The wicked man's problem is not occasional behavior but a soul whose appetite is set on evil, leaving no kindness for his neighbor.
Solomon locates the wicked man's problem at the level of desire in Proverbs 21:10: The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes (v. 10). The verse names a settled appetite.
The wicked is not someone who occasionally falls into evil; his soul desires evil. And the appetite has consequences for the people closest to him: his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. He cannot extend kindness to those around him because the inward bent of his desires has set him against them by default.
The verse is sobering because it locates the problem at the level of desire, not behavior. Behavior can be policed; desire has to be transformed.
Set to dark mode
Proverbs 21:10 meaning
Solomon locates the wicked man's problem at the level of desire in Proverbs 21:10: The soul of the wicked desires evil; His neighbor finds no favor in his eyes (v. 10). The verse names a settled appetite.
The wicked is not someone who occasionally falls into evil; his soul desires evil. And the appetite has consequences for the people closest to him: his neighbor finds no favor in his eyes. He cannot extend kindness to those around him because the inward bent of his desires has set him against them by default.
The verse is sobering because it locates the problem at the level of desire, not behavior. Behavior can be policed; desire has to be transformed.