Proverbs 16:4

16:4 The Lord works ¹  everything for its own ends ²  –

even the wicked for the day of disaster. ³ 

Isaiah 43:21

43:21 the people whom I formed for myself,

so they might praise me.” ⁴ 

Romans 11:36

11:36 For from him and through him and to him are all things. To him be glory forever! Amen.

Hebrews 2:10

2:10 For it was fitting for him, for whom and through whom all things exist, ⁵  in bringing many sons to glory, to make the pioneer ⁶  of their salvation perfect through sufferings.

¹ sn The Hebrew verb translated “works” (פָּעַל, pa’al) means “to work out; to bring about; to accomplish.” It is used of God’s sovereign control of life (e.g., Num 23:23; Isa 26:12).

² tn Heb “for its answer.” The term לַמַּעֲנֵהוּ (lamma’anehu) has been taken to mean either “for his purpose” or “for its answer.” The Hebrew word is מַעֲנֶה (ma’aneh, “answer”) and not לְמַעַן (lÿma’an, “purpose”). So the suffix likely refers to “everything” (כֹּל, kol). God ensures that everyone’s actions and the consequences of those actions correspond – certainly the wicked for the day of calamity. In God’s order there is just retribution for every act.

³ sn This is an example of synthetic parallelism (“A, what’s more B”). The A-line affirms a truth, and the B-line expands on it with a specific application about the wicked – whatever disaster comes their way is an appropriate correspondent for their life.

⁴ tn Heb “[so] they might declare my praise.”

⁵ tn Grk “for whom are all things and through whom are all things.”

⁶ sn The Greek word translated pioneer is used of a “prince” or leader, the representative head of a family. It also carries nuances of “trailblazer,” one who breaks through to new ground for those who follow him. It is used some thirty-five times in the Greek OT and four times in the NT, always of Christ (Acts 3:15; 5:31; Heb 2:10; 12:2).