Joy and Stability Through Righteousness
29: 1-7
A proverb is a short and memorable saying designed to be our blueprint for living in the world that ADONAI has created. It is important to note that proverbs are not promises; they are generally true principles, all other things being equal.
Whoever stubbornly refuses to accept criticism will suddenly be destroyed beyond recovery (29:1 NLT). This proverb addresses the danger of not listening to those who use constructive criticism. Those who are repeatedly warned about behavior that has potentially dangerous consequences but do not listen, and thus are stubborn, will find that sudden consequences catch up with them, and will have moved beyond the point of an easy fix. The purpose of the proverb is not just to explain why some people end up in the ditch of life, but also to encourage the wise not to reject criticism.
When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice; but when the wicked are in power, they groan (29:2 CJB). This proverb is similar in thought to 28:28 as well as 28:12. The contrast is between a situation where the righteous are dominant and in control, and one in which the wicked are the majority influence in society. In these circumstances, the well-being of the people is at stake. They rejoice when the righteous are in control because they will lead the community with wisdom and justice. As a result, the community will prosper; however, they moan if the wicked are in control because, at best, they will make foolish decisions, and at worst, they will exploit the people.
The man who loves wisdom brings joy to his father, but if he hangs around with prostitutes, his wealth will be squandered (29:3 Hebrew). The first colon is a general statement. A wise child makes his father rejoice. Here we may clearly see that the father himself is understood in the proverb to be a wise man. After all, what other kind of father would rejoice at the wisdom of his child? The contrast between colon 1 and 2 has to do with wisdom and folly. Though the latter is not used in the second colon, we know full well that chasing after prostitutes is an act of fools (to see link click Bi – Avoid the Seductress). Here the trouble caused by having sex with prostitutes is financial. That does not mean that this is the only problem; after all, proverbs are not nuanced or exhaustive statements. And it is true that prostitutes are expensive. It is unclear whether the wealth is that of the father or the son, but especially if the former (unless the latter is gained by inheritance), we can see why such foolish behavior would lead to the sadness of the father.
The king gives stability to the land by justice, but tax man destroys it (29:4 Hebrew). This proverb likely cannot be used to argue against all taxes as detrimental to a nation. The tax man (literally man of tribute) is a person whose influence and motivation are defined by taxes. Likely, this person’s taxes are to be understood as unjust since the contrast is with the just king of the first colon. Unjust taxation takes all the energy out of the land. Samuel warned Isra’el that the king they wanted could well turn out to be an exploiter and detrimental to the people (see the Life of King Sha’ul Br – Samuel’s Warnings). On the other hand, the first colon describes the king who rules justly. Such a strategy leads to the long-term health of the land.
A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his own steps (29:5 BSB). Proverbs speak consistently against flattery (5:3, 6:24, 7:5 and 21, 26:28, 28:23). Flattery is different from encouragement because the latter is based on truth. As the proverb indicates, flattery energizes people but does not help them; rather, it harms them. The harm is communicated here by the image of the net that is spread out. Just as a net is set out in secret to hide it from its prey, so flattery sets people up for a fall. Flattery might, for instance, convince someone that their abilities are superior to what they really are. Thus, when they try to act on their own supposed abilities, they fall flat. Closer to the intention of the proverb, however, is the idea that the flatterer is buttering up the recipients in order to gain an advantage over them or a favor from them. In any case, the sages warn their listeners to beware of such a tempting thing as flattery, since it will lead to trouble. In Proverbs Chapters 5 through 7, we see that the adulterous woman uses flattery to lure the young man into her bed (see Bh – Warning Against Adultery), causing him much harm.
An evil person’s crime is a trap, but the righteous sing and rejoice (29:6 CJB). To the wicked and sometimes even to the righteous (see Psalm 73), it seems as if sin is the way to get ahead in life. The wicked often seem to prosper, while the righteous suffer. But as this proverb points out, that is only true from a superficial vantagepoint. Sin complicates life, setting traps for the sinner. On the other hand, righteous behavior leads to rejoicing. The believer takes the long view on retribution. Although in the short run the righteous may suffer for their righteousness, the future will bring rejoicing.
The righteous understand the cause of the poor, but the wicked do not understand knowledge (29:7 CJB). The rich are often stereotyped as being so callous that they believe that ADONAI blesses them with their riches and that poverty or disease is a sign of God’s punishment for their sin (see the commentary on The Life of Christ Gt – Jesus Heals a Man Born Blind). It is true that some proverbs hold out the reward of riches for the acquisition of wisdom (3:9-10 and 15-16), and the fear of poverty for the lack of it. However, this proverb is a generally true proposition, not a promise. It is true if all things are equal, but often all things aren’t equal. Sometimes the wise are poor because of an injustice or a natural disaster. Therefore, the wisdom of Proverbs also calls for compassion and action in favor of the poor. The second colon seems to imply that by their lack of compassion for the poor, the wicked show they are not on the side of the wise, who would understand knowledge. This knowledge, like all wisdom in general, refers to an active, caring concern.532
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