Proverbs 16:4

The LORD hath made all things for himself: yea, even the wicked for the day of evil.

The Lord hath made all (things) for himself; yea, even the wicked for the day of evil. So the Vulgate and Chaldaic similarly, 'All the works of God are for this purpose, that they may obey Him.' His own glory is the end of all God's doings in Providence and in grace. His goodness, wisdom, power, and justice are manifested alike in all His other works, as also even in His reserving the wicked for the day of final destruction. [ lama`aneehuw (H4617) is an unusual form to express "for himself:" for there is the vowel pathach in the first syllable, instead of the usual shªwa; and the affix would ordinarily be lemahanow. The reason of the change is for the sake of emphasis. The he hajediah, or demonstrative, is for this reason admitted, with affixes. The word lamahan, 'in order that,' or 'on account of,' is compounded of lª- and mahan, or mahaneh, 'for the business,' and with the affix here 'for His business.' Or else, 'for His answer:' to answer His design, The word is a noun with an affix; for there is a He demonstrative understood (as the pathach with dagesh forte shows), which is usually prefixed to nouns.

Also the affix hu with the preceding tzere is usual in this class of nouns. So Cocceius, from the root `aanah (H6030), to answer]. Even "the vessels of wrath fitted (by their own perversity, not by His desire or will) to destruction" (Romans 9:22) shall show forth the glory of God's justice on them, and the glory of His grace, in the case of the saved, by the contrast. 'They err greatly who allow God to do nothing but what they can see the justice of. We do not grudge kings their secrets, into which it would be wanton presumption for subjects to inquire. God, foreknowing this wanton presumption of men, adds a particle ('for Himself,' or, to answer His own purpose), that He might guard the truth the more strongly at the point where He foresaw it would be most violently assailed' (T. Cartwright). Glassius, Maurer, etc., take it less probably, 'The Lord hath made all things that they may answer their own end;' that the consequences may respectively correspond to their own antecedents-according to His just decree from the beginning-the evil of the punishment corresponding to the permitted evil of the fault.