Proverbs 16:2
All the ways of a man are clean in his own eyes; but the Lord weigheth the spirits.
Cross-reference
In Proverbs 5:21, God examines all paths—reinforcing that what seems pure is always seen and evaluated by Him.
In Proverbs 24:12, God weighs the heart and knows hidden deeds—directly echoing the principle that motives are judged.
In Proverbs 30:12, this same self-deception is described—people who consider themselves pure despite being unclean.
Proverbs 12:15 says a fool's way seems right to him—same self-justification theme; contrast with the wise listening to advice.
Revelation 2:23 declares that Jesus searches minds and hearts and repays deeds—same divine heart-examination as Proverbs 16:2.
In Luke 18:9-11, the Pharisee thanks God for his own righteousness—a classic case of seeming pure while motives are self-exalting.
Luke 16:15 shows Jesus saying people justify themselves but God knows hearts—direct parallel to self-deception and divine assessment.
Jeremiah 17:10 states God searches the heart and mind to reward deeds—same theme of God evaluating inner motives.
In Jeremiah 2:23, the people claim no defilement while God points to their actual conduct—a direct parallel.
In Jeremiah 2:22, washing cannot remove guilt—echoing the gap between appearing clean and being weighed by God.
In Psalm 36:2, flattery blinds the wicked to their own sin—another illustration of self-deceived purity.
1 Samuel 16:7 reinforces that God sees the heart, not outward appearance—directly parallel to God weighing motives.
In 1 Samuel 15:14, Samuel points to the bleating sheep exposing Saul's disobedience—an example of God weighing hidden motives.
In 1 Samuel 15:13, Saul claims he obeyed God's instructions, illustrating how a person's ways seem pure while motives are hidden.
1 Chronicles 29:17 has David saying God tests the heart and delights in integrity—aligns with God weighing motives.
Judges 17:6 says everyone did what was right in their own eyes—parallels the idea that people think their ways are pure.
Daniel 5:27 uses the weighing metaphor: Belshazzar is weighed and found wanting—illustrates God's evaluation of one's ways.