The Meaning of Proverbs 21:8 Explained

Proverbs 21:8

KJV: The way of man is froward and strange: but as for the pure, his work is right.

YLT: Froward is the way of a man who is vile, And the pure -- upright is his work.

Darby: Very crooked is the way of a guilty man; but as for the pure, his work is upright.

ASV: The way of him that is laden with guilt is exceeding crooked; But as for the pure, his work is right.

KJV Reverse Interlinear

The way  of man  [is] froward  and strange:  but [as for] the pure,  his work  [is] right. 

What does Proverbs 21:8 Mean?

Chapter Summary: Proverbs 21

1  The king's heart in the hand of the Lord

What do the individual words in Proverbs 21:8 mean?

[is] perverse the way of a man guilty but [as for] the pure right his work [is]
הֲפַכְפַּ֬ךְ דֶּ֣רֶךְ אִ֣ישׁ וָזָ֑ר וְ֝זַ֗ךְ יָשָׁ֥ר פָּעֳלֽוֹ

הֲפַכְפַּ֬ךְ  [is]  perverse 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: הֲפַכְפַּךְ  
Sense: crooked, perverted.
דֶּ֣רֶךְ  the  way 
Parse: Noun, common singular construct
Root: דֶּרֶךְ  
Sense: way, road, distance, journey, manner.
אִ֣ישׁ  of  a  man 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular
Root: אִישׁ 
Sense: man.
וָזָ֑ר  guilty 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: וָזָר  
Sense: guilty, burdened with guilt, strange adj.
וְ֝זַ֗ךְ  but  [as  for]  the  pure 
Parse: Conjunctive waw, Adjective, masculine singular
Root: זַךְ  
Sense: clean, pure.
יָשָׁ֥ר  right 
Parse: Adjective, masculine singular
Root: יָשָׁר 
Sense: straight, upright, correct, right.
פָּעֳלֽוֹ  his  work  [is] 
Parse: Noun, masculine singular construct, third person masculine singular
Root: פֹּעַל  
Sense: work, deed, doing.