💡WEB · Proverbs 15:29
What does Proverbs 15:29 mean?
"Yahweh is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous."
— Proverbs 15:29 (World English Bible)
Surrounding context
Yahweh detests the thoughts of the wicked, but the thoughts of the pure are pleasing.
He who is greedy for gain troubles his own house, but he who hates bribes will live.
The heart of the righteous weighs answers, but the mouth of the wicked gushes out evil.
Yahweh is far from the wicked, but he hears the prayer of the righteous.
The light of the eyes rejoices the heart. Good news gives health to the bones.
The ear that listens to reproof lives, and will be at home among the wise.
He who refuses correction despises his own soul, but he who listens to reproof gets understanding.
Explanation
Proverbs 15:29 makes a simple but weighty statement: God maintains distance from those who persist in wickedness, while he attentively listens to the prayers of those who live righteously. The verse draws a direct line between one's manner of life and the effectiveness of one's communication with God. It is not saying that God is unaware of the wicked or absent from the world in a general sense, but that there is a relational distance—a barrier to intimacy and to answered prayer—created by unrepentant wrongdoing.
This proverb belongs to the book of Proverbs, traditionally attributed largely to Solomon, though the book as a whole is a collection of wisdom sayings gathered and edited over time for use in Israel's household and covenant life. Proverbs was written to instruct the young and the simple in the "fear of Yahweh," training them to distinguish wise living from foolish living, righteousness from wickedness. These sayings often work in antithetical pairs, contrasting two paths—the righteous and the wicked—to make moral instruction memorable and vivid. Proverbs 15:29 fits this pattern precisely, setting up a stark contrast between two types of people and two very different outcomes when they seek God.
Theologically, this verse reflects a consistent biblical theme: prayer is not a magical formula that automatically secures a hearing regardless of one's life, but rather flows out of a relationship with God. Throughout Scripture, unrepentant sin is depicted as creating separation from God (see also Isaiah 59:2, Psalm 66:18), while righte
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