Mishle 29:8

8 Scornful men enflame a city, but chachamim turn away af (wrath).

Mishle 29:8 Meaning and Commentary

Proverbs 29:8

Scornful men bring a city into a snare
Such as despise dominion, speak evil of dignities; proud and haughty men, that speak Loftily, and with a contempt of their superiors; or who make a mock at religion, and scoff at all that is good and serious; these bring the inhabitants of a city into a snare, to rebel against their governors, and so into mischief and ruin: or, they "burn a city", as the Septuagint and Syriac versions F15; they inflame it, or blow it up into a flame; raise a combustion in it, and fill it with strifes and contentions; and bring down the wrath of God upon it, like fire: or, they "blow upon a city" F16; raise storms and tempests in it; turn all things upside down, and throw it into the utmost confusion, or blow it up; but wise [men] turn away wrath;
the wrath of men, by their wise counsels and advice, and appease tumults and seditions, and restore things to a quiet and settled state; or the wrath of God, by interposing with their prayers between him and a sinful people, as Moses did, ( Psalms 106:23 ) .


FOOTNOTES:

F15 "Inflammant urbem", Junius & Tremellius, Piscator.
F16 (hyrq wxypy) "suffiant, vel periflant civitatem", Gejerus; "diffiant civitatem", Gussetius, p. 667. "exsuffiant civitatem", Cocceius, Schultens.

Mishle 29:8 In-Context

6 By peysha (transgression) an ish rah is snared, but the tzaddik doth sing and have simchah.
7 The tzaddik considereth the cause of the dalim, but the rasha (wicked) doeth not understand such da’as (knowledge).
8 Scornful men enflame a city, but chachamim turn away af (wrath).
9 If an ish chacham has to contend with a fool, he [the fool] rageth or laugheth, and hath no rest.
10 The anshei damim hate integrity, but the yesharim seek his nefesh (soul, i.e., his soul’s well-being).
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