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THRU THE BIBLE EXPOSITION
Proverbs: Motivating Teens And Adults To Align With God's Fixed Moral Order
Part V: Proverbs Of Solomon Collected By Hezekiah's Scribes, Proverbs 25:1-29:27
L. Studying Proverbs 29:4-11
  1. Introduction
    1. Two hundred and fifty years after Solomon, Hezekiah's scribes copied more of Solomon's proverbs from separate works, and they comprise Proverbs 25:1-29:27. (Bible Knowledge Commentary, O. T. , p. 960)
    2. We view some of those collected proverbs of Solomon in Proverbs 29:4-11 as follows:
  2. Studying Proverbs 29:4-11.
    1. Proverbs 29:4 teaches by justice (mishpat, Kittel, Biblia Hebraica, p. 1190; B. D. B., A Heb.-Eng. Lex. of the O. T., p. 1048-1049) a king causes to stand firm, stabilizes (amad, Ibid.; B. D. B., p. 763-764; Hiphil = causative) a territory, country (eres, Ibid., Kittel; Robert B. Girdlestone, Syns. of the O. T. , 1973, p. 261), but a nobleman (ish, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., Girdlestone, p. 45-50) of contributions (tirumah, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 929) [who demands contributions] tears it down (haras, Ibid., p. 248). A mere nobleman who promotes bribes tears down a country, destabilizing it through injustice caused by bribery where it takes a king to deal out justice to keep the nation stable. A little corruption greatly harms a nation's stability, but a lot of justice by rulers stabilizes it, showing the great need for righteousness among overseers in general.
    2. Proverbs 29:5 asserts a mighty man (geber, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1191; Theol. Wrdbk. O. T., v. I, p. 148-149) who is smooth, slippery [flatters] (halaq, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 325; Hiphil = causative) his neighbor spreads out [a net as a snare] (paras, Ibid., p. 831) for his feet (pa'am, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 821-822). Always view a man of power who feels he as to flatter someone to achieve success as having bad motives.
    3. Proverbs 29:6 claims an evil nobleman (ish, cf. Pr. 29:4) [is] a snare [is ensnared] (moqesh, Ibid., p. 430) by his rebellious transgression (pesha' , Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 833), but the righteous gives a ringing cry of exultation (ranan, Ibid., p. 943) and rejoices (sameha, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 970). Sinful rebellion is its own worst enemy where righteousness is its own best reward. We must be upright.
    4. Proverbs 29:7 teaches a righteous man knows the judgment, cause [rights] (din, Ibid., p. 192) of the poor, weak (dal, Ibid., p. 195); a wicked man does not discern ( bin, Ibid., p. 106-107) [such] knowledge. Righteousness leads one to value all men, even the destitute and powerless, as made in God's image, but the wicked who do not revere God do not discern any need to respect the weak. We need to revere God.
    5. Proverbs 29:8 asserts men of scorning [scorners] (lashon, Ibid., p. 539) excite, inflame (puha, Ibid., p. 806) a town, city (qiryah, Ibid., p. 900), but the wise turn back (shub, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 996-1000) anger (ap, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 60). We must avoid scorning others as it riles up huge segments of people, and wise men know the value of pacifying anger, so they work hard to pacify it.
    6. Proverbs 29:9 claims [if] a nobleman (ish, cf. Pr. 29:4) of wisdom enters into controversy (shapat, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 1047-1048; Niphal = passive [reciprocal here]) with a nobleman (ish again) of arrogance, flippancy (ewil, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. K. C., O. T., p. 908), then he [the arrogant, flippant man] rages (ragaz, Ibid., B. D. B., p. 919) and laughs (sahaq, Ibid., p. 965-966), and there is no quietness, rest (nahat, Ibid., p. 629). It is not worth having any dealings with arrogant, flippant people, so we best avoid even legal conflicts with them, not to mention arguing with them in general.
    7. Proverbs 29:10 teaches men of bloodshed [bloodthirsty men] hate the one who is complete, morally innocent, having integrity (tam, Ibid., p. 1070-1071), and seek the life principle (nepesh, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1191 and 3 in citing Gen. 2:7 where God made man a nepesh with physical, mental, emotional and spiritual life) of the upright (yashar , Ibid., p. 449). Destructive people seek to destroy all aspects of human life, be it physical, mental, spiritual or emotional. We must thus avoid dealing with such people.
    8. Proverbs 29:11 asserts the dull, closed-minded man (kesil, Ibid., Kittel, p. 1191; Ibid., B. K. C., O. T.) causes to come out [expresses] (yasa', Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 422-425; Hiphil = causative) all of his spirit [inner man], but the wise man soothes, stills (shabah, Ibid., p. 986; Piel = intensive) it behind (ahor, Ibid., Kittel; Ibid., B. D. B., p. 30) [he holds it back, soothing it]. Venting our full anger as do the unteachable backfires as often ignorance of all the facts leads us to think matters are worse than they are.
Lesson Application: May we align with God's fixed moral order in each of these realms for blessing.