Proverbs 21:27 Meaning and Explanation
“The sacrifice of the wicked is abomination: how much more, when he bringeth it with a wicked mind?”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →Even a wicked person's sacrifice is offensive to God; offering it with conscious wickedness makes it worse.
The Context of Proverbs 21:27
The wicked's sacrifice is doubly offensive when offered with conscious hypocrisy.
What Does Proverbs 21:27 Mean?
A sacrifice offered by someone with a wicked character is already 'abomination'—detestable and repulsive to God. The very fact of the wicked person making the offering corrupts it. Ritual action cannot be separated from the state of the heart offering it.
When the wicked bring their sacrifice 'with a wicked mind'—consciously aware of their own wickedness, deliberately going through the motions despite it—the offense deepens. It is hypocrisy layered upon hypocrisy: an already-corrupted person making a corrupted offering. God is not fooled or appeased by such false piety.
Frequently Asked Questions About Proverbs 21:27
What does Proverbs 21:27 mean?
Even a wicked person's sacrifice is offensive to God; offering it with conscious wickedness makes it worse.
What is the context of Proverbs 21:27?
The wicked's sacrifice is doubly offensive when offered with conscious hypocrisy.