Proverbs 21:3

“To do justice and judgment, etc.] The moral duties of religion, what is holy, just, and good, which the law requires; what is agreeably to both tables, piety towards God, and justice to men; that which is just and right between man and man; which, especially if done from right principles and with right views, [is] more acceptable to the Lord than sacrifice; not than any sacrifice; than the sacrifice of a broken heart, or the sacrifice of praise and thanksgiving, or of acts of goodness and beneficence, or of a man’s whole self to the Lord; but than ceremonial sacrifices; which, though of divine institution, and typical of Christ, and when offered up in the faith of him, were acceptable to…”

“(Compare Psa 50:7-15; Isa 1:11, Isa 1:17).”

“Compare the marginal reference. The words have a special significance as coming from the king who had built the temple, and had offered sacrifices that could not be numbered for multitude” 1 Kings 8:5. return to 'Top of Page'”

“21:3 God is not pleased with worship unless godly actions flow from a godly heart (see Ps 40:6-8; Mic 6:6-8).”

“Pro 15:8; Sa1 15:22; Psa 50:8; Isa 1:11-17; Jer 7:21-23; Hos 6:6; Mic 6:6-8; Mar 12:33 Proverbs 21:4”

“3 To practice justice and right Hath with Jahve the pre-eminence above sacrifice. We have already (vol. i. p. 42) shown how greatly this depreciation of the works of the ceremonial cultus, as compared with the duties of moral obedience, is in the spirit of the Chokma; cf. also at Pro 15:8. Prophecy also gives its testimony, e.g., Hos 6:7, according to which also here (cf. Pro 20:8 with Isa 9:8) the practising of צדקה וּמשׁפּט (sequence of words as at Gen 18:19; Psa 33:5, elsewhere צדק ומשׁפט, and yet more commonly משׁפט וצדקה) does not denote legal rigour, but the practising of the justum et aequum, or much rather the aequum et bonum, thus in its foundation conduct proceeding from the…”