Proverbs 5:21

5:21 For the ways of a person ¹  are in front of the Lord’s eyes,

and the Lord ²  weighs ³  all that person’s ⁴  paths.

Proverbs 24:12

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

does not the one who evaluates ⁵  hearts consider?

Does not the one who guards your life know?

Will he not repay each person according to his deeds? ⁶ 

Proverbs 24:1

24:1 Do not envy evil people, ⁷ 

do not desire ⁸  to be with them;

Proverbs 16:7

16:7 When a person’s ⁹  ways are pleasing to the Lord, ¹⁰ 

he ¹¹  even reconciles his enemies to himself. ¹² 

Isaiah 26:7

God’s People Anticipate Vindication

26:7 ¹³ The way of the righteous is level,

the path of the righteous that you make is straight. ¹⁴ 

Jeremiah 17:10

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

I examine people’s hearts. ¹⁵ 

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

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

Daniel 5:27

5:27 As for teqel – you are weighed on the balances and found to be lacking.

Luke 16:15

16:15 But ¹⁶  Jesus ¹⁷  said to them, “You are the ones who justify yourselves in men’s eyes, ¹⁸  but God knows your hearts. For what is highly prized ¹⁹  among men is utterly detestable ²⁰  in God’s sight.

Revelation 2:18

To the Church in Thyatira

2:18 “To ²¹  the angel of the church in Thyatira write the following: ²² 

“This is the solemn pronouncement of ²³  the Son of God, the one who has eyes like a fiery flame ²⁴  and whose feet are like polished bronze: ²⁵ 

Revelation 2:23

2:23 Furthermore, I will strike her followers ²⁶  with a deadly disease, ²⁷  and then all the churches will know that I am the one who searches minds and hearts. I will repay ²⁸  each one of you ²⁹  what your deeds deserve. ³⁰ 

[5:21]  ¹ tn Heb “man.”

[5:21]  ² tn Heb “he”; the referent (the Lord) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[5:21]  ³ tn BDB 814 s.v. פָּלַס 2 suggests that the participle מְפַּלֵּס (mÿpalles) means “to make level [or, straight].” As one’s ways are in front of the eyes of the Lord, they become straight or right. It could be translated “weighs” since it is a denominative from the noun for “balance, scale”; the Lord weighs or examines the actions.

[5:21]  ⁴ tn Heb “all his”; the referent (the person mentioned in the first half of the verse) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[24:12]  ⁵ tn Heb “weighs” (so NASB, NIV, NRSV) meaning “tests” or “evaluates.”

[24:12]  ⁶ 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]  ⁷ tn Heb “evil men,” although the context indicates a generic sense.

[24:1]  ⁸ 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]  ⁹ tn Heb “ways of a man.”

[16:7]  ¹⁰ 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]  ¹¹ 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]  ¹² tn Heb “even his enemies he makes to be at peace with him.”

[26:7]  ¹³ sn The literary structure of chap. 26 is not entirely clear. The chapter begins with an eschatological song of praise and ends with a lament and prophetic response (vv. 16-21). It is not certain where the song of praise ends or how vv. 7-15 fit into the structure. Verses 10-11a seem to lament the presence of evil and v. 11b anticipates the arrival of judgment, so it is possible that vv. 7-15 are a prelude to the lament and announcement that conclude the chapter.

[26:7]  ¹⁴ tc The Hebrew text has, “upright, the path of the righteous you make level.” There are three possible ways to translate this line. Some take יָשָׁר (yashar) as a divine title: “O Upright One” (cf. NASB, NIV, NKJV, NRSV, NLT). Others regard יָשָׁר as the result of dittography (מֵישָׁרִים יָשָׁר ַמעְגַּל, mesharim yashar ma’gal) and do not include it in the translation. Another possibility is to keep יָשָׁר and render the line as “the path of the righteous that you prepare is straight.”

[17:10]  ¹⁵ 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]  ¹⁶ tn Here καί (kai) has been translated as “but” to indicate the contrast present in this context.

[16:15]  ¹⁷ tn Grk “he”; the referent (Jesus) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[16:15]  ¹⁸ 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]  ¹⁹ tn Or “exalted.” This refers to the pride that often comes with money and position.

[16:15]  ²⁰ tn Or “is an abomination,” “is abhorrent” (L&N 25.187).

[2:18]  ²¹ tn Here καί (kai) has not been translated due to differences between Greek and English style.

[2:18]  ²² tn The phrase “the following” after “write” is supplied to clarify that what follows is the content of what is to be written.

[2:18]  ²³ tn Grk “These things says [the One]…” See the note on the phrase “this is the solemn pronouncement of” in 2:1.

[2:18]  ²⁴ tn Grk “a flame of fire.” The Greek term πυρός (puros) has been translated as an attributive genitive.

[2:18]  ²⁵ tn The precise meaning of the term translated “polished bronze” (χαλκολιβάνῳ, calkolibanw), which appears no where else in Greek literature outside of the book of Revelation (see 1:15), is uncertain. Without question it is some sort of metal. BDAG 1076 s.v. χαλκολίβανον suggests “fine brass/bronze.” L&N 2.57 takes the word to refer to particularly valuable or fine bronze, but notes that the emphasis here and in Rev 1:15 is more on the lustrous quality of the metal.

[2:23]  ²⁶ tn Grk “her children,” but in this context a reference to this woman’s followers or disciples is more likely meant.

[2:23]  ²⁷ 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]  ²⁸ tn Grk “I will give.” The sense of δίδωμι (didwmi) in this context is more “repay” than “give.”

[2:23]  ²⁹ sn This pronoun and the following one are plural in the Greek text.

[2:23]  ³⁰ tn Grk “each one of you according to your works.”