Posted by Jeff Short on June 5, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
– Proverbs 14:19
This proverb addresses the humbling of the wicked. Circumstances in life often appear to favor the wicked while the righteous seem to be humbled (Psalm 73:3-11; 37:35). The wicked go on in foolishness and pride. They seem to have success but their destruction is coming (Proverbs 18:12; 29:23). Ultimately, the righteous who have wisdom will be exalted over the wicked (Psalm 37:36-40; Proverbs 14:23).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Fools make a mock at sin: but among the righteous there is favor.
– Proverbs 14:9
The wording here is difficult with various interpretations. The general sense comes out in the antithetical parallelism of the two phrases. The word for
sin means guilt or an offense. The word for
favor means delight or acceptance. Both words are used elsewhere in reference to sacrifices, but that seems beyond the scope of the interpersonal relationships suggested in this proverb and the Proverbs as a whole. So
fools scoff at guilt, or the sense of personal offense (Proverbs 10:23; 26:18-19). They see no need of reconciliation or making right any action (Proverbs 30:20). The word for
righteous means straight or upright. It’s a term often describing a man’s relation to another as being a just one. The contrast is the righteous have a sense of wrong done and strive to maintain a good conscience (Proverbs 12:2; 13:15; Acts 24:16).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 16, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The righteous eateth to the satisfying of his soul: but the belly of the wicked shall want.
– Proverbs 13:25
The word for
satisfying means to be full, e.g., to have one’s hunger satisfied. The contrast is the
want, or lack, of the
belly of the wicked. Providentially, this proverb speaks of God’s governance of the universe and the reward or retribution to the righteous and the wicked respectively (Proverbs 10:3). Practically, this proverb speaks to true satisfaction. In Ecclesiastes, Solomon starts out by labeling everything under the sun as vanity (Ecclesiastes 1:2) and concludes all is “vexation of spirit” (Ecclesiastes 1:14). Vexation of spirit describes trying to grasp the wind. This seems contradictory to this proverb. Solomon goes on in Ecclesiastes to lament man’s plight of chasing the wind and never catching it. I don’t have time or space for a study of Ecclesiastes here, but the problem is resolved by understanding the “gift of God” (Ecclesiastes 3:13; 5:19). The righteous can find satisfaction because they acknowledge and thank God (1 Timothy 4:3-4).
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Posted by Jeff Short on May 12, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Evil pursueth sinners: but to the righteous good shall be repayed.
– Proverbs 13:21
This proverb is in line with the general principle of sowing and reaping, which is throughout Proverbs as well as the rest of Scripture. The word for
evil means adversity or calamity, and
pursueth means to chase after. The way of sinners has calamity on their heels. The
righteous, or just, shall be rewarded with all forms of
good (Proverbs 11:31).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 30, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The light of the righteous rejoiceth: but the lamp of the wicked shall be put out.
– Proverbs 13:9
The course a person is on in life gives an expectation for their end. We might say the
righteous have a bright future. The word for
rejoiceth can include the idea of brightening. They are in the way of increasing light (Proverbs 4:18). The
lamp being
put out refers to darkness and to death. The image is a repeated warning (Proverbs 20:20; 24:20). Whatever brightness the wicked enjoy in life will be turned to darkness when their expectation dies (Proverbs 11:7).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 27, 2017 · Leave a Comment
Righteousness keepeth him that is upright in the way: but wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
– Proverbs 13:6
The contrast is simple between
righteousness and
wickedness. There is a safety in righteousness, or a deliverance from certain troubles that affect the wicked. The word for
righteousness means justice and is often used in context of interpersonal relations (Leviticus 19:9-18). The word for
wickedness means wrong and is also often used in context of interpersonal relations (Ezekiel 18:27). Wickedness brings its own punishments (Proverbs 5:22; 11:3, 5-6; 21:12).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 26, 2017 · Leave a Comment
A righteous man hateth lying: but a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
– Proverbs 13:5
The
righteous deal in honesty. They hate, or make themselves the enemy of lying. So the righteous abominate what is false (Proverbs 6:17). The contrast is with the person of the
wicked man. The word for
loathsome means to stink and
shame means to blush. The wicked deal and trade in lies and slander and come to shame (Proverbs 3:35; 6:12-14; 16:27-28).
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 21, 2017 · Leave a Comment
In the way of righteousness is life; and in the pathway thereof is no death.
– Proverbs 12:28
I understand the Hebrew is difficult in this proverb, and particularly the second phrase. Various interpretations have been given. The proverb doesn’t have a contrast and the first phrase sets the context. The
way of righteousness, or the way of wisdom, is the way of life (Proverbs 8:35; 9:11). It’s the way of life now in the sense of wholeness and the way of life ultimately in hope beyond the grave. The second phrase indicates either there is a path of death, or there is no death in the path of righteousness. The general tenor of the Proverbs contrasts wisdom and folly as life and death. Wisdom and heeding wisdom tends to longer life (Proverbs 4:10). The way of folly is natural and wisdom delivers from death (Proverbs 15:24). The sober warning is given in Proverbs 8:36 that to hate and refuse wisdom is to embrace and love death.
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Posted by Jeff Short on April 19, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The righteous is more excellent than his neighbor: but the way of the wicked seduceth them.
– Proverbs 12:26
The language of this proverb is difficult and the interpretations various. The word for
excellent means to explore, or search out. The word for
seduceth means to wander, vacillate, or go astray. The contrast is between the different effects the
righteous and the
wicked have on their neighbor. The searching out indicates a careful guidance and the wandering indicates going astray from the way of wisdom.
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Proverbs 14:19
Posted by Jeff Short on June 5, 2017 · Leave a Comment
The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.
This proverb addresses the humbling of the wicked. Circumstances in life often appear to favor the wicked while the righteous seem to be humbled (Psalm 73:3-11; 37:35). The wicked go on in foolishness and pride. They seem to have success but their destruction is coming (Proverbs 18:12; 29:23). Ultimately, the righteous who have wisdom will be exalted over the wicked (Psalm 37:36-40; Proverbs 14:23).– Proverbs 14:19
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