Commentary - Proverbs 14:22

Bird's-eye view

This proverb, like so many others, sets before us the great antithesis, the fundamental choice that defines every human life. It is a choice of moral trajectory, a choice of what one plots, plans, and pursues. The verse presents two kinds of people, distinguished by what they "devise." On the one hand, there are those who devise evil. Their path is not one of accidental stumbling, but of intentional plotting. The proverb asks a rhetorical question about them: "Will they not wander in error?" The answer is an emphatic yes. Their end is confusion, aimlessness, and being utterly lost. On the other hand, there are those who devise good. Their end is not left to chance either. For them, God has prepared "lovingkindness and truth." This is covenant language, rich with the promises of God's steadfast love and faithfulness. The verse, then, is a compact summary of the doctrine of the two ways. The path you plot determines the destination you find, and one leads to ruin while the other leads to the very heart of God's covenant blessing.

At its core, this is a statement about the moral structure of the universe. Actions have consequences, but more than that, the intentions and designs of the heart have consequences. God is not a passive observer of human planning; He is the sovereign who ensures that those who plot evil will get lost in their own mazes, while those who aim for what is good will find themselves met by God's own covenant faithfulness. It is a call to wisdom, urging the reader to consider not just his actions, but the very orientation of his heart's desires and plans.

Outline

Context In Proverbs

Proverbs 14 is a chapter full of sharp contrasts between wisdom and folly, righteousness and wickedness, pride and humility. This verse fits squarely within that pattern. It follows a verse contrasting the sin of despising a neighbor with the happiness of showing mercy to the poor (v. 21) and precedes a verse contrasting the fruit of labor with the poverty of mere talk (v. 23). The surrounding verses all highlight the truth that internal character produces external results. A wise woman builds her house (v. 1), a fool's mouth invites a beating (v. 3), and a sound heart is life to the body (v. 30). Proverbs 14:22 contributes to this theme by focusing on the planning stage. It is not just what you do, but what you devise in your heart, that sets your course. The book of Proverbs is intensely practical, but it is never superficial. It understands that all of life flows from the heart (Prov 4:23), and so it addresses the plotter, the planner, the deviser, and lays out the ultimate consequences of his chosen direction.

Key Issues

The Architect's Choice

Every man is an architect of his own life, but he is not his own building inspector. This proverb is about the blueprints. Before the action, there is the intention. Before the deed, there is the devising. The Hebrew word for "devise" here is charash, which can mean to plow, to engrave, or to plot. It speaks of intentional, focused, creative effort. A man plows a field with a harvest in mind. An engraver cuts into stone with a final design in mind. And a sinner, just the same, plots evil with a sinful end in view. Likewise, the righteous man is not righteous by accident. He devises, he plans, he aims for what is good.

The central lesson is that we are not passive victims of circumstance. We are active plotters. The question is not whether you will devise, but what you will devise. Will you be an architect of ruin or an architect of righteousness? The universe God has made is not neutral on this point. It is designed to reward one kind of blueprint and to ensure the other kind of building collapses on the head of its builder.

Verse by Verse Commentary

22a Will they not wander in error who devise evil?

The verse begins with a question that expects a hearty "Amen." Of course they will. The man who sits down to draw up blueprints for a wicked scheme is, in that very moment, already lost. The word for "wander in error" is ta'ah, the same word used for a sheep going astray. It means to be lost, to be disoriented, to stagger about with no sense of direction. This is a profound piece of spiritual psychology. The sinner thinks he is being clever, that he is charting a course to get what he wants. He is the master plotter, the shrewd operator. But God says that the very act of plotting against His created order is an act of self-disorientation. You cannot plan to break the tenth commandment without simultaneously breaking your own internal compass. The path of sin promises autonomy and control, but it delivers confusion and bondage. The man who devises evil thinks he is on a straight road to his goal, but God sees him wandering aimlessly in a desert of his own making, chasing mirages.

22b But lovingkindness and truth will be to those who devise good.

The contrast could not be more stark. For the one who devises good, the reward is not confusion, but covenant. "Lovingkindness and truth" are two of the richest words in the Old Testament, hesed and emet. This is not just a general sense of niceness and accuracy. This is the very bedrock of God's covenant with His people. Hesed is steadfast, loyal, covenant love. It is the love that will not let go. Emet is faithfulness, reliability, truthfulness. It is the quality of God that makes His promises utterly trustworthy.

So, for the man who orients his heart to plot what is good, what is in line with God's law and character, he finds that he is not walking alone. He finds that God Himself comes to meet him with His own covenant character. He plans good, and he is met with God's steadfast love. He aims for what is true, and he is met with God's own faithfulness. This is not to say that the righteous man earns God's favor by his good intentions. Rather, the man whose heart is regenerated by grace is the only one who can truly devise good in the first place. And as he does so, he experiences the reality of the covenant relationship into which he has been brought. He finds that the moral grain of the universe, established by the Creator, is with him and not against him. He is plowing with the contours of the land, not against them, and the result is a harvest of God's own goodness.

Application

This proverb forces us to look under the hood of our own lives. It is easy to get caught up in evaluating our external actions, tallying up our good deeds and our bad ones. But God's wisdom literature pushes us deeper. What are you devising? When you are alone with your thoughts, what schemes are you hatching? What are you plotting for in your business, your family, your relationships? Are you devising ways to get ahead at someone else's expense? Are you plotting a subtle revenge? Are you designing a life that maximizes your own comfort and minimizes your obligations to others? If so, do not be surprised when you feel lost, confused, and spiritually adrift. That is the built-in consequence. You are wandering in error.

The call, then, is to repentance at the level of our intentions. The gospel is the only power that can change a heart that devises evil into one that devises good. Christ did not just die for our wicked deeds; He died for our wicked blueprints. He took the penalty for all our sinful plotting. And through His Spirit, He gives us a new heart, a heart that desires to devise good. For the Christian, this means we must actively and intentionally plot for righteousness. We should devise ways to love our wives, to encourage our children, to serve our church, to do good to our neighbors. And as we do, we should expect to be met by the hesed and emet of our covenant-keeping God. He is faithful. When we plot a course that honors Him, we find that His steadfast love and truth are the wind in our sails, guiding us all the way home.