Upright living shows reverence for God, while crooked ways reveal contempt for His wisdom.
In Proverbs 14:2, Solomon says, He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises Him (v. 2). This verse joins conduct and worship. How a person walks shows what he really thinks of God.
To walk in uprightness is to live with integrity and straightness before God. Solomon says this person fears the LORD because reverence for God is not merely verbal, it appears in choices. The fear of the Lord means taking God’s design seriously enough to order one’s life by it.
The person who is devious in his ways, however, despises Him. That is a strong statement. Solomon means that crooked living is not morally neutral. To twist one’s ways is to reject God’s authority and wisdom in practice. This fits the larger Proverbs theme that there are only two paths: one of trust and one of rebellion.
Set to dark mode
Proverbs 14:2 meaning
In Proverbs 14:2, Solomon says, He who walks in his uprightness fears the LORD, but he who is devious in his ways despises Him (v. 2). This verse joins conduct and worship. How a person walks shows what he really thinks of God.
To walk in uprightness is to live with integrity and straightness before God. Solomon says this person fears the LORD because reverence for God is not merely verbal, it appears in choices. The fear of the Lord means taking God’s design seriously enough to order one’s life by it.
The person who is devious in his ways, however, despises Him. That is a strong statement. Solomon means that crooked living is not morally neutral. To twist one’s ways is to reject God’s authority and wisdom in practice. This fits the larger Proverbs theme that there are only two paths: one of trust and one of rebellion.