21 Evil pursueth sinners,

     And the righteous is repaid with good.

To תּרדּף of the punishment which follows after sinners at their heels, cf. Nahum 1:8. Greek art gives wings to Nemesis in this sense. To translate 21b, with Lwenstein, "The pious, the good rewards them," is untenable, for טוב, the good (e.g., Proverbs 11:27), never appears personified, only טוב, goodness, Psalm 23:6, according to which the lxx τοὺς δὲ δικαίους καταλήψεται (ישׂיג) ἀγαθά. Still less is טוב meant personally, as the Venet. τὰ δὲ δίκαια ἀποδώσει χρηστός, which probably means: righteous conduct will a good one, viz., God, reward. טוב .dr is an attribute of God, but never the name of God. So the verb שׁלּם, after the manner of verbs of educating and leading (גמל, עשׂה, עבד), is connected with a double accusative. The Syr., Targum, and Jerome translate passively, and so also do we; for while we must think of God in the retribuet, yet the proverb does not name Him any more than at Proverbs 12:14, cf. Proverbs 10:24; it is designedly constructed, placing Him in the background, with vague generality: the righteous will one, will they, reward with good - this expression, with the most general personal subject, almost coincides with one altogether passive.

Proverbs 14:2 Parallel Commentaries

that walketh

Proverbs 16:17 The highway of the upright is to depart from evil: he that keeps his way preserves his soul.

Proverbs 28:6 Better is the poor that walks in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.

1 Kings 3:6 And Solomon said, You have showed to your servant David my father great mercy, according as he walked before you in truth...

Job 1:1 There was a man in the land of Uz, whose name was Job; and that man was perfect and upright, and one that feared God...

Job 28:28 And to man he said, Behold, the fear of the LORD, that is wisdom; and to depart from evil is understanding.

Psalm 25:21 Let integrity and uprightness preserve me; for I wait on you.

Psalm 112:1 Praise you the LORD. Blessed is the man that fears the LORD, that delights greatly in his commandments.

Ecclesiastes 12:13 Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man.

Malachi 2:5,6 My covenant was with him of life and peace; and I gave them to him for the fear with which he feared me, and was afraid before my name...

Acts 9:31 Then had the churches rest throughout all Judaea and Galilee and Samaria, and were edified; and walking in the fear of the Lord...

Acts 10:22,35 And they said, Cornelius the centurion, a just man, and one that fears God, and of good report among all the nation of the Jews...

but

Proverbs 11:12 He that is void of wisdom despises his neighbor: but a man of understanding holds his peace.

Job 12:4 I am as one mocked of his neighbor, who calls on God, and he answers him: the just upright man is laughed to scorn.

Psalm 123:3,4 Have mercy on us, O LORD, have mercy on us: for we are exceedingly filled with contempt...

Luke 10:16 He that hears you hears me; and he that despises you despises me; and he that despises me despises him that sent me.

Luke 16:14 And the Pharisees also, who were covetous, heard all these things: and they derided him.

Romans 2:4,5 Or despise you the riches of his goodness and forbearance and long-suffering...

2 Timothy 3:2,3 For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy...