Proverbs 27:21
The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, and a man is measured by what he is praised for.
Bible in Basic English
In The King James Version
As the fining pot for silver, and the furnace for gold; so is a man to his praise.
In Context
20The underworld and Abaddon are never full, and the eyes of man have never enough.
Cross References
1 Samuel 18:7And the women, answering one another in their song, said, Saul has put to death his thousands and David his tens of thousands.
1 Samuel 18:30Then the rulers of the Philistines went out to war: and whenever they went out, David did more wisely than all the other servants of Saul, so that his name became greatly honoured.
2 Samuel 15:6And this Absalom did to everyone in Israel who came to the king to have his cause judged: so Absalom, like a thief, took away the hearts of the men of Israel.
Psalms 12:6\12:5\Because of the crushing of the poor and the weeping of those in need, now will I come to his help, says the Lord; I will give him the salvation which he is desiring.
Proverbs 17:3The heating-pot is for silver and the oven-fire for gold, but the Lord is the tester of hearts.
Malachi 3:3He will take his seat, testing and cleaning the sons of Levi, burning away the evil from them as from gold and silver; so that they may make offerings to the Lord in righteousness.
Matthew Henry on Proverbs 27:21
20 Hell and destruction are never full; so the eyes of man are never satisfied. Two things are here said to be insatiable, and they are two things near of kin—death and sin. 1. Death is insatiable. The first death, the second death, both are so. The grave is not clogged with the multitude of dead bodies that are daily thrown into it, but is still an open sepulchre, and cries, Give, give. Hell also has enlarged itself, and still has room for the damned spirits that are committed to that prison. Tophet is deep and… Read the whole commentary →