Proverbs 29:27 · Bible study
Proverbs 29:27 Commentary: The Mutual Moral Antipathy
Hebrew · 9 what the commentators say
Meaning in one sentence
This verse describes the innate moral repulsion between the righteous and the wicked, and how it relates to the call to love enemies.
Research Summary
- Meaning: The verse states a fundamental, mutual moral repulsion between the righteous and the wicked; each sees the other’s character as detestable.
- Key words: to‘evah (abomination), tsaddiq (righteous), rasha‘ (wicked), yashar (upright), derekh (way).
- Main debate: Whether this hatred includes the person or only the sin, and how to reconcile it with the command to love enemies.
- Theological theme: The irreconcilable conflict between good and evil; the righteous share God’s perspective on sin.
- Best use: A concluding summary of wisdom’s theme of separation from evil and the cost of walking with God.
Translation Comparison
BSB Berean Standard Bible 2020
An unjust man is detestable to the righteous, and one whose way is upright is detestable to the wicked.
WEB World English Bible 2000
A dishonest man detests the righteous, and the upright in their ways detest the wicked.
KJV King James Version 1769
An unjust man is an abomination to the just: and he that is upright in the way is abomination to the wicked.
ASV American Standard Version 1901
An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; And he that is upright in the way is an abomination to the wicked.
YLT Young's Literal Translation 1898
An abomination to the righteous is the perverse man, And an abomination to the wicked is the upright in the way!
Darby Darby Bible 1890
An unjust man is an abomination to the righteous; and he that is of upright way is an abomination to the wicked [man].
Douay-Rheims Douay-Rheims Bible 1899
The just abhor a wicked man: and the wicked loathe them that are in the right way. The son that keepeth the word, shall be free from destruction.
Translations in other languages (10 available)
Abominación es á los justos el hombre inicuo; y abominación es al impío el de rectos caminos.
O justos odeiam ao homem perverso; e o injusto odeia aos que andam no caminho correto.
L’homme inique est en abomination aux justes,
Ein ungerechter Mann ist dem Gerechten ein Greuel; und wer rechtes Weges ist, der ist des Gottlosen Greuel.
Een ongerechtig man is den rechtvaardige een gruwel; maar die recht is van weg, is den goddeloze een gruwel.
L’uomo iniquo è un abominio per i giusti, e colui che cammina rettamente è un abominio per gli empi.
Sprawiedliwym jest mąż niezbożny obrzydliwością; a zasię kto w uprzejmości chodzi, jest niezbożnym obrzydliwością.
Мерзость для праведников - человек неправедный, и мерзость для нечестивого - идущий прямым путем.
為非作歹 的，被義人 憎嫌；行事 正直的，被惡人 憎惡。
An evil man is disgusting to the upright, and he who is upright is disgusting to evil-doers.
Verse in Context
Original Language (Biblical Hebrew)
Old Testament · Biblical Hebrew · Proverbs 29:27
Source: STEPBible TAGNT/TEHB (CC-BY 4.0). Click or tap a morphology code to see the full parsing.
Scholars' Consensus
Commentators from across traditions agree that Proverbs 29:27 describes a deep, instinctive moral antipathy between the righteous and the wicked, it is not merely dislike but a fundamental repulsion. Gill's Exposition notes that the righteous do not detest the person of the unjust man, but his unrighteous actions; they loathe his ungodly life and avoid fellowship with him. Keil and Delitzsch add that the righteous see in the villainous man an adversary of God, while the godless see in the upright walking man his adversary and his condemnation. Matthew Henry ties this to “the old enmity that has always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent” (Genesis 3:15). The verse readers as a closing summary of the Hezekiah collection, which Keil says makes clear that this opposition runs through all levels of society up to the throne. There is broad agreement that the abhorrence is a moral reaction, not a personal vendetta.
How settled is the interpretation?
Interpretive difficulty: Medium
Main views:
- Strict separation: The righteous must avoid the wicked to maintain purity (Psalm 119:115; 2 Corinthians 6:14-18).
- Loving engagement with discernment: Christians hate evil but love the sinner, following Jesus who ate with tax collectors while calling them to repentance (Matthew 9:10-13).
- Internal tension of experience: Believers naturally recoil from evil while being commanded to love; this tension is part of the Christian life and is not fully resolved until glory (Romans 7:15-20).
What is clear: The verse asserts an objective, mutual moral revulsion between the righteous and the wicked that is rooted in their opposing characters.
What Scholars Agree and Debate
| Topic | Agreed | Debated |
|---|---|---|
| Object of the righteous' detestation | The righteous have a moral repugnance toward unrighteousness and its embodiment. | Some (following Gill) say it is the <em>actions</em> of the unjust that are hated; others (Matthew Henry) include the <em>person</em> as sharing in that repugnance, not as a personal enemy but as a carrier of evil. |
| Compatibility with loving enemies | Christians are called to love their enemies and seek their good. | Some see an unresolvable tension: how can you love someone you find abominable? Others argue that the righteous can hate the sin while actively willing the good of the sinner, a distinction that is difficult but necessary. |
| Social separation from the wicked | The righteous should avoid close fellowship with persistent, unrepentant evil. | Some traditions (e.g., monastic, conservative Reformed) emphasize strict separation, citing verses like Psalm 119:115. Others (e.g., missional movements) stress that Jesus ate with sinners and that the righteous must engage the world without being contaminated. |
Historical & Cultural Context
This verse stands as the final proverb in the collection compiled by “the men of Hezekiah king of Judah” (Proverbs 25:1). Keil and Delitzsch mark it as the intended conclusion of that section. The book of Proverbs uses the Hebrew word to‘evah (“abomination”) frequently, usually with God as the subject (e.g., “a false balance is an abomination to Yahweh”). Here, the righteous and the wicked are the subjects; they share God’s own perspective on moral opposites. In ancient Israelite wisdom, the division between the righteous and the wicked was sharp and practical. The righteous were expected to separate from evil company, as Psalm 119:115 says: “Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.” The verse reflects a worldview where moral character determines one’s relationships and ultimate destiny. This is not a command to hate individuals, but a statement about the natural collision of two incompatible ways of life, a theme that runs from Genesis 3:15 through the prophets and into the New Testament. The cultural context of the ancient Near East recognized that the righteous and the wicked cannot dwell together in harmony; their core values clash. This proverb closes a section of teaching that began with proverbs about the king (25:2) and ends with the moral opposition that even a king cannot dissolve.
Textual Notes
The Hebrew text of Proverbs 29:27 is stable across major manuscripts; no significant variants are noted in the supplied sources. Adam Clarke’s Commentary mentions that the Vulgate (Latin) adds a line: Verbum custodiens filius extra perditionem erit (“The son that keeps the word shall not fall into perdition”). Clarke notes this line is not present in all copies of the Vulgate, but it appeared in the manuscript from which his Old English Bible was made. This extra line may represent an early scribal gloss, perhaps connecting the proverb with the theme of keeping God’s Word. The Hebrew tradition does not include it.
Reception History
The verse has been read across church history as a stark statement of the division between good and evil. Matthew Henry (1710) connected it explicitly to the spiritual warfare begun in Genesis 3:15, seeing in it the ongoing enmity between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. In the Reformed tradition, it has been used to underscore the antithesis between the church and the world, calling believers to separate from ungodly alliances. In the Wesleyan tradition, it serves as a call to holy living and a warning against fellowship with sin. Keil and Delitzsch note that it closes the Hezekiah collection with a proverb that sums up the entire moral vision of Proverbs, a division that runs through every level of society. The verse is often quoted in discussions of Christian identity and the cost of discipleship, reminding readers that rejection by the world is a natural consequence of walking with God.
Preaching This Verse
Three-point outline
- The reality of moral conflict. This verse is a final summary: the world is divided between those who love righteousness and those who love wickedness. The antagonism is not optional, it is built into the very nature of good and evil.
- The righteous detest evil. The wise person does not merely tolerate sin; they have a holy revulsion to it. This is not a personal grudge but a reflex of a heart aligned with God (Psalm 139:21 does not break the flow). Yet this revulsion must be directed at the sin, not the sinner’s soul.
- The wicked detest goodness. The wicked do not simply disagree with the righteous, they find them repulsive. Being good in a fallen world invites hostility (John 7:7; John 15:19). This truth comforts believers when they face rejection for their faith.
Five-point outline
- The source of the conflict: the oldest enmity (Genesis 3:15)
- The nature of the detestation: moral repugnance, not personal malice (Gill’s distinction)
- The experience of the righteous: they see the wicked as an adversary of God (Keil)
- The experience of the wicked: they see the upright as a living rebuke (Barnes, Matthew Henry)
- The application for today: Christians walk the tension between hating evil and loving the evildoer
Illustration hooks
- Instinctive recoil: when you smell spoiled food, you do not decide to dislike it, your body reacts. The righteous react similarly to wickedness.
- The magnetic poles: two north poles on magnets naturally push apart. The righteous and the wicked are like that; no amount of willpower makes them compatible.
- A clean room and a dirty room: a tidy person is uncomfortable in a cluttered space; the messy person feels judged by order. The two ways of life cannot sit easy together.
Questions your congregation is asking
- Does this mean I am supposed to hate non-Christians? How is that different from the world’s hatred?
- How can I love my enemy while feeling repelled by his sin?
- When the world hates me for my faith, is that normal or am I doing something wrong?
Leading a Discussion
This verse cuts to the heart of how believers relate to a world that often rejects both them and their values. It describes a fact: moral opposites repel each other. Yet the New Testament adds the command to love enemies. How do we hold these together? The following questions will help your group explore both the honesty of the verse and the grace of Christ.
Discussion questions
- What does the word “abomination” (to‘evah) mean in this verse? How strong is that language?
- Read Proverbs 11:20 (not supplied, but we can reference from memory? Better not. Use supplied: Proverbs 3:32? Not supplied. Use what's there: We can use the surrounding context v25-26. Actually, we have cross-references: Proverbs 29:10, Psalm 119:115, etc. But the discussion questions can reference the verse itself. Avoid quoting unsupplied verses.) Let me adjust: The group can read the verse and ask: what is the relationship between the two halves? They are parallel: each half says the opposite group is an abomination to the other. What does that tell you about the root of the conflict?
- Gill says the righteous detest the unjust man’s actions, not his person. Matthew Henry says they have “a rooted antipathy to wickedness and wicked people.” Which nuance do you find more biblical? Why?
- How does this verse relate to Jesus’ teaching to “love your enemies” (Matthew 5:44)? Is there a contradiction, or can both be true?
- Psalm 119:115 says, “Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God.” When is it right for a Christian to separate from unbelievers, and when is it wrong?
- The wicked find the upright person “an abomination.” Why do you think good behavior provokes hostility? (See John 15:19)
- If you have been shunned or mocked for your faith, how does this verse speak to your experience? How does it offer comfort or challenge?
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)
| Psalms 119:115 | Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may keep the commandments of my God. |
| Psalms 139:21 | Yahweh, don’t I hate those who hate you? Am I not grieved with those who rise up against you? |
| Proverbs 24:9 | The schemes of folly are sin. The mocker is detested by men. |
| Proverbs 29:10 | The bloodthirsty hate a man of integrity; and they seek the life of the upright. |
| Zechariah 11:8 | I cut off the three shepherds in one month; for my soul was weary of them, and their soul also loathed me. |
| John 7:7 | The world can’t hate you, but it hates me, because I testify about it, that its works are evil. |
| John 15:17 | “I command these things to you, that you may love one another. |
| John 15:19 | If you were of the world, the world would love its own. But because you are not of the world, since I chose you out of the world, therefore the world hates you. |
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
8 public-domain commentaries, condensed into plain language.
Adam Clarke's Commentary Methodist/Wesleyan 1826
Clarke notes that some read Proverbs 29:27 as meaning the righteous are hated by the wicked. He also says Christians have understood the verse to mean the one who keeps God’s word will not fall into perdition.
Barnes' Notes on the Bible Protestant 1832
Barnes draws a distinction between active opposition and a deeper, inborn hostility. His point is that the conflict between good and evil people is not merely a matter of their actions but arises from a natural, instinctive aversion each feels toward the other.
Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges Anglican 1880
The commentator recommends reading "righteous" rather than "just" here, following the Revised Version's translation. The point is a textual one: the older rendering is less precise. What the verse describes is righteousness, not mere justice.
Geneva Bible Notes Reformed 1599
The Geneva Note highlights the mutual, unavoidable hostility between the righteous and the wicked. Each finds the other abhorrent, not from mere personal dislike but from a fundamental clash of nature and character. This moral opposition is presented as a fixed reality in a fallen world.
Gill's Exposition of the Bible Baptist 1748
Gill clarifies that when the just consider the unjust an abomination, they loathe the person's sinful actions, not the person himself. The wicked, however, abhor the upright man himself, because his holy life silently rebukes them. This mutual hostility reflects the ancient enmity between the two seeds.
Jamieson-Fausset-Brown Commentary Protestant 1871
Jamieson Fausset Brown notes that wisdom teaches one to avoid anger as it causes harm. This same principle is found in other Proverbs verses. You may find peace by keeping your spirit calm.
Keil & Delitzsch OT Commentary Protestant 1876
Keil and Delitzsch note that the Hebrew word for upright living means walking straight rather than being kind. The righteous see the wicked as an enemy of God because the wicked act against moral order.
Matthew Henry's Commentary Reformed/Presbyterian 1710
Henry sees this mutual loathing as more than mere dislike; it is the ancient enmity between the godly and the ungodly. The just person has a holy hatred for wickedness and avoids the society of the ungodly, while the wicked person instinctively hates the upright whose life shames him.