Proverbs 14:9

Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
– Proverbs 14:9

The wording here is difficult with various interpretations. The general sense comes out in the antithetical parallelism of the two phrases. The word for sin means guilt or an offense. The word for favor means delight or acceptance. Both words are used elsewhere in reference to sacrifices, but that seems beyond the scope of the interpersonal relationships suggested in this proverb and the Proverbs as a whole. So fools scoff at guilt, or the sense of personal offense (Proverbs 10:23; 26:18-19). They see no need of reconciliation or making right any action (Proverbs 30:20). The word for righteous means straight or upright. It’s a term often describing a man’s relation to another as being a just one. The contrast is the righteous have a sense of wrong done and strive to maintain a good conscience (Proverbs 12:2; 13:15; Acts 24:16).

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