We continue with proverbs collected by Hezekiah.
Proverbs 28:1, Courage
The wicked man flees though no one pursues,
but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
The wicked are always looking over their shoulders while the righteous can move ahead with confidence. (And, on a slight tangent, the liar has to track his lies while the truth teller does not worry about what he has said in the past.)
Proverbs 28:2, Stability and knowledge
When a country is rebellious, it has many rulers,
but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
One interpretation of this would be that a country in chaos invites lots of people to attempt the throne. As Kidner points out, Israel went through nine dynasties in the two centuries after Solomon while Judah only one.
Proverbs 28:3, Oppression and destructive rain
A ruler who oppresses the poor
is like a driving rain that leaves no crops.
The Hebrew text is confusing. The Hebrew word rush is here translated "ruler" but generally means one who is in need or who is poor so a literal translation of the first line is "A man poor who oppresses the poor..."; Alter's translation is "A poor man oppressing the lowly...." Some translates rush here as "wicked" (which occurs in the Septuagint) and thus the NIV's "ruler", that is, a wicked tyrant.
In the ANE rain is usually a good thing, but here the hard driving rain destroys the crops. An oppressor is just as destructive.
Proverbs 28:4-5, Godliness includes justice
Those who forsake the law praise the wicked,
but those who keep the law resist them.
Evil men do not understand justice,
but those who seek the LORD understand it fully.
Lawlessness is not good. Justice is always important.
Proverbs 28:6, Better poor and honest
Better a poor man whose walk is blameless
than a rich man whose ways are perverse.
It is better to be poor and blameless. Some things are more important than wealth. (This repeats 19:1.)
Proverbs 28:7, Justice and honesty
He who keeps the law is a discerning son,
but a companion of gluttons disgraces his father.
Better justice and honesty than greed and gluttony.
Proverbs 28:8, Payday loans
He who increases his wealth by exorbitant interest amasses it for another,
who will be kind to the poor.
The Hebrew has two words for "interest" and "usury" which, combined, are translated by the NIV as "exorbitant interest." Alter says that the first of the two terms, neshek, comes from a Hebrew word meaning "bite" and thus the interest is excessive, predatory. (For a modern version of this, do an internet search on Payday Loans in Texas. Not only does the interest exceed 600% per year, but predatory loan owners lobby or sit in the Texas legislature to block laws that would control this predation.) Those who grow rich by this method, will, says the proverb, leave the wealth to someone else who, hopefully is kinder to the poor.
Proverbs 28:9, More on justice
If anyone turns a deaf ear to the law,
even his prayers are detestable.
The prayers of the wicked man are useless and even detestable. See 15:8 for another proverb on useless prayers. Jesus said (Matthew 6:5) that when the hypocrite prays loudly on the street corner, to be seen by others, he gets only that out of their prayer, implying that their prayers went unheard by God.
Proverbs 28:10, Falling into one's own trap
He who leads the upright along an evil path will fall into his own trap,
but the blameless will receive a good inheritance.
A call this a "boomerang proverb;" the evil returns to strike the evildoer.
Proverbs 28:11, Seeing through the rich
A rich man may be wise in his own eyes,
but a poor man who has discernment sees through him.
Wealth does not make one wise or smart. Nor is it wise to only listen to your peers.
Proverbs 28:12, When to hide
When the righteous triumph, there is great elation;
but when the wicked rise to power, men go into hiding.
Proverbs 28:13-14, Be transparent and receive mercy
He who conceals his sins does not prosper,
but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
Blessed is the man who always fears the LORD,
but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
This is a rare passage that suggests that everyone needs confession and mercy. It is always better to be transparent, with a soft heart. See also Psalm 32 and in the New Testament, 1 John 1:6-9.
Proverbs 28:15-16, Tyrannical beast
Like a roaring lion or a charging bear
is a wicked man ruling over a helpless people.
A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment,
but he who hates ill-gotten gain
will enjoy a long life.
An oppressor is destructive and out of control ... and foolish. It is wiser to hate oppression and ill-gotten gain.
Proverbs 28:17, Blood guilt
A man tormented by the guilt of murder
will be a fugitive till death;
let no one support him.
One hopes that a killer is perpetually a fugitive. Unless it was a death by accident, there certainly would be no sanctuary cities in Israel for a murderer. By itself this is a weak (or obvious) saying but Proverbs 24:10-12 suggests that one is guilty if they ignore actions that lead others to death.
Proverbs 28:18-20, A faithful worker
He whose walk is blameless is kept safe,
but he whose ways are perverse will suddenly fall.
He who works his land will have abundant food,
but the one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
A faithful man will be richly blessed,
but one eager to get rich will not go unpunished.
All three of these proverbs praise the faithful steady worker, the one who works the land and does not "chase fantasies" (see 12:11) and who does not seek schemes to quickly get rich. (See 12:11.)
Proverbs 28:21-22, Stingy or hungry
To show partiality is not good--
yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
A stingy man is eager to get rich
and is unaware that poverty awaits him.
In the first proverb above, it only takes a small step (especially motivated by hunger) for someone to go of the track. The stingy man looks for shortcuts to riches, unaware that his own stinginess will condemn him. (See also 18:5.)
Proverbs 28:23, Constructive rebuke
He who rebukes a man will in the end gain more favor
than he who has a flattering tongue.
Constructive criticism is always better than empty flattery. (See also 27:5-6.)
Proverbs 28:24, Steals from parents
He who robs his father or mother
and says, "It's not wrong"--
he is partner to him who destroys.
It is hard to imagine something worse that someone who robs his own parents.
Proverbs 28:25-26, Greed or security?
A greedy man stirs up dissension,
but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper.
He who trusts in himself is a fool,
but he who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
In whom is your trust? A greedy man's actions lead to division; the one whose trust is in YHWH prospers and walks in wisdom and securty.
"Examine yourself," said Socrates -- this is good advice, for the one who does not examine himself allows himself to be fooled by his own lies, instead of walking in wisdom.
Proverbs 28:27, Open eyes
He who gives to the poor will lack nothing,
but he who closes his eyes to them receives many curses.
Like numerous other proverbs, care for the poor is emphasized as the character of a good citizen. This requires that one "open their eyes" to the poor and vulnerable around them. (In 21st century America, open eyes are encapsulated in the term "woke".)
Proverbs 28:28, To hide or thrive?
When the wicked rise to power, people go into hiding;
but when the wicked perish, the righteous thrive.
This essentially repeats verse 12. A wicked or incompetent ruler is frightening and people try to hide themselves and go unnoticed. But when wickedness is punished, the ordinary people are successful.
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