Proverbs 21:4

“An high look, and a proud heart, etc.] The former is a sign of the latter, and commonly go together, and are both abominable to the Lord; (see <19A105>Psalm 101:5 <200616>Proverbs 6:16,17). A man that looks above others, and with disdain upon them, shows that pride reigns in him, and swells his mind with a vain opinion of himself; this may be observed in every selfrighteous man; the parable of the Pharisee and publican is a comment upon it; sometimes there may be a proud heart under a disguise of humility; but the pride of the heart is often discovered by the look of the eyes. It may be rendered, “the elevation of the eyes, and the enlargement of the heart”f570; but not to be understood in a…”

“high look--(Compare Margin; Psa 131:1). proud heart--or, "heart of breadth," one that is swollen (compare Psa 101:5). ploughing--better "lamp," a frequent figure for prosperity (Pro 20:20); hence joy or delight.”

“The plowing - The Hebrew word, with a change in its vowel points, may signify either: (1) the “fallow field,” the “tillage” of Proverbs 13:23, or (2) the lamp. According to: (1) the verse would mean, “The outward signs of pride, the proud heart, the broad lands of the wicked, all are evil.” (2) however, belongs, as it were, to the language of the time and of the book Proverbs 13:9; Proverbs 24:20. The “lamp of the wicked” is their outwardly bright prosperity. return to 'Top of Page'”

“The plowing - Even their civil or natural actions, which in themselves are lawful, are made sinful as they are managed by ungodly men, without any regard to the glory of God, which ought to be the end of all our actions. Proverbs 21:5”

“21:4 Demeanor (eyes), character (heart), and actions are all significant. God hates pride (see 6:17-18; 11:2; 13:10; 15:33; 16:18; 18:12).”

“An high look: Heb. Haughtiness of eyes, Pro 6:17, Pro 8:13, Pro 30:13; Psa 10:4; Isa 2:11, Isa 2:17, Isa 3:16; Luk 18:14; Pe1 5:5 and the: Pro 21:27, Pro 15:8; Rom 14:23 plowing of the wicked: or, light of the wicked Proverbs 21:5”

“4 Loftiness of eyes and swelling of heart - The husbandry of the godless is sin. If נר, in the sense of light, gives a satisfactory meaning, then one might appeal to Kg1 11:36 (cf. Sa2 21:17), where ניר appears to signify lamp, in which meaning it is once ( Sa2 22:29) written ניר (like חיק); or since ניר = נר (ground-form, nawir, lightening) is as yet certainly established neither in the Heb. nor Syr., one might punctuate נר instead of נר, according to which the Greeks, Aram., and Luther, with Jerome, translate. But of the lamp of the godless we read at Pro 13:9 and elsewhere, that it goeth out. We must here understand by נר the brilliant prosperity (Bertheau and others) of the wicked, or…”