burrell.Proverbs 12:2
Primary TruthsE. Johnson Proverbs 12:1-3
The Downward and the Upward PathsW. Clarkson Proverbs 12:1, 15
People
Solomon
Places
Jerusalem
Topics
Bringeth, Condemn, Condemneth, Condemns, Crafty, Designs, Devices, Devises, Evil, Favor, Favour, Forth, Gets, Grace, Mischievous, Obtain, Obtaineth, Obtains, Punishment, Wicked
Dictionary of Bible Themes
Proverbs 12:2

     5769   behaviour
     5948   shrewdness

Library
The Many-Sided Contrast of Wisdom and Folly
'Whoso loveth instruction loveth knowledge: but he that hateth reproof is brutish. 2. A good man obtaineth favour of the Lord: but a man of wicked devices will he condemn. 3. A man shall not be established by wickedness; but the root of the righteous shall not be moved. 4. A virtuous woman is a crown to her husband: but she that maketh ashamed is as rottenness in his bones. 5. The thoughts of the righteous are right: but the counsels of the wicked are deceit. 6. The words of the wicked are to lie
Alexander Maclaren—Expositions of Holy Scripture

April the Twenty-Second Speech as a Symptom of Health
"The tongue of the wise is health." --PROVERBS xii. 13-22. Our doctors often test our physical condition by the state of our tongue. With another and deeper significance the tongue is also the register of our condition. Our words are a perfect index of our moral and spiritual health. If our words are unclean and untrue, our souls are assuredly sickly and diseased. A perverse tongue is never allied with a sanctified heart. And, therefore, everyone may apply a clinical test to his own life: "What
John Henry Jowett—My Daily Meditation for the Circling Year

To Pastors and Teachers
To Pastors and Teachers If all who laboured for the conversion of others were to introduce them immediately into Prayer and the Interior Life, and make it their main design to gain and win over the heart, numberless as well as permanent conversions would certainly ensue. On the contrary, few and transient fruits must attend that labour which is confined to outward matters; such as burdening the disciple with a thousand precepts for external exercises, instead of leaving the soul to Christ by the
Madame Guyon—A Short and Easy Method of Prayer

Of Having Confidence in God when Evil Words are Cast at Us
"My Son, stand fast and believe in Me. For what are words but words? They fly through the air, but they bruise no stone. If thou are guilty, think how thou wouldst gladly amend thyself; if thou knowest nothing against thyself, consider that thou wilt gladly bear this for God's sake. It is little enough that thou sometimes hast to bear hard words, for thou art not yet able to bear hard blows. And wherefore do such trivial matters go to thine heart, except that thou art yet carnal, and regardest
Thomas A Kempis—Imitation of Christ

The Ninth Commandment
Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.' Exod 20: 16. THE tongue which at first was made to be an organ of God's praise, is now become an instrument of unrighteousness. This commandment binds the tongue to its good behaviour. God has set two natural fences to keep in the tongue, the teeth and lips; and this commandment is a third fence set about it, that it should not break forth into evil. It has a prohibitory and a mandatory part: the first is set down in plain words, the other
Thomas Watson—The Ten Commandments

The Authority and Utility of the Scriptures
2 Tim. iii. 16.--"All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness." We told you that there was nothing more necessary to know than what our end is, and what the way is that leads to that end. We see the most part of men walking at random,--running an uncertain race,--because they do not propose unto themselves a certain scope to aim at, and whither to direct their whole course. According to men's particular
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

"But Seek Ye First the Kingdom of God, and his Righteousness, and all These Things Shall be Added unto You. "
Matth. vi. 33.--"But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness, and all these things shall be added unto you." The perfection even of the most upright creature, speaks always some imperfection in comparison of God, who is most perfect. The heavens, the sun and moon, in respect of lower things here, how glorious do they appear, and without spot! But behold, they are not clean in God's sight! How far are the angels above us who dwell in clay! They appear to be a pure mass of light and
Hugh Binning—The Works of the Rev. Hugh Binning

Proverbs
Many specimens of the so-called Wisdom Literature are preserved for us in the book of Proverbs, for its contents are by no means confined to what we call proverbs. The first nine chapters constitute a continuous discourse, almost in the manner of a sermon; and of the last two chapters, ch. xxx. is largely made up of enigmas, and xxxi. is in part a description of the good housewife. All, however, are rightly subsumed under the idea of wisdom, which to the Hebrew had always moral relations. The Hebrew
John Edgar McFadyen—Introduction to the Old Testament

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