Proverbs 24:12

24:12 If you say, “But we did not know about this,”

does not the one who evaluates ¹  hearts consider?

Does not the one who guards your life know?

Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? ² 

Proverbs 24:1

24:1 Do not envy evil people, ³ 

do not desire ⁴  to be with them;

Proverbs 16:7

16:7 When a person’s ⁵  ways are pleasing to the Lord, ⁶ 

he ⁷  even reconciles his enemies to himself. ⁸ 

Jeremiah 17:10

17:10 I, the Lord, probe into people’s minds.

I examine people’s hearts. ⁹ 

I deal with each person according to how he has behaved.

I give them what they deserve based on what they have done.

Luke 16:15

16:15 But ¹⁰  Jesus ¹¹  said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, ¹²  but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized ¹³  among men is utterly detestable ¹⁴  in God’s sight.

John 2:24-25

2:24 But Jesus would not entrust himself to them, because he knew all people. ¹⁵  2:25 He did not need anyone to testify about man, ¹⁶  for he knew what was in man. ¹⁷ 

Revelation 2:23

2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ¹⁸  with a deadly disease, ¹⁹  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ²⁰  each one of you ²¹  what your deeds deserve. ²² 

[24:12]  ¹ tn Heb “weighs” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV) meaning “tests” or “evaluates.”

[24:12]  ² sn The verse completes the saying by affirming that people will be judged responsible for helping those in mortal danger. The verse uses a series of rhetorical questions to affirm that God knows our hearts and we cannot plead ignorance.

[24:1]  ³ tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.

[24:1]  ⁴ tn The Hitpael jussive is from the verb that means “to crave; to desire.” This is more of a coveting, an intense desire.

[16:7]  ⁵ tn Heb “ways of a man.”

[16:7]  ⁶ tn The first line uses an infinitive in a temporal clause, followed by its subject in the genitive case: “in the taking pleasure of the Lord” = “when the Lord is pleased with.” So the condition set down for the second colon is a lifestyle that is pleasing to God.

[16:7]  ⁷ tn The referent of the verb in the second colon is unclear. The straightforward answer is that it refers to the person whose ways please the Lord – it is his lifestyle that disarms his enemies. W. McKane comments that the righteous have the power to mend relationships (Proverbs [OTL], 491); see, e.g., 10:13; 14:9; 15:1; 25:21-22). The life that is pleasing to God will be above reproach and find favor with others. Some would interpret this to mean that God makes his enemies to be at peace with him (cf. KJV, NAB, NASB, NIV, NLT). This is workable, but in this passage it would seem God would do this through the pleasing life of the believer (cf. NCV, TEV, CEV).

[16:7]  ⁸ tn Heb “even his enemies he makes to be at peace with him.”

[17:10]  ⁹ tn The term rendered “mind” here and in the previous verse is actually the Hebrew word for “heart.” However, in combination with the word rendered “heart” in the next line, which is the Hebrew for “kidneys,” it is best rendered “mind” because the “heart” was considered the center of intellect, conscience, and will and the “kidneys” the center of emotions.

[16:15]  ¹⁰ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:15]  ¹¹ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ¹² tn Grk “before men.” The contrast is between outward appearance (“in people’s eyes”) and inward reality (“God knows your hearts”). Here the Greek term ἄνθρωπος (anqrwpo") is used twice in a generic sense, referring to both men and women, but “men” has been retained in the text to provide a strong verbal contrast with “God” in the second half of the verse.

[16:15]  ¹³ tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.

[16:15]  ¹⁴ tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).

[2:24]  ¹⁵ tn Grk “all.” The word “people” has been supplied for clarity, since the Greek word πάντας (pantas) is masculine plural (thus indicating people rather than things).

[2:25]  ¹⁶ tn The masculine form has been retained here in the translation to maintain the connection with “a man of the Pharisees” in 3:1, with the understanding that the reference is to people of both genders.

[2:25]  ¹⁷ tn See previous note on “man” in this verse.

[2:23]  ¹⁸ tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.

[2:23]  ¹⁹ tn Grk “I will kill with death.” θάνατος (qanatos) can in particular contexts refer to a manner of death, specifically a contagious disease (see BDAG 443 s.v. 3; L&N 23.158).

[2:23]  ²⁰ tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”

[2:23]  ²¹ sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.

[2:23]  ²² tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”