Proverbs 2:12
New International Version
Wisdom will save you from the ways of wicked men, from men whose words are perverse,

New Living Translation
Wisdom will save you from evil people, from those whose words are twisted.

English Standard Version
delivering you from the way of evil, from men of perverted speech,

Berean Standard Bible
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

King James Bible
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

New King James Version
To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things,

New American Standard Bible
To rescue you from the way of evil, From a person who speaks perverse things;

NASB 1995
To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

NASB 1977
To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

Legacy Standard Bible
To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

Amplified Bible
To keep you from the way of evil and the evil man, From the man who speaks perverse things;

Christian Standard Bible
It will rescue you from the way of evil — from anyone who says perverse things,

Holman Christian Standard Bible
rescuing you from the way of evil— from the one who says perverse things,

American Standard Version
To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak perverse things;

Contemporary English Version
Wisdom will protect you from evil schemes and from those liars

English Revised Version
To deliver thee from the way of evil, from the men that speak froward things;

GOD'S WORD® Translation
[Wisdom will] save you from the way of evil, from the person who speaks devious things,

Good News Translation
and prevent you from doing the wrong thing. They will keep you away from people who stir up trouble by what they say--

International Standard Version
delivering you from the way of evil, from men who speak perverse things,

Majority Standard Bible
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity,

NET Bible
to deliver you from the way of the wicked, from those speaking perversity,

New Heart English Bible
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things;

Webster's Bible Translation
To deliver thee from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaketh froward things;

World English Bible
to deliver you from the way of evil, from the men who speak perverse things,
Literal Translations
Literal Standard Version
To deliver you from an evil way, "" From any speaking contrary things,

Young's Literal Translation
To deliver thee from an evil way, From any speaking froward things,

Smith's Literal Translation
To deliver thee from the evil way, from the man speaking deceit;
Catholic Translations
Douay-Rheims Bible
That thou mayst be delivered from the evil way, and from the man that speaketh perverse things:

Catholic Public Domain Version
so that you may be rescued from the evil way, and from the man who speaks perversities,

New American Bible
Saving you from the way of the wicked, from those whose speech is perverse.

New Revised Standard Version
It will save you from the way of evil, from those who speak perversely,
Translations from Aramaic
Lamsa Bible
That you might be delivered from evil ways, from men who speak perverse things,

Peshitta Holy Bible Translated
That you may be delivered from evil ways and from men speaking contradictions
OT Translations
JPS Tanakh 1917
To deliver thee from the way of evil, From the men that speak froward things;

Brenton Septuagint Translation
to deliver thee from the evil way, and from the man that speaks nothing faithfully.

Additional Translations ...
Audio Bible



Context
The Benefits of Wisdom
11Discretion will watch over you, and understanding will guard you, 12to deliver you from the way of evil, from the man who speaks perversity, 13from those who leave the straight paths to walk in the ways of darkness,…

Cross References
Psalm 1:1
Blessed is the man who does not walk in the counsel of the wicked, or set foot on the path of sinners, or sit in the seat of mockers.

Psalm 119:101
I have kept my feet from every evil path, that I may keep Your word.

Psalm 119:104
I gain understanding from Your precepts; therefore I hate every false way.

Psalm 119:115
Depart from me, you evildoers, that I may obey the commandments of my God.

Proverbs 4:14-15
Do not set foot on the path of the wicked or walk in the way of evildoers. / Avoid it; do not travel on it. Turn from it and pass on by.

Proverbs 6:12-14
A worthless person, a wicked man, walks with a perverse mouth, / winking his eyes, speaking with his feet, and pointing with his fingers. / With deceit in his heart he devises evil; he continually sows discord.

Proverbs 10:31-32
The mouth of the righteous brings forth wisdom, but a perverse tongue will be cut out. / The lips of the righteous know what is fitting, but the mouth of the wicked is perverse.

Proverbs 11:9
With his mouth the ungodly man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous are rescued.

Proverbs 14:7
Stay away from a foolish man; you will gain no knowledge from his speech.

Proverbs 16:29
A violent man entices his neighbor and leads him down a path that is not good.

Proverbs 19:27
If you cease to hear instruction, my son, you will stray from the words of knowledge.

Isaiah 5:20
Woe to those who call evil good and good evil, who turn darkness to light and light to darkness, who replace bitter with sweet and sweet with bitter.

Isaiah 30:9-11
These are rebellious people, deceitful children, children unwilling to obey the LORD’s instruction. / They say to the seers, “Stop seeing visions!” and to the prophets, “Do not prophesy to us the truth! Speak to us pleasant words; prophesy illusions. / Get out of the way; turn off the road. Rid us of the Holy One of Israel!”

Matthew 7:15-20
Beware of false prophets. They come to you in sheep’s clothing, but inwardly they are ravenous wolves. / By their fruit you will recognize them. Are grapes gathered from thornbushes, or figs from thistles? / Likewise, every good tree bears good fruit, but a bad tree bears bad fruit. ...

Matthew 15:18-20
But the things that come out of the mouth come from the heart, and these things defile a man. / For out of the heart come evil thoughts, murder, adultery, sexual immorality, theft, false testimony, and slander. / These are what defile a man, but eating with unwashed hands does not defile him.”


Treasury of Scripture

To deliver you from the way of the evil man, from the man that speaks fraudulent things;

deliver

Proverbs 1:10-19
My son, if sinners entice thee, consent thou not…

Proverbs 4:14-17
Enter not into the path of the wicked, and go not in the way of evil men

Proverbs 9:6
Forsake the foolish, and live; and go in the way of understanding.

from the man

Proverbs 3:32
For the froward is abomination to the LORD: but his secret is with the righteous.

Proverbs 8:13
The fear of the LORD is to hate evil: pride, and arrogancy, and the evil way, and the froward mouth, do I hate.

Proverbs 16:28-30
A froward man soweth strife: and a whisperer separateth chief friends…

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Proverbs 2
1. wisdom promises godliness to her children
10. and safety from evil company
20. and direction in good ways














to deliver you
The phrase "to deliver you" suggests a rescue or salvation from a perilous situation. In Hebrew, the word for "deliver" is "נָצַל" (natsal), which conveys the idea of being snatched away or rescued. This reflects God's active role in protecting His followers from spiritual and moral danger. The deliverance here is not just physical but also spiritual, emphasizing God's desire to save His people from the snares of sin and evil influences.

from the way of evil
The "way of evil" refers to a path or lifestyle characterized by wickedness and moral corruption. The Hebrew word for "way" is "דֶּרֶךְ" (derek), which can mean a road, journey, or manner of life. This suggests that evil is not just a single act but a habitual pattern of living. The Bible often contrasts the way of the righteous with the way of the wicked, urging believers to choose the path of wisdom and righteousness. Historically, the Israelites were constantly warned against adopting the practices of surrounding pagan nations, which were often described as "evil."

from the man who speaks perversity
The "man who speaks perversity" is someone who distorts truth and promotes moral corruption through their words. The Hebrew word for "perversity" is "תַּהְפֻּכוֹת" (tahpukoth), which implies a turning away from what is right or true. Speech is a powerful tool in the Bible, capable of building up or tearing down. The emphasis here is on the danger of being influenced by those who use their words to lead others astray. In a historical context, false prophets and deceitful leaders were a constant threat to the spiritual integrity of the community. This verse serves as a warning to be discerning about whom we listen to and to seek wisdom that aligns with God's truth.

(12) Froward things.--(Heb., tahp-khoth), i.e., misrepresentations, distortions of the truth.

Verse 12. - To deliver thee from the way of the evil man. The first special advantage resulting from the protecting guardianship of discretion and understanding. From the way of the evil man; properly, from an evil way; Hebrew, מִדֶּרֶך רָע (midarek ra), not necessarily, though by implication, connected with man, as in the Authorized Version. רָע (ra), "evil," "wicked," in an ethical sense, is an adjective, as in Jeremiah 3:16 (לֵב רָע, lev ra), "an evil heart;" cf. the LXX., ἀπὸ ὁδοῦ κακῆς; the Vulgate, Targum, and Arabic, a vid mala, and the Syriac, a viis pravis. "Way," is here used in the sense of "conduct," and the evil way is a line of conduct or action which is essentially wicked or evil. The teacher has already Warned youth against the temptations and dangers of the way of evil men in Proverbs 1:10-15; he now shows that discretion, arising from wisdom being resident in the heart, will be a sufficient safeguard against its allurements. From the man that speaketh froward things. Perverse utterances are here brought in contradistinction to the evil way or froward conduct. Man (אִשׁ ish) is here used generically, as the representative of the whole class of base and wicked men, since all the following verbs are in the plural, Froward things. The word תַּהְפֻכוֹּת (tah'pucoth), here translated "froward things," is derived from the root צּצּצּ (haphak), "to turn," "to pervert," and should be translated "perverseness." Perverseness is the wilful misrepresentation of that which is good and true. The utterances are of a distorted and tortuous character. The word, only found in the plural, is abstract in form, and is of frequent, though not of exclusive, occurrence in the Proverbs. It is attributed to the Israelites in Deuteronomy 32:20. It is met with again in such expressions as "the mouth of perverseness," Authorized Version "froward mouth" (Proverbs 8:13); "the tongue of perverseness," "froward tongue," Authorized Version (Proverbs 10:31); "the man of perverseness," "froward man," Authorized Version (Proverbs 16:28). What is here said of wicked men is attributed to drunkards in Proverbs 23:33, "Thine heart shall utter perverse things." The expression finds its explanation in Proverbs 6:13, 14. The spirit which indulges in this perverseness is stubborn, scornful, self-willed, and rebellious, and it is from such a spirit that discretion is a preservative. In Job 5:13 it is said that "the counsel of the froward is carried headlong" (see also 2 Samuel 22:27; Psalm 18:26; Psalm 101:4). The LXX. rendering of this word is μηδὲν πιστόν, "nothing trustworthy," which is amplified in the Arabic, quod nullam in se continet veritatem, "that which contains in itself no truth."

Parallel Commentaries ...


Hebrew
to deliver you
לְ֭הַצִּ֣ילְךָ (lə·haṣ·ṣî·lə·ḵā)
Preposition-l | Verb - Hifil - Infinitive construct | second person masculine singular
Strong's 5337: To strip, plunder, deliver oneself, be delivered, snatch away, deliver

from the way
מִדֶּ֣רֶךְ (mid·de·reḵ)
Preposition-m | Noun - common singular
Strong's 1870: A road, a course of life, mode of action

of evil,
רָ֑ע (rā‘)
Adjective - masculine singular
Strong's 7451: Bad, evil

from the man
מֵ֝אִ֗ישׁ (mê·’îš)
Preposition-m | Noun - masculine singular
Strong's 376: A man as an individual, a male person

who speaks
מְדַבֵּ֥ר (mə·ḏab·bêr)
Verb - Piel - Participle - masculine singular
Strong's 1696: To arrange, to speak, to subdue

perversity,
תַּהְפֻּכֽוֹת׃ (tah·pu·ḵō·wṯ)
Noun - feminine plural
Strong's 8419: Perversity, perverse thing


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OT Poetry: Proverbs 2:12 To deliver you from the way (Prov. Pro Pr)
Proverbs 2:11
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