Abomination Part 2

What does the word “abomination” mean?

Abominable - to cause moral revulsive. Detestable.

Something that God rejects.

Proverbs 3:32 ESV

for the devious person is an abomination to the Lord, but the upright are in his confidence.

Proverbs 11:20 ESV

Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless ways are his delight.

These two proverbs are paired together because they both point at the same thing. The first proverb makes mention of the devious person, or the one who wishes to fool others and lead them astray. However, when we read the first in the context of the second, we are reminded that it is the heart that guides the actions of a person. It is a crooked heart that God despises. The crooked heart turns into a person who will twist what is true for their own benefit.

Proverbs 11:1 ESV

A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is his delight.

Proverbs 20:10 ESV

Unequal weights and unequal measures are both alike an abomination to the Lord.

Proverbs 20:23 ESV

Unequal weights are an abomination to the Lord, and false scales are not good.

God despises one who is dishonest in their actions. The business practices here have been confirmed by archaeologists.

Proverbs 16:11 ESV

A just balance and scales are the Lord’s; all the weights in the bag are his work.

Proverbs 12:22 ESV

Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord, but those who act faithfully are his delight.

It isn’t just dishonest works that are an abomination but also dishonest words that the Lord finds detestable.

Proverbs 16:5 ESV

Everyone who is arrogant in heart is an abomination to the Lord; be assured, he will not go unpunished.

The one who operates in a prideful or arrogant way is an abomination. The idea here is clear that God desires that we would be humble in all things. Arrogance, or an exaggerated sense of one’s own importance is detestable to God.

What can we take away here? What you say matters to the Lord. What you do. And the state of your heart.