Proverbs 11:6

The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them: but transgressors shall be taken in their own naughtiness.
– Proverbs 11:6

This proverb is close to the previous one. The upright are the straight, or those who walk honestly. They have and walk by wisdom. Transgressors are treacherous, or deceitful dealers. Their way is always convoluted and thorny because they have to keep up with their treachery. Ultimately, they fall by their naughtiness. The word means desire, but it is a ruinous, strong desire. It could aptly be described as lust. Transgressors serve their lusts and it is their own undoing (Psalm 7:16; Ecclesiastes 10:8).

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Proverbs 11:3

The integrity of the upright shall guide them: but the perverseness of transgressors shall destroy them.
– Proverbs 11:3

The word for integrity points to innocence. Upright means straight. These are contrasted with the crooked ways of the treacherous—perverseness of transgressors. The main point here, as in similar proverbs, is that integrity in wisdom will preserve and guide the upright, while the very crookedness of the deceivers will destroy them (Proverbs 13:6; 28:18).

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Proverbs 2:22

But the wicked shall be cut off from the earth, and the transgressors shall be rooted out of it.
– Proverbs 2:22

Chapter 2 closes with drawing attention to the two ways. One way is a way of wisdom and of life. The other is the way of folly and of death. This verse continues the reference to Israel and the law. Just as the righteous will inherit the promises, the wicked will be cut off from the inheritance of Israel. More generally here, it is that the wicked and transgressors will be cut off from the blessings and promises of wisdom. They will not enter into life. Wicked means a guilty person and is sometimes translated ungodly. Transgressor means someone unfaithful or treacherous. It relates to interpersonal relations and points to a person who deals deceitfully. The result is the same for both—no part in the life to come.

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