Proverbs 2:14
BeginnerProverbs 2:14 · World English Bible (WEB)
“who rejoice to do evil, and delight in the perverseness of evil;”
Tip: highlight any word or phrase above to go deeper on exactly that.
Overview
The corrupting depth of wickedness: evil can become not only something practiced, but something enjoyed.
Proverbs 2:14 describes people whose hearts have become so twisted that they rejoice in doing evil and take pleasure in moral perversity. Wisdom is needed not only to avoid evil actions, but to discern and flee the kind of heart that celebrates what God hates.
What Makes This Verse Confusing?
The phrase points beyond ordinary wrongdoing. It describes pleasure in the “twistedness” or “crookedness” of evil itself — not merely gaining something by sin, but enjoying the distortion of what is right.
The English phrase “perverseness of evil” is abstract and compressed; it does not specify whether the delight is in the act, the result, or the moral twisting involved.
This makes the verse more sobering: the danger is not only sinful behavior, but a heart trained to love moral inversion — calling darkness light and finding joy in what grieves God.
Theological Insights
One mark of deep spiritual corruption is rejoicing in what God calls evil.
Believers must guard not only their actions, but their affections — what they enjoy, approve, laugh at, and celebrate.
Original Language
perversity — perversity, perverse thing
This word carries the idea of twistedness, overturning, or distortion. In this verse, it shows that the wicked are not merely choosing bad things; they delight in the reversal of God’s righteous order.
to rejoice — 1) to rejoice, exult, be glad 1a) (Qal) 1a1) to rejoice 1a2) to tremble (from fear)
The verb intensifies the description: this is not reluctant sin or momentary weakness, but active rejoicing. Proverbs exposes a settled affection for evil, which is far more dangerous than a single fall.
Lexicon & word tagging: STEP Bible (Tyndale House, STEPBible.org, CC BY 4.0)
Related Passages
Romans 1:32
parallelRomans 1:32 describes people who not only practice unrighteous things but also approve of those who do them.
Proverbs 10:23
parallelProverbs 10:23 says doing wickedness is like sport or laughter to a fool.
Jeremiah 11:15
Background1 Corinthians 13:6
contrastLove “does not rejoice in iniquity, but rejoices in the truth.”
Luke 22:4-5
BackgroundHosea 7:3
BackgroundZephaniah 3:11
BackgroundHabakkuk 1:15
BackgroundCross-references from the Treasury of Scripture Knowledge · openbible.info (CC-BY)
How This Applies Today
This verse calls for careful heart-examination in a world where evil is often packaged as entertainment, humor, cleverness, or freedom.
- →Ask the Lord to expose any place where your heart has begun to enjoy what His Word calls evil.
- →Turn away from influences that train you to laugh at sin or admire moral crookedness.
- Do I grieve over evil, or have I become entertained by it?
Analysis generated on September 29, 2026 · version 2.0
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