Proverbs 15:11 kjv
Hell and destruction are before the LORD: how much more then the hearts of the children of men?
Proverbs 15:11 nkjv
Hell and Destruction are before the LORD; So how much more the hearts of the sons of men.
Proverbs 15:11 niv
Death and Destruction lie open before the LORD? how much more do human hearts!
Proverbs 15:11 esv
Sheol and Abaddon lie open before the LORD; how much more the hearts of the children of man!
Proverbs 15:11 nlt
Even Death and Destruction hold no secrets from the LORD.
How much more does he know the human heart!
Proverbs 15 11 Cross References
| Verse | Text | Reference |
|---|---|---|
| Job 26:6 | Sheol is naked before Him, And Abaddon has no covering. | God's knowledge extends to hidden realms. |
| Ps 139:7-8 | Where can I go from Your Spirit? Or where can I flee from Your presence?...If I make my bed in Sheol, behold, You are there. | God's omnipresence even in the afterlife. |
| Ps 139:2-4 | You know my sitting down and my rising up; You understand my thought afar off...for there is not a word on my tongue, but behold, O LORD, You know it altogether. | God's comprehensive knowledge of human life. |
| Jer 17:10 | I, the LORD, search the heart, I test the mind, Even to give every man according to his ways, According to the fruit of his doings. | God is the ultimate judge of intentions. |
| Heb 4:13 | And there is no creature hidden from His sight, but all things are naked and open to the eyes of Him to whom we must give account. | Nothing is hidden from God. |
| 1 Sam 16:7 | But the LORD said to Samuel, "Do not look at his appearance or at his physical stature...For the LORD does not see as man sees; for man looks at the outward appearance, but the LORD looks at the heart." | God evaluates the inner person. |
| 1 Kgs 8:39 | then hear in heaven Your dwelling place, and forgive, and act, and give to everyone according to all his ways, whose heart You know...for You alone know the hearts of all the sons of men. | God alone knows all human hearts. |
| 1 Chron 28:9 | ...know the God of your father, and serve Him with a loyal heart and with a willing mind; for the LORD searches all hearts and understands all the intent of the thoughts. | God's insight into motives and thoughts. |
| Ps 7:9 | Oh, let the wickedness of the wicked come to an end, but establish the just; For the righteous God tests the hearts and minds. | God scrutinizes inner moral character. |
| Ps 33:13-15 | The LORD looks from heaven; He sees all the sons of men...He fashions their hearts individually; He considers all their works. | God's view encompasses all humanity. |
| Prov 24:12 | If you say, "Surely we did not know this," Does not He who weighs the hearts consider it? | God's awareness of hidden motives for justice. |
| Lk 16:15 | And He said to them, "You are those who justify yourselves before men, but God knows your hearts. For what is highly esteemed among men is an abomination in the sight of God." | God judges motives, not outward show. |
| Acts 1:24 | And they prayed and said, "You, O Lord, who know the hearts of all, show which of these two You have chosen." | Apostolic prayer affirming God's omniscience. |
| Rom 8:27 | Now He who searches the hearts knows what the mind of the Spirit is, because He makes intercession for the saints according to the will of God. | God knows the heart's needs and groaning. |
| 1 Cor 4:5 | Therefore judge nothing before the time, until the Lord comes, who will both bring to light the hidden things of darkness and reveal the counsels of the hearts. | Divine revelation of hidden truths at judgment. |
| Eccl 12:14 | For God will bring every work into judgment, including every secret thing, whether good or evil. | God's future judgment of all hidden actions. |
| Job 28:22 | Destruction and Death say, "We have heard a report about wisdom with our ears." | Personification shows wisdom transcends even deep hidden places. |
| Is 29:15-16 | Woe to those who seek deep to hide their counsel from the LORD, And their works are in the dark; They say, "Who sees us?" and, "Who knows us?" | Folly of trying to hide from God. |
| Am 9:2 | "Though they dig into Sheol, From there My hand shall take them; Though they climb up to heaven, From there I will bring them down." | God's inescapable reach. |
| Prov 5:21 | For the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD, And He ponders all his paths. | God's constant observation of human conduct. |
Proverbs 15 verses
Proverbs 15 11 Meaning
Proverbs 15:11 reveals God's absolute omniscience, declaring that even the deepest, most hidden realms of the dead, Sheol (the grave) and Abaddon (destruction or the place of perishing), are fully known and open before Him. By logical inference, the verse powerfully concludes that if these utterly concealed places are transparent to the LORD, then certainly the intricate and often hidden motives, thoughts, and intentions within the hearts of human beings are equally, if not more, exposed to His divine sight. It underscores that nothing, whether in the unseen spiritual world or the deepest recesses of the human soul, can ever be hidden from God.
Proverbs 15 11 Context
Proverbs 15 is a rich collection of wisdom sayings, predominantly using antithetical parallelism to contrast the ways and outcomes of the wise and the foolish, the righteous and the wicked. Themes explored include the power of words (vv. 1, 2, 4, 7), the value of discipline and instruction (vv. 5, 10, 31-32), the futility of worldly gain without the LORD (vv. 16, 27), and the LORD's direct involvement in human affairs and His knowledge of humanity's innermost being. Verse 11 functions as a foundational theological statement that undergirds many of these contrasts. It reiterates the principle from Proverbs 5:21 ("the ways of man are before the eyes of the LORD") and amplifies it to encompass not just visible actions but also the hidden heart. It stands within the larger context of God's universal oversight mentioned in Proverbs 15:3: "The eyes of the LORD are everywhere, keeping watch on the wicked and the good." Historically, ancient Near Eastern cultures, including Israel, held varying beliefs about the afterlife and underworld. Sheol was generally understood as the shadowy common destination of all the dead, a place from which there was no return (humanly speaking). For this verse to declare that even such an ultimate and inaccessible realm is utterly "before the LORD" would have been a profound affirmation of His sovereign knowledge and authority over life, death, and everything in between, countering any notion of limits to His divine power or perception.
Proverbs 15 11 Word analysis
- Hell (שְׁאוֹל, sheol): In this context, it refers to the grave, the underworld, or the common abode of the dead, whether righteous or wicked. It signifies a place of ultimate concealment and cessation of life. The emphasis is on its being a realm inaccessible and unknowable to human beings. However, for God, it is an open book, emphasizing His universal knowledge and sovereignty even over death itself.
- and Destruction (וַאֲבַדּוֹן, va'abaddon): Abaddon means "destruction" or "perishing place." Often used synonymously or in parallelism with Sheol, it can represent a deeper, more desolate aspect or region within the underworld, or simply reinforce the concept of complete ruin and oblivion. Together, "Sheol and Abaddon" represent the most profound and secret places that exist. Its openness to God highlights that nothing, no matter how remote, decayed, or obscure, is beyond His perception.
- are before (לִפְנֵי, lipnei): Literally "before the face of" or "in the presence of." This idiom denotes full exposure, visibility, and transparency. It implies a direct, unhindered view and perfect knowledge. Nothing about Sheol or Abaddon is concealed from the LORD.
- the LORD (יְהוָה, Yahweh): The covenant name of God, revealing His self-existent, eternal, and personal nature. This highlights that it is the ultimate, sovereign, all-knowing God who possesses this comprehensive awareness.
- how much more then (אַף כִּי, af ki): This is a powerful rhetorical device, often translated "how much more" or "much less." It's a kal va-homer argument, a logical deduction from a lesser case to a greater one. If a truth is undeniable for a more difficult or extreme situation, it must be even truer for a comparatively easier or more accessible one.
- the hearts (לִבּוֹת, libbot): The plural of lev, "heart." In Hebrew thought, the "heart" is not merely an organ but the seat of the entire inner being—intellect, will, emotion, conscience, motives, and character. It encompasses a person's thoughts, intentions, desires, and the very essence of their moral identity. This term emphasizes that God penetrates beyond outward appearance to discern inner reality.
- of the children of men (בְּנֵי אָדָם, benei adam): This phrase simply refers to human beings, mankind in general.
Words-group analysis
- "Hell and Destruction are before the LORD": This phrase powerfully conveys the LORD's omniscience and supreme sovereignty. It describes the most unfathomable, dark, and utterly hidden realms of existence—those of death and absolute ruin—as being fully transparent to God. This signifies that there is no boundary to His knowledge, no place that lies beyond His perception or control, demonstrating His immeasurable transcendence.
- "how much more then the hearts of the children of men?": This forms the conclusive point of the logical argument. If God fully knows the deepest abysses of the universe, it follows with undeniable certainty that the inner thoughts, motives, and true character hidden within human beings—though concealed from other humans—are effortlessly and completely revealed to Him. This extends God's omniscience from the cosmic and ultimate hiddenness to the intimate and personal hiddenness of the human spirit, leading to profound implications for moral accountability and genuine worship.
Proverbs 15 11 Bonus section
This proverb serves as a theological bedrock for understanding God's nature not just as omnipresent but as utterly omniscient and morally discerning. It refutes any notion that human secrets, even those held deep within the heart, could ever be hidden from the Divine gaze. The phrase "Sheol and Abaddon" isn't merely poetic parallelism but emphasizes God's sovereign domain even over death and spiritual ruin. While Sheol is often translated as "hell," particularly in older translations like the King James Version, it is crucial to understand its Old Testament meaning as the undifferentiated realm of the dead, contrasting with the New Testament concept of Gehenna as a place of eternal punishment. However, God's perfect knowledge extends even to those ultimate places of destiny. This verse's wisdom encourages living in constant awareness of God's pervasive knowledge, which fosters a fear of the LORD and promotes a walk of truth, knowing that deceit or hidden wickedness is ultimately futile.
Proverbs 15 11 Commentary
Proverbs 15:11 stands as a cornerstone verse asserting God's perfect omniscience. It begins by affirming that the LORD has full knowledge and oversight over Sheol and Abaddon, the ultimate realms of the unseen, death, and destruction—places inaccessible and largely unknown to humans. This sets up a profound "how much more" argument: if God perceives even these deep, dark, and remote domains with perfect clarity, then surely He thoroughly knows and discerns the intricate, hidden thoughts, intentions, and motives within every human heart. This divine insight means that no action or intention, whether righteous or wicked, can escape His notice. This verse calls for a life of authenticity, humility, and genuine righteousness, as external appearances mean nothing to a God who scrutinizes the core of one's being. It underpins biblical wisdom by highlighting accountability: our inner lives matter to God, forming the basis for His righteous judgment and guidance. Practical usage encourages self-examination and living a life of integrity, knowing that genuine character, not outward show, is what truly matters to the One who sees all.