English Art/Literary Religion About the book of Proverbs

Prov 20:22–25 These four proverbs teach that God, not people (20:22), is the judge and avenger, and that he detests all willful distortions of human judgment, as represented by biased scales (v. 23). Verse 24 emphasizes the mystery of divine sovereignty (see Ps. 37:23; Jer. 10:23). A person makes his own decisions and is responsible for them, but paradoxically God directs the steps of each. This paradox demonstrates the limitations of human discernment; if a person does not ***fully comprehend the pattern*** of his own life, how can he be competent to judge others? Proverbs 20:25 warns against falling under divine judgment by making ill-conceived vows (see Eccles. 5:4–5).