Proverbs 29

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).