Proverbs 20:27
The spirit of a man is the lamp of the Lord, which searcheth all the hidden things of the bowels.
Open Proverbs 20:27 in the Motif Searcher, word by word across all five texts →Show on the spiral →The verse in its languages
- Vulgate (Clementine)
- Lucerna Domini spiraculum hominis, quæ investigat omnia secreta ventris.
- Septuagint (Swete) shown from Proverbs 20:21
- φῶς Κυρίου πνοὴ ἀνθρώπων, ὃς ἐραυνᾷ ταμεῖα κοιλίας.
- Hebrew (WLC)
- נֵ֣ר יְ֭הוָה נִשְׁמַ֣ת אָדָ֑ם חֹ֝פֵ֗שׂ כָּל חַדְרֵי בָֽטֶן
Haydock's commentary
Lamp. The breath of life, (Genesis ii. 7.) and the light of man, 1 Corinthians ii. 11.
From Haydock's Catholic Bible Commentary, 1859, in the transcription made by Todd Easton and kept online by John Paul Wohlschied at johnblood.gitlab.io/haydock.
The Fathers on this verse
St Clement of Rome First Epistle to the Corinthians, Chapter XXI. Let us obey God, and
Take heed, beloved, lest His many kindnesses lead to the condemnation of us all. [For thus it must be] unless we walk worthy of Him, and with one mind do those things which are good and well-pleasing in His sight. For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, “The Spirit of the Lord is a candle searching the secret parts of the belly.” Let us reflect how near He is, and that none of the thoughts or reasonings in which we engage are hid from Him. It is right, therefore, that we should not leave the post which His will has assigned us. Let us rather offend those men who are foolish, and inconsiderate, and lifted up, and who glory in the pride of their speech, than [offend] God. …
Clement of Alexandria The Stromata, or Miscellanies, Chapter XVII. Passages from Clement’s Epistle to the Corinthians on Martyrdom
“David too, of whom the Lord, testifying, says, ‘I found a man after my own heart, David the son of Jesse. With my holy oil I anointed him.’ But he also says to God, ‘Pity me, O God, according to Thy mercy; and according to the multitude of Thy tender mercies, blot out my transgression. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgression, and my sin is ever before me.’” Then, alluding to sin which is not subject to the law, in the exercise of the moderation of true knowledge, he adds, “Against Thee only have I sinned, and done evil in Thy sight.” For the Scripture somewhere says, “The Spirit of the Lord is a lamp, searching the recesses of the belly.” And the more of a Gnostic a man becomes by doing right, the nearer is the illuminating Spirit to him. …
St Clement of Rome The First Epistle of Clement to the Corinthians, Chapter XXI
Take heed, beloved, lest His many kindnesses lead to the condemnation of us all. [For thus it must be] unless we walk worthy of Him, and with one mind do those things which are good and well-pleasing in His sight. For [the Scripture] saith in a certain place, “The Spirit of the Lord is a candle searching the secret parts of the belly.” Let us reflect how near He is, and that none of the thoughts or reasonings in which we engage are hid from Him. It is right, therefore, that we should not leave the post which His will has assigned us. Let us rather offend those men who are foolish, and inconsiderate, and lifted up, and who glory in the pride of their speech, than [offend] God. …
St Gregory the Great The Book of Pastoral Rule, How the whole and the sick are to be admonished
The sick are to be admonished to consider how great health of the heart is in bodily affliction, which recalls the mind to knowledge of itself, and renews the memory of infirmity which health for the most part casts away, so that the spirit, which is carried out of itself into elation, may be reminded by the smitten flesh from which it suffers to what condition it is subject. Which thing is rightly signified to Balaam (had he but been willing to follow obediently the voice of God ) in the very retardation of his journey ( Num. xxii. 23 , seq. ). For Balaam is on his way to attain his purpose; but the animal which is under him thwarts his desire. …