Proverbs 21:27 · Bible study
Proverbs 21:27 Commentary: Wicked Worship Is Double Abomination
Hebrew · 10 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
Exegetical study of Proverbs 21:27: why a wicked person's sacrifice is abomination, and even more so when brought with evil intent. Heart condition in worship.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The sacrifice of the unrepentant is detestable to God, especially when offered with a calculated evil purpose.
- Key words: to’evah (abomination), zimma (plan/wickedness), aph ki (how much more, escalates the argument).
- Main debate: Whether zimma specifies an intent to atone for sin without repentance or a broader malicious scheme.
- Theological theme: God requires inner righteousness, not mere external ritual; worship can become an insult if the heart is wrong.
- Best use: A probing text for self-examination before worship, and a warning against hypocritical religious practice.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable— how much more so when brought with ill intent!
WEB World English Bible 2000
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination— how much more, when he brings it with a wicked mind!
KJV King James Version 1769
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?
ASV American Standard Version 1901
The sacrifice of the wicked is an abomination; How much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind!
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination, Much more when in wickedness he bringeth it.
Darby Darby Bible 1890
The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more when they bring it with a wicked purpose!
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The sacrifices of the wicked are abominable, because they are offered of wickedness.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
El sacrificio de los impíos es abominación: ¡ cuánto más ofreciéndolo con maldad!
O sacrifício dos perversos é abominável; quanto mais quando a oferta é feita com má intenção.
Le sacrifice des méchants est quelque chose d’ abominable;
Der Gottlosen Opfer ist ein Greuel; denn es wird in Sünden geopfert.
Het offer der goddelozen is een gruwel; hoeveel te meer, als zij het met een schandelijk voornemen brengen!
Il sacrifizio dell’empio è cosa abominevole; quanto più se l’offre con intento malvagio!
Ofiara niepobożnych jest obrzydliwością , a dopieroż gdyby ją w grzechu ofiarował.
Жертва нечестивых - мерзость, особенно когда с лукавством приносят ее.
惡人 的祭物 是可憎的；何況 他存惡意 來獻呢？
The offering of evil-doers is disgusting: how much more when they give it with an evil purpose!
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 21:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators agree that this verse intensifies the principle of Proverbs 15:8, if the sacrifice of the wicked is already an abomination, one brought with a zimma (evil plan) is far worse. Gill describes this as using sacrifice to ‘cover sin, to atone for without repenting of it or forsaking it.’ The Cambridge Bible notes the phrase may mean bringing a sacrifice ‘to purchase immunity by it from the punishment of sin.’ Keil and Delitzsch argue the wicked person ‘makes God directly a minister of sin.’ Matthew Henry warns against using religious acts as cover for malicious designs, citing Absalom’s vow and Jezebel’s fast. All point to the same truth: worship without a repentant heart offends God.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Low
What is clear: God rejects worship offered by the unrepentant, especially when it is used to enable or cover sin.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Meaning of 'wicked mind' (zimma) | All commentators see it as an evil intent, often to cover or purchase license for sin. | Some understand it specifically as an attempt to atone for sin without repentance (Keil, Gill), others as a general malicious scheme behind the offering (Matthew Henry). |
| Who qualifies as 'wicked' (rasha)? | The term describes someone habitually unrighteous, hostile to God. | Catholic tradition often reads this against the backdrop of a state of grace for a valid sacramental act; Protestant traditions stress that even believers can fall into a wicked pattern if they persist in sin without repentance. |
| Application to Christian worship | Worship must be offered from a sincere, repentant heart. | There is difference in how traditions handle the participation of someone in known sin: some restrict Communion, others leave it to conscience but preach the warning. |
| The relationship between ritual and character | God values moral character over ritual observance. | The verse is used differently in debates about ex opere operato (the act itself has power) versus the necessity of the participant's faith and repentance. |
Historical & Cultural Context
In ancient Israel, sacrifice was the God-given means for atonement and thanksgiving. But from the prophets onward, a consistent warning sounds: ritual without repentance is worthless (Isaiah 1:11-15; Amos 5:21-24). This proverb belongs to that stream.
The word zimma (wicked mind) carries a range of meanings: a plan, device, often with connotations of sexual immorality or idolatry (see Proverbs 10:23; Ezekiel 22:11). Keil and Delitzsch note that the preposition beth in bezimmah may indicate price or exchange, the sacrifice is brought ‘for’ wickedness, to purchase atonement without amending one’s life. This is not a slip of impulse but a calculated attempt to manipulate God. The same mindset appears when Saul offers a burnt offering out of fear (1 Samuel 13:12) or when the people sacrifice plunder from battle (1 Samuel 15:21). God’s rejection of such offerings is absolute because they treat the holy as a tool.
The verse uses a classic wisdom argument from lesser to greater: if the wicked person’s ordinary sacrifice is already an abomination (Proverbs 15:8), how much more when that sacrifice is pressed into the service of evil. The term zimma appears in Leviticus 18:17 for incest, and in Proverbs 10:23 for a mischievous purpose. Its use here underscores that the worshiper’s intent can be thoroughly corrupt. This kind of hypocrisy is especially dangerous because it wears the mask of piety.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Proverbs 21:27 is stable across major manuscripts. The Masoretic Text reads uniformly. The Septuagint translates bezimmah as paranomōs (lawlessly), and Jerome’s Vulgate renders it ex scelere (out of wickedness). These are translation choices, not textual variants. No significant textual issues affect interpretation.
Reception History
This verse has been cited across church history to warn against using religious acts to cover sin. The Reformers used it to emphasize that human works cannot atone for sin without faith and repentance. In Catholic tradition, it aligns with the necessity of contrition for sacramental validity. Modern preaching uses it to challenge hypocrisy and call for examination of motives before worship. It remains a key text in discussions of the relationship between ethics and liturgy.
Preaching This Verse
Three-Point Outline
- The Principle: Wickedness Pollutes Worship. The wicked person’s sacrifice is already an abomination (Proverbs 15:8; 21:27a). God does not accept worship from those who persist in sin without repentance.
- The Intensification: Evil Intent Makes It Worse. The phrase aph ki (how much more) escalates the offense. A zimma attempts to use worship to advance sin, covering it, or buying immunity.
- The Invitation: Worship Begins with the Heart. True worship requires humility, repentance, and love for God (Psalm 51:17). This verse calls listeners to examine their motives.
Five-Point Outline
- The Offering: Outward acts can be impressive but empty.
- The Offerer: The person’s character matters to God.
- The Intention: Even a good act done for wrong motives is abominable.
- The Escalation: Using worship to enable sin is a double evil.
- The Alternative: Repentance, not ritual, is what God desires (1 Samuel 15:22).
Illustration Hooks
- A person who donates to charity but continues to cheat in business, thinking the donation covers the sin.
- A spouse who says “I prayed for you” while using that claim to avoid actually apologizing.
- A student who attends church to look good for college applications while living immorally.
Questions Your Congregation Is Asking
- “Does God reject my worship if I have sin in my life?”
- “How can I know if my motives are pure?”
- “Can’t I confess and still do the act, what if I’m still struggling?”
Leading a Discussion
This verse cuts to the heart of worship: God cares about the person and their motive, not just the offering. It warns against using religious acts to cover sin or gain leverage.
Discussion Questions
- What does this verse say about the sacrifice of the wicked? What does it add about one brought with a wicked mind?
- Why do you think God calls such sacrifices an “abomination”? What does that strong word tell us about His view of hypocrisy?
- How does this verse connect to Jesus’ teaching about worship in spirit and truth (John 4:24)?
- In what ways can we be tempted to use religious activities to cover sin or earn favor?
- What is the difference between a repentant person who sins and a wicked person who brings a sacrifice with evil intent?
- How might someone read this verse and wrongly think God is always angry with them? How would you gently correct that?
- What does it look like to approach worship with a clean heart this week?
Word Study
The key original-language words in this verse. Select any word for its full lexicon entry — meaning, every occurrence in Scripture, and related words.
Cross-References
Source: Treasury of Scripture Knowledge (TSK, public domain)
| I Samuel 13:12 | therefore I said, ‘Now the Philistines will come down on me to Gilgal, and I haven’t entreated the favor of Yahweh.’ I forced myself therefore, and offered the burnt offering.” |
| I Samuel 13:13 | Samuel said to Saul, “You have done foolishly. You have not kept the commandment of Yahweh your God, which he commanded you; for now Yahweh would have established your kingdom on Israel forever. |
| I Samuel 15:21 | But the people took of the plunder, sheep and cattle, the best of the devoted things, to sacrifice to Yahweh your God in Gilgal.” |
| I Samuel 15:23 | For rebellion is as the sin of witchcraft, and stubbornness is as idolatry and teraphim. Because you have rejected Yahweh’s word, he has also rejected you from being king.” |
| Psalms 50:8 | I don’t rebuke you for your sacrifices. Your burnt offerings are continually before me. |
| Psalms 50:13 | Will I eat the meat of bulls, or drink the blood of goats? |
| Proverbs 15:8 | The sacrifice made by the wicked is an abomination to Yahweh, but the prayer of the upright is his delight. |
| Proverbs 28:9 | He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination. |
Interlinear and lexical data from STEPBible (CC BY 4.0). Cross-reference data from OpenBible.info (CC BY 4.0). Commentaries are public domain.
For personal reflection
Read the devotional page — prayer, application, and "for families"
What the Commentators Say
9 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that a person with a wicked heart makes even proper sacrifices abominable to God. He also says such offerings become even more detestable if they are incomplete or obtained illegally.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a sharper distinction than the general principle: the worst corruption is when a wicked person uses religious acts like sacrifice and vows to seek God's blessing on the very crime they plan to commit. This is a lower depth than ordinary hypocrisy.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
Christians who hold this view point to Proverbs 21:27 and Genesis 4:5, while others emphasize that a person’s wicked heart makes any sacrifice an abomination. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva note sharpens the warning by adding a second layer: not only is every sacrifice from a wicked person detestable, but the abomination grows far worse when the worshiper brings it with a deliberately evil or malicious intent. The inner motive compounds the offense.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill stresses that even a carefully offered sacrifice becomes abominable when brought with a wrong motive. Religious acts done to cover sin, gain acceptance, or appear devout while lacking repentance and sincerity cannot deceive God. The inner intention, not the outward ritual, determines whether worship pleases or offends the Lord.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Christians who hold this view point to Proverbs 21:27, while others emphasize Proverbs 1:4. Both seek to be faithful to Scripture.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil-Delitzsch argue the Hebrew phrase for "brought for evil" means offering a sacrifice to atone for
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry observes that even divinely ordained sacrifices become detestable when offered by wicked people, and even more so when used to conceal or advance evil purposes. Outward religious acts cannot please God if the heart is unrepentant or the intention is malicious, as with those who use piety to cover wicked designs.
Wesley's Explanatory Notes Methodist/Wesleyan 1754
Wesley identifies the sacrifice as the most costly offerings people bring to God. He explains that the Hebrew particle translated "because" actually gives the reason for their rejection: these sacrifices spring from a wicked mind, not from obedience, but to cover or promote some evil design.