'Man' in the Bible

“Because I called and you refused [to answer],I stretched out my hand and no one has paid attention [to my offer];

So find favor and high esteemIn the sight of God and man.

Happy [blessed, considered fortunate, to be admired] is the man who finds [skillful and godly] wisdom,And the man who gains understanding and insight [learning from God’s word and life’s experiences],

Do not quarrel with a man without cause,If he has done you no harm.

Do not envy a man of violenceAnd do not choose any of his ways.

For the ways of man are directly before the eyes of the Lord,And He carefully watches all of his paths [all of his comings and goings].

The iniquities done by a wicked man will trap him,And he will be held with the cords of his sin.

So your poverty will come like an approaching prowler who walks [slowly, but surely]And your need [will come] like an armed man [making you helpless].

A worthless person, a wicked man,Is one who walks with a perverse (corrupt, vulgar) mouth.

For on account of a prostitute one is reduced to a piece of bread [to be eaten up],And the immoral woman hunts [with a hook] the precious life [of a man].

Can a man take fire to his chestAnd his clothes not be burned?

For jealousy enrages the [wronged] husband;He will not spare [the guilty one] on the day of vengeance.

And among the naive [the inexperienced and gullible],I saw among the youthsA young man lacking [good] sense,

“For my husband is not at home.He has gone on a long journey;

“Blessed [happy, prosperous, to be admired] is the man who listens to me,Watching daily at my gates,Waiting at my doorposts.

He who corrects and instructs a scoffer gets dishonor for himself,And he who rebukes a wicked man gets insults for himself.

Do not correct a scoffer [who foolishly ridicules and takes no responsibility for his error] or he will hate you;Correct a wise man [who learns from his error], and he will love you.

Give instruction to a wise man and he will become even wiser;Teach a righteous man and he will increase his learning.

The mouth of the righteous is a fountain of life and his words of wisdom are a source of blessing,But the mouth of the wicked conceals violence and evil.

Engaging in evil is like sport to the fool [who refuses wisdom and chases sin],But to a man of understanding [skillful and godly] wisdom brings joy.

What the wicked fears will come upon him,But the desire of the righteous [for the blessings of God] will be granted.

When the wicked man dies, his expectation will perish;And the hope of [godless] strong men perishes.

With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor,But through knowledge and discernment the righteous will be rescued.

He who despises his neighbor lacks sense,But a man of understanding keeps silent.

The merciful and generous man benefits his soul [for his behavior returns to bless him],But the cruel and callous man does himself harm.

The wicked man earns deceptive wages,But he who sows righteousness and lives his life with integrity will have a true reward [that is both permanent and satisfying].

The people curse him who holds back grain [when the public needs it],But a blessing [from God and man] is upon the head of him who sells it.

A good man will obtain favor from the Lord,But He will condemn a man who devises evil.

A man will not be established by wickedness,But the root of the [consistently] righteous will not be moved.

A man will be commended according to his insight and sound judgment,But the one who is of a perverse mind will be despised.

A righteous man has kind regard for the life of his animal,But even the compassion of the wicked is cruel.

A man will be satisfied with good from the fruit of his words,And the deeds of a man’s hands will return to him [as a harvest].

The [arrogant] fool’s anger is quickly known [because he lacks self-control and common sense],But a prudent man ignores an insult.

A shrewd man is reluctant to display his knowledge [until the proper time],But the heart of [over-confident] fools proclaims foolishness.

The righteous man is a guide to his neighbor,But the way of the wicked leads them astray.

The lazy man does not catch and roast his prey,But the precious possession of a [wise] man is diligence [because he recognizes opportunities and seizes them].

From the fruit of his mouth a [wise] man enjoys good,But the desire of the treacherous is for violence.

A righteous man hates lies,But a wicked man is loathsome, and he acts shamefully.

There is one who pretends to be rich, yet has nothing at all;Another pretends to be poor, yet has great wealth.

The ransom for a man’s life is his wealth,But the poor man does not even have to listen to a rebuke or threats [from the envious].

Every prudent and self-disciplined man acts with knowledge,But a [closed-minded] fool [who refuses to learn] displays his foolishness [for all to see].

A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children,And the wealth of the sinner is stored up for [the hands of] the righteous.

Leave the presence of a [shortsighted] fool,For you will not find knowledge or hear godly wisdom from his lips.

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him,But its end is the way of death.

The backslider in heart will have his fill with his own [rotten] ways,But a good man will be satisfied with his ways [the godly thought and action which his heart pursues and in which he delights].

The naive or inexperienced person [is easily misled and] believes every word he hears,But the prudent man [is discreet and astute and] considers well where he is going.

A wise man suspects danger and cautiously avoids evil,But the fool is arrogant and careless.

A quick-tempered man acts foolishly and without self-control,And a man of wicked schemes is hated.

A hot-tempered man stirs up strife,But he who is slow to anger and patient calms disputes.

A wise son makes a father glad,But a foolish man despises his mother.

Foolishness is joy to him who is without heart and lacks [intelligent, common] sense,But a man of understanding walks uprightly [making his course straight].

A man has joy in giving an appropriate answer,And how good and delightful is a word spoken at the right moment—how good it is!

The plans and reflections of the heart belong to man,But the [wise] answer of the tongue is from the Lord.

All the ways of a man are clean and innocent in his own eyes [and he may see nothing wrong with his actions],But the Lord weighs and examines the motives and intents [of the heart and knows the truth].

By mercy and lovingkindness and truth [not superficial ritual] wickedness is cleansed from the heart,And by the fear of the Lord one avoids evil.

The wrath of a king is like a messenger of death,But a wise man will appease it.

There is a way which seems right to a man and appears straight before him,But its end is the way of death.

A worthless man devises and digs up evil,And the words on his lips are like a scorching fire.

A perverse man spreads strife,And one who gossips separates intimate friends.

A violent and exceedingly covetous man entices his neighbor [to sin],And leads him in a way that is not good.

A reprimand goes deeper into one who has understanding and a teachable spiritThan a hundred lashes into a fool.

A rebellious man seeks only evil;Therefore a cruel messenger will be sent against him.

Let a man meet a [ferocious] bear robbed of her cubsRather than the [angry, narcissistic] fool in his folly.

A man lacking common sense gives a pledgeAnd becomes guarantor [for the debt of another] in the presence of his neighbor.

A wicked man receives a bribe from the [hidden] pocketTo pervert the ways of justice.

[Skillful and godly] wisdom is in the presence of a person of understanding [and he recognizes it],But the eyes of a [thickheaded] fool are on the ends of the earth.

He who has knowledge restrains and is careful with his words,And a man of understanding and wisdom has a cool spirit (self-control, an even temper).

Even a [callous, arrogant] fool, when he keeps silent, is considered wise;When he closes his lips he is regarded as sensible (prudent, discreet) and a man of understanding.

He who [willfully] separates himself [from God and man] seeks his own desire,He quarrels against all sound wisdom.

The name of the Lord is a strong tower;The righteous runs to it and is safe and set on high [far above evil].

The spirit of a man sustains him in sickness,But as for a broken spirit, who can bear it?

The poor man pleads,But the rich man answers roughly.

The man of too many friends [chosen indiscriminately] will be broken in pieces and come to ruin,But there is a [true, loving] friend who [is reliable and] sticks closer than a brother.

Better is a poor man who walks in his integrityThan a [rich] man who is twisted in his speech and is a [shortsighted] fool.

The foolishness of man undermines his way [ruining whatever he undertakes];Then his heart is resentful and rages against the Lord [for, being a fool, he blames the Lord instead of himself].

Wealth makes many friends,But a poor man is separated from his friend.

Many will seek the favor of a generous and noble man,And everyone is a friend to him who gives gifts.

All the brothers of a poor man hate him;How much more do his friends abandon him!He pursues them with words, but they are gone.

Good sense and discretion make a man slow to anger,And it is his honor and glory to overlook a transgression or an offense [without seeking revenge and harboring resentment].

A man of great anger will bear the penalty [for his quick temper and lack of self-control];For if you rescue him [and do not let him learn from the consequences of his action], you will only have to rescue him over and over again.

That which is desirable in a man is his loyalty and unfailing love,But it is better to be a poor man than a [wealthy] liar.

Strike a scoffer [for refusing to learn], and the naive may [be warned and] become prudent;Reprimand one who has understanding and a teachable spirit, and he will gain knowledge and insight.

It is an honor for a man to keep away from strife [by handling situations with thoughtful foresight],But any fool will [start a] quarrel [without regard for the consequences].

A plan (motive, wise counsel) in the heart of a man is like water in a deep well,But a man of understanding draws it out.

Many a man proclaims his own loyalty and goodness,But who can find a faithful and trustworthy man?

The righteous man who walks in integrity and lives life in accord with his [godly] beliefs—How blessed [happy and spiritually secure] are his children after him [who have his example to follow].

Food gained by deceit is sweet to a man,But afterward his mouth will be filled with gravel [just as sin may be sweet at first, but later its consequences bring despair].

Man’s steps are ordered and ordained by the Lord.How then can a man [fully] understand his way?

It is a trap for a man to [speak a vow of consecration and] say rashly, “It is holy!”And [not until] afterward consider [whether he can fulfill it].

The spirit (conscience) of man is the lamp of the Lord,Searching and examining all the innermost parts of his being.

Every man’s way is right in his own eyes,But the Lord weighs and examines the hearts [of people and their motives].

The righteous one keeps an eye on the house of the wicked—How the wicked are cast down to ruin.

A man who wanders from the way of understanding (godly wisdom)Will remain in the assembly of the dead.

He who loves [only selfish] pleasure will become a poor man;He who loves and is devoted to wine and [olive] oil will not become rich.

There is precious treasure and oil in the house of the wise [who prepare for the future],But a short-sighted and foolish man swallows it up and wastes it.

A wise man scales the city [walls] of the mightyAnd brings down the stronghold in which they trust.

“Proud,” “Haughty,” “Scoffer,” are his namesWho acts with overbearing and insolent pride.

A false witness will perish,But a man who listens to the truth will speak forever and go unchallenged.

A wicked man puts on a bold face,But as for the upright, he considers, directs, and establishes his way [with the confidence of integrity].

A prudent and far-sighted person sees the evil [of sin] and hides himself [from it],But the naive continue on and are punished [by suffering the consequences of sin].