Proverbs 13:6

6 Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in the way; But wickedness overthroweth the sinner.

Proverbs 13:6 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 13:6

Righteousness keepeth [him that is] upright in the way
Men of uprightness and integrity, whose hearts are sincere in the ways of God; the principle of grace and righteousness in them keeps them in those ways, and will not suffer them to turn aside into crooked paths; the word of righteousness, the doctrine of the Gospel, is a means of preserving them from sin, and of keeping them in the right way; particularly the doctrine of Christ's righteousness, and justification by it, is a great antidote against sin, and a powerful motive and incentive to the performance of good works, and all the duties of religion: it engages men to observe every command of Christ, to walk in all his ways; and is a great preservative from false doctrine and antichristian worship; but wickedness overthroweth the sinner;
it is the cause of his utter overthrow, of his being punished with everlasting destruction. It is, in the Hebrew text, "sin" F2 itself; the sinner is so called, because he is perfectly wicked, as Jarchi observes; he is nothing but sin, a mere mass of sin and corruption. Aben Ezra renders it, "the man of sin"; and it may be well applied to him, who is emphatically called so, and is likewise the son of perdition; who, for his wickedness, will be overthrown and destroyed at the coming of Christ, and with the brightness of it, ( 2 Thessalonians 2:3 2 Thessalonians 2:8 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F2 (tajx) "peccatum"; Montanus, Vatablus, Cocceius, Michaelis; "lapsationem", Schultens.

Proverbs 13:6 In-Context

4 The soul of the sluggard desireth, and hath nothing; But the soul of the diligent shall be made fat.
5 A righteous man hateth lying; But a wicked man is loathsome, and cometh to shame.
6 Righteousness guardeth him that is upright in the way; But wickedness overthroweth the sinner.
7 There is that maketh himself rich, yet hath nothing: There is that maketh himself poor, yet hath great wealth.
8 The ransom of a man's life is his riches; But the poor heareth no threatening.
The American Standard Version is in the public domain.