The Meaning of Proverbs 20:12 Explained

Proverbs 20:12

KJV: The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, the LORD hath made even both of them.

YLT: A hearing ear, and a seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

Darby: The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

ASV: The hearing ear, and the seeing eye, Jehovah hath made even both of them.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The hearing  ear,  and the seeing  eye,  the LORD  hath made  even both  of them. 

What does Proverbs 20:12 Mean?

Context Summary

Proverbs 20:1-15 - Sobriety Industry Honesty
Strong drink is the greatest of all foes to human happiness. It gains an influence over men by fair promises, but when once it is entrenched, it mocks at the misery of its abject slave. It promises strength for the arm, joy for the heart, brilliance for the mind; but those fair promises are not kept, and the end is impotence, misery, and imbecility. Let each reader of these words henceforth utterly abjure it!
The sluggard is depicted throughout this book to stir us to diligent industry. After all, it is not by great gifts but by patient persistence that men succeed. Indeed, the highest genius is left behind by the careful plodder, if the one lacks and the other possesses this invaluable quality. "Diligent in business, serving the Lord."
All our life lies open to the eye of God. He is closely acquainted with the transactions of the bank, the office, the ledger, and the weights in the store. No lapse from perfect honesty escapes his notice; and for every act of deception there is an inevitable Nemesis. [source]

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 20

1  Proper Living

What do the individual words in Proverbs 20:12 mean?

The ear hearing and the eye seeing Yahweh has made even the two of them
אֹ֣זֶן שֹׁ֭מַעַת וְעַ֣יִן רֹאָ֑ה יְ֝הוָ֗ה עָשָׂ֥ה גַם־ שְׁנֵיהֶֽם

אֹ֣זֶן  The  ear 
Parse: Noun, feminine singular
Root: אֹזֶן  
Sense: ear, as part of the body.
שֹׁ֭מַעַת  hearing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: שָׁמַע 
Sense: to hear, listen to, obey.
וְעַ֣יִן  and  the  eye 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Noun, common singular
Root: עֹונָה 
Sense: eye.
רֹאָ֑ה  seeing 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Participle, feminine singular
Root: רָאָה 
Sense: to see, look at, inspect, perceive, consider.
יְ֝הוָ֗ה  Yahweh 
Parse: Proper Noun, masculine singular
Root: יהוה 
Sense: the proper name of the one true God.
עָשָׂ֥ה  has  made 
Parse: Verb, Qal, Perfect, third person masculine singular
Root: עָשָׂה 
Sense: to do, fashion, accomplish, make.
גַם־  even 
Parse: Conjunction
Root: גַּם  
Sense: also, even, indeed, moreover, yea.
שְׁנֵיהֶֽם  the  two  of  them 
Parse: Number, mdc, third person masculine plural
Root: שְׁנַיִם  
Sense: two.