Proverbs 29

CHAPTER 29

More Proverbs of Solomon, Continued (29:1–27)

1–27 Verse 1: God is compassionate and slow to anger . . . forgiving wickedness, rebellion and sin (Exodus 34:6–7). But there comes a time when God’s patience will run out and His judgment will fall; then it will be too late. There will be no remedy (see Proverbs 6:15).

Verse 5: See Proverbs 28:23.

Verse 7: See Proverbs 28:27.

Verse 10: Wicked people hate the upright because they fear the upright will expose their wickedness (John 3:19–20). They fear that their ill-gotten gains will end up in the hands of the upright (Proverbs 13:22; 28:8).

Verse 11: See Proverbs 14:29.

Verse 12: If a ruler believes lies, then those under him will be encouraged to lie all the more. They will become more and more wicked. A leader sets the moral standard for his followers; if the leader does not value the truth,neither will those under him.

Verse 15: See Proverbs 13:24; 22:15; 23:13–14.

Verse 18: Where there is no revelation, the people cast off restraint. The “revelation” referred to here is a revelation from God, either through Scripture or through one of His PROPHETS. Without a revelation or word from God, humans have no certainty as to what is right and wrong; everything becomes relative. Everyone can justify doing what he pleases; every one can “cast off restraint” (see Proverbs 28:4). Of course, just receiving a revelation from God doesn’t guarantee that people will heed it; most of the Israelites rejected the prophets God sent to them.

Verse 19: In the same way that a man’s son requires physical discipline, so also do his servants require discipline; words alone are usually not enough (see Proverbs 22:6).

Verse 20: It is easier to train a fool than a person who speaks in haste. The proverb’s meaning is this: it’s hard enough to train a fool; it’s even harder to train the tongue (James 3:8). Of course, hasty speech is one of the characteristics of a fool; a wise person learns to hold his tongue (Proverbs 10:19; 17:27–28).

Verse 23: See Proverbs 11:2; 15:33; 18:12.

Verse 24: According to Leviticus 5:1, if a witness refused to testify to what he saw, he would be held accountable for the crime. Yet here, if an accomplice to a crime testifies, he implicates himself. Therefore, whether he testifies or not, the accomplice ends up condemning himself and thus can be called his own enemy.

Verse 25: Fear of man will prove to be a snare. This “fear of man” is not only a fear of what others might do to us but also a fear of what they might think of us. When such fear dominates our lives and controls our decisions, it becomes a “snare” (see 1 Samuel 15:24; John 12:42–43). The only One we should fear is God (Matthew 10:28; Acts 5:29); those who trust in Him will be safe (Proverbs 18:10–11).

Verse 26: People go to a ruler to obtain justice, but true justice comes from the Lord. It is the Lord who controls the ruler’s decisions (Proverbs 21:1); it is the Lord who is the real Defender of the innocent and oppressed (Proverbs 23:10–11).