The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.
Proverbs 21:10 · KJV
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Other translations

KJV

The soul of the wicked desireth evil: his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes.

WEB

The soul of the wicked desires evil; his neighbor finds no mercy in his eyes.

Word study

The soul nephesh H5315
of the wicked râshâʻ H7563
desireth ʼâvâh H183
evil: raʻ H7451
his neighbour rêaʻ H7453
findeth no lôʼ H3808
favour chânan H2603
in his eyes. ʻayin H5869

Commentary

Matthew Henry

See here the character of a very wicked man. 1. The strong inclination he has to do mischief. His very soul desires evil, desires that evil may be done and that he may have the pleasure, not only of seeing it, but of having a hand in it. The root of wickedness lies in the soul; the desire that men have to do evil, that is the lust which conceives and brings forth sin. 2. The strong aversion he has to do good: His neighbour, his friend, his nearest relation, finds no favour in his eyes, cannot gain from him the least kindness, though he be in the greatest need of it. And, when he is in the pursuit of the evil his heart is so much upon, he will spare no man that stands in his way; his next neighbour shall be used no better than a stranger, than an enemy.

John Gill

The soul of the wicked desireth evil,.... The evil of sin, it being natural to him; he chooses it, delights in it, craves after it, under a notion of pleasure or profit: or the evil of mischief; it is a sport and pastime to him to do injury to others; see Pro 10:23; he desires both the one and the other with all his soul; his heart is in it, he is set upon it, which shows him to be a wicked man;

his neighbour findeth no favour in his eyes; not only he delights to do mischief to an enemy or a stranger, but even to a neighbour and friend; he will do him no kindness, though he asks it of him; he will show him no mercy, though an object of it; he will spare him not, but do him an injury, if he attempts to hinder or dissuade him from doing mischief, or reproves him for it.

JFB

So strongly does he desire to do evil (Psa 10:3; Ecc 8:11), that he will not even spare his friend if in his way.

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