NONE are so cowardly as those who are carrying about a guilty conscience. Such are terrified by their own thoughts and take fright at a shadow. Of them the first verse treats, and contrasts them with the righteous.
The lawless flee when no man pursueth;
But the righteous are bold as a lion.
Sin keeps men in continual dread; but the consciousness that one is seeking to please God, and walk in righteousness before Him and before men, inspires with holy confidence and almost superhuman courage. No lion was bolder in facing his foes than have been naturally weak and timid men and women when martyred for Christ’s sake. Contrast the army of the Syrians with Elisha the prophet (2 Kings 7:6, 76For the Lord had made the host of the Syrians to hear a noise of chariots, and a noise of horses, even the noise of a great host: and they said one to another, Lo, the king of Israel hath hired against us the kings of the Hittites, and the kings of the Egyptians, to come upon us. 7Wherefore they arose and fled in the twilight, and left their tents, and their horses, and their asses, even the camp as it was, and fled for their life. (2 Kings 7:6‑7); and 6:8-17).
2 For the transgression of a land many are its princes;
But by a man of understanding and knowledge its stability shall be prolonged.
Transgression here seems to bear the sense of rebellion against lawful authority. When a people refuse to own the powers that be as ordained of God, they are likely, in a disrupted state of society, to be exposed to the evil machinations of various leaders, each one jealous of the other; hence their princes or rulers are many, and continually changing.
In contrast to so unsettled a state, that land is happy indeed which is ruled over by a wise and understanding governor, who long occupies his seat of authority.
Among the Arabs, a dreadful malediction is implied in the words, “May God multiply your sheiks.” No people or country can prosper when exposed to frequent alterations in the executive power. The state of Judah, after the carrying away of Zedekiah, is an apt illustration of this, as also much of the history of the Judges.
3 A poor man who oppresseth the poor,
Is like a sweeping rain that leaveth no food.
Obscure men, when suddenly elevated to positions of trust and confidence, are likely to be far harder on those of their own former class than one born in a different station of life. Such, often, seem utterly bereft of pity and compassion, and may well be likened to a sweeping rain, which instead of helping the crop to mature, washes away all the seed and leaves no food. It was this that made the publicans of our Lord’s day to be so detested by the populace. Members of the chosen race themselves, hated and despised therefore by the Roman power; they yet took service under that very authority and used their positions as a means of oppressing their poor countrymen. See the protestation of Zacchaeus, who declares he had not acted according to the ordinary custom (Luke 19:88And Zaccheus stood, and said unto the Lord; Behold, Lord, the half of my goods I give to the poor; and if I have taken any thing from any man by false accusation, I restore him fourfold. (Luke 19:8)).
4 They that forsake the law praise the lawless;
But such as keep the law contend with them.
5 Evil men understand not judgment;
But those who seek Jehovah understand everything.
It is natural that men who have themselves forsaken the law should praise those who follow in the same crooked path. When a man is always ready to excuse unrighteousness in others it generally bespeaks an uneasy conscience as to his own ways. They who walk uprightly are able to convict those who do not. There is a corresponding moral state which enables them to weigh matters aright.
Evil men are blind to true justice, because of the iniquity of their own lives. Those who put the Lord always before them, and who are exercised concerning His glory, are enabled to understand everything; that is not in an unlimited sense, but everything pertaining to rectitude of life and just judgment. See the Spirit-anointed ones of 1 John 2:20, 2720But ye have an unction from the Holy One, and ye know all things. (1 John 2:20)
27But the anointing which ye have received of him abideth in you, and ye need not that any man teach you: but as the same anointing teacheth you of all things, and is truth, and is no lie, and even as it hath taught you, ye shall abide in him. (1 John 2:27).
6 Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness,
Than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
The honest poor may take comfort in the estimate that God puts upon them. In His sight they are far to be preferred to the perverse rich. Poverty is indeed a sore trial and often entails much sorrow, but it is not to be compared, to the unhappiness of the godless wealthy man, who sows the wind to reap the whirlwind. Contrast Dives and Lazarus (Luke 16:19-3119There was a certain rich man, which was clothed in purple and fine linen, and fared sumptuously every day: 20And there was a certain beggar named Lazarus, which was laid at his gate, full of sores, 21And desiring to be fed with the crumbs which fell from the rich man's table: moreover the dogs came and licked his sores. 22And it came to pass, that the beggar died, and was carried by the angels into Abraham's bosom: the rich man also died, and was buried; 23And in hell he lift up his eyes, being in torments, and seeth Abraham afar off, and Lazarus in his bosom. 24And he cried and said, Father Abraham, have mercy on me, and send Lazarus, that he may dip the tip of his finger in water, and cool my tongue; for I am tormented in this flame. 25But Abraham said, Son, remember that thou in thy lifetime receivedst thy good things, and likewise Lazarus evil things: but now he is comforted, and thou art tormented. 26And beside all this, between us and you there is a great gulf fixed: so that they which would pass from hence to you cannot; neither can they pass to us, that would come from thence. 27Then he said, I pray thee therefore, father, that thou wouldest send him to my father's house: 28For I have five brethren; that he may testify unto them, lest they also come into this place of torment. 29Abraham saith unto him, They have Moses and the prophets; let them hear them. 30And he said, Nay, father Abraham: but if one went unto them from the dead, they will repent. 31And he said unto him, If they hear not Moses and the prophets, neither will they be persuaded, though one rose from the dead. (Luke 16:19‑31)).
7 He who keepeth the law is an intelligent son:
But he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.
Great is the joy a father finds when blessed with a careful, faithful son, who seeks to keep the commandments of God and the salutary ordinances of men for the Lord’s sake. He thereby manifests true intelligence. The father of a wild, reckless lad who finds his companions among riotous men, is put to shame by his son’s evil behavior. How rich the grace that led the father in Luke 15, to go out to meet such a son “while he was yet a great way off.” It is a precious picture of the joy that fills the Father’s heart above, when one poor wanderer returns, who has long shamed the God who brought him into being, by his wretched, sinful life.
8 He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance,
He shall gather it for him that shall pity the poor.
Extortion and covetousness are alike detestable in the sight of God. The putting of money out to usury, charging the needy a high and ruinous rate of interest, may seem to be good business in the eyes of unprincipled men; but treasure so earned will not profit the owners. Taken away in the midst of their days they shall leave it for those who are concerned about the poor. See God’s word to the rich men of the last days (James 5:1-61Go to now, ye rich men, weep and howl for your miseries that shall come upon you. 2Your riches are corrupted, and your garments are motheaten. 3Your gold and silver is cankered; and the rust of them shall be a witness against you, and shall eat your flesh as it were fire. Ye have heaped treasure together for the last days. 4Behold, the hire of the laborers who have reaped down your fields, which is of you kept back by fraud, crieth: and the cries of them which have reaped are entered into the ears of the Lord of sabaoth. 5Ye have lived in pleasure on the earth, and been wanton; ye have nourished your hearts, as in a day of slaughter. 6Ye have condemned and killed the just; and he doth not resist you. (James 5:1‑6)). Note also Jeremiah 17:1111As the partridge sitteth on eggs, and hatcheth them not; so he that getteth riches, and not by right, shall leave them in the midst of his days, and at his end shall be a fool. (Jeremiah 17:11).
9 He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law,
Even his prayer shall be an abomination.
God has never promised to hear prayer if the heart is not upright before Him. The psalmist says, “If I regard iniquity in my heart, the Lord will not hear me” (Ps. 66:18). This solemn fact, the verse we are now considering attests. It is in vain to look for answers to prayer, when refusing to obey what God has caused to be written for our instruction. He has revealed His holy will in His word. Everything necessary for the believer’s instruction in righteousness is there made known. Where He is truly feared, that Word will have its due weight, and the subject soul will order his steps accordingly. When this is the case, prayer will be acceptable and will obtain a ready answer; but when the Word is refused or despised, what passes for prayer is but an abomination to the Lord. See Ezekiel’s message to the self-willed elders of Israel who came to inquire of Jehovah (Ezek. 20:1-31And it came to pass in the seventh year, in the fifth month, the tenth day of the month, that certain of the elders of Israel came to inquire of the Lord, and sat before me. 2Then came the word of the Lord unto me, saying, 3Son of man, speak unto the elders of Israel, and say unto them, Thus saith the Lord God; Are ye come to inquire of me? As I live, saith the Lord God, I will not be inquired of by you. (Ezekiel 20:1‑3)).
10 Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way,
He shall fall into his own pit:
But the upright shall have good things in possession.
See note on Proverbs 26:2727Whoso diggeth a pit shall fall therein: and he that rolleth a stone, it will return upon him. (Proverbs 26:27). To deliberately turn the steps of the righteous from the path of rectitude, is to incur the divine displeasure in a most solemn and awful form. The Lord Jesus has said, “Whosoever shall stumble one of these little ones that believe in Me, it were better for him that a millstone were hung about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea” (Matt. 18:66But whoso shall offend one of these little ones which believe in me, it were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea. (Matthew 18:6)). How dreadful must be the iniquity of the heart, when one could, with full intention, plot to turn any away from obeying the voice of the Lord! Yet many have so offended and been made to know the indignation of a holy God, who gives good things to the upright, but metes out judgment to him who would lead them astray. Balaam was guilty of this heinous offense, and his doom was swift and sure (Rev. 2:1414But I have a few things against thee, because thou hast there them that hold the doctrine of Balaam, who taught Balac to cast a stumblingblock before the children of Israel, to eat things sacrificed unto idols, and to commit fornication. (Revelation 2:14); Num. 31:1616Behold, these caused the children of Israel, through the counsel of Balaam, to commit trespass against the Lord in the matter of Peor, and there was a plague among the congregation of the Lord. (Numbers 31:16)).
11 The rich man is wise in his own eyes,
But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
Pride and conceit often accompany great wealth. (See first clause of Proverbs 10:1515The rich man's wealth is his strong city: the destruction of the poor is their poverty. (Proverbs 10:15)). It gives a certain sense of security and independence of God, and environment that is ruinous to the unhumbled soul. But understanding is of far more value than great possessions. He who has it, though in poverty, is after all the superior of his well-to-do neighbor. It is not the great, the rich, the mighty, or the noble, that God has chosen; but “the poor of this world, rich in faith.” See 1 Corinthians 1:26-2826For ye see your calling, brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many noble, are called: 27But God hath chosen the foolish things of the world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to confound the things which are mighty; 28And base things of the world, and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which are not, to bring to nought things that are: (1 Corinthians 1:26‑28).
12 When righteous men triumph, there is great glory:
But when the lawless rise, men hide themselves.
See notes on Proverbs 11:10; 29:210When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth: and when the wicked perish, there is shouting. (Proverbs 11:10)
2When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice: but when the wicked beareth rule, the people mourn. (Proverbs 29:2), and verse 28 below. The triumph of the righteous inspires joy and confidence in the breasts of those who are concerned about the stability and welfare of a state. But when the evil-doers bear rule, there is a corresponding fear and anxiety, which leads even trustworthy men to conceal themselves, lest they become the objects of political hatred and enmity.
Long have men waited and groaned in pain for the coming triumph of the righteous One, whose kingdom shall be ushered in with great glory, when all the earth shall come into blessing. Till then, the kingdoms of this world must be subject to vicissitudes and overturnings, because of the rejection of the true King. Saul’s wretched reign is a figure of the present time; the reigns of David and Solomon, of the coming glorious reign of Christ.
13 He that covereth his transgressions, shall not prosper:
But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.
It is the greatest mistake a soul can be guilty of, to attempt to cover sin and transgression. Yet men invariably shrink from coming out frankly with a confession of their true state and actions. It seems to be natural to fallen man (ever since the day that our first parents, by fig-leaf aprons, sought to hide their nakedness,) to endeavor to cover his shame, hoping thereby to avoid the just consequences of his sin. But God’s word clearly makes known the fact that he who justifies himself can only be condemned at last. It is the one who sides with God, and condemns himself, who is justified from all things.
Confession is the divinely-appointed method of securing conscience-rest; confession not to some human mediator, but to God Himself. “If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness” (1 John 1:99If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. (1 John 1:9)). The ground upon which He can so act is the atonement of our Lord Jesus Christ. Because He, in rich grace, bore the sinner’s judgment upon Calvary, and shed His precious blood to put away sin, God can “be just and the justifier of him who believeth in Jesus.”
Of course, by confession is not meant a general acknowledgment of sinfulness and wickedness of life, uttered as a kind of soul-ease. True confession involves genuine repentance and self-judgment. Therefore we are here told, “He that confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.” The repentant man no longer hugs the chains that bind him, but longs for full deliverance from them. He comes to God with real concern about his unholy ways and thoughts and words, earnestly seeking grace to cease from them, and to walk uprightly before the Lord. But this he cannot do in himself. It is only when he rests in simple faith in the finished work of Christ, and yields himself unto God as one now alive from the dead, that he is able to rise above the sins that have blighted his life and almost damned his soul.
David most preciously portrays the change that comes over a man when he ceases to hide, or cover, his iniquities, and comes out into the light of God’s presence, confessing them before Him. It is only such a one who knows the blessedness of transgressions forgiven and sins covered. See Psalm 32.
When a man attempts to cover his own sin, he is but adding to the dreadful list, for he is refusing to heed the command which goes out to all men everywhere, calling upon them to repent.
But when God covers sin, it is done effectually and perfectly, and shall never be interfered with for eternity.
14 Happy is the man that feareth always,
But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mis chief.
See note on Proverbs 23:1717Let not thine heart envy sinners: but be thou in the fear of the Lord all the day long. (Proverbs 23:17). This verse most appropriately follows the one we have just been considering. He who is forgiven, who rejoices in the knowledge of sins covered, is now responsible to act and walk ever in the fear of God.
He who grows careless and prayerless, who neglects the word of God, or hardens his heart against discipline, persisting in taking his own way, will fall into grievous trouble and sorrow; for “whom the Lord loveth He chasteneth.”
He who feareth always will be delivered from vainglory and self-confidence. He will walk in accordance with God’s revealed will. Fearing no longer to be judged for his sins, he will fear lest he grieve the Holy Spirit of God within him, and lest he dishonor the name of Him whom he delights to own as Saviour and Lord. It was this salutary fear that kept Joseph when exposed to a temptation which would have overcome any who trusted in their own hearts (Gen. 39:99There is none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou art his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God? (Genesis 39:9)).
15 As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear;
So is a lawless ruler over the poor people.
16 The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor:
But he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.
See verse 12 above, and connected passages. A lawless ruler is one who, set in the place of authority, owns not the higher Power that has permitted him to occupy his honored position. He cares only to gratify his personal inclinations, as Ahab when he possessed himself so unrighteously of the vineyard of Naboth (1 Kings 21). Oppressing the poor, and causing judgment to miscarry, such a prince is like a wild beast let loose among the populace.
Wanting true intelligence, he fails to see that the security of his throne is bound up with the welfare of his subjects; therefore he bears rule with a heavy hand till all hearts are alienated from him. It is covetousness, and a desire for self-aggrandizement, that is the root from which such conduct springs. He who hates and refuses to be controlled by this evil passion ensures the stability of his house and prolongs his days. Contrast Saul and David.
17 A man laden with the blood of any person shall flee to the pit:
Let no man stay him.
To be consciously guilty of having willfully destroyed, or abetted the destruction of, an innocent man, is to bear on the conscience a fearful load, that drives one on to suicide. This would be especially so in Israel. Unable to find a sheltering city of refuge, the guilty assassin would rather die by his own hand than meet the avenger of blood. The unhappy traitor Judas exemplified the proverb to the full.
18 Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved:
But he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.
It is not the salvation of the soul that is here contemplated. None by walking uprightly can blot out past sin, and be justified before God. This we have already noticed in our comments on verse 13. But it is salvation in a practical sense, day by day, from failure and sin, together with the sorrows resulting therefrom, that is referred to. The one who with purpose of heart cleaves to the Lord, walking uprightly before Him, will be saved from much that he would otherwise have to endure if taking his own way. He who refuses the correction of the word of God, and independently pursues his own course, walking in the pride and self-sufficiency of his heart, will have a sudden fall. His perverseness will result in unexpected disaster. How many a saint has proven this to his sorrow! but alas, how slow are we to learn, either from what God Himself has revealed, or from the failures of others! Among the prophets, Daniel and Jonah stand out in vivid contrast as illustrations of the two statements in this couplet.
19 He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread:
But he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.
See notes on verse 7 above, and Proverbs 12:1111He that tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread: but he that followeth vain persons is void of understanding. (Proverbs 12:11). In the original Hebrew there is a striking parallelism here. Muenscher gives the rendering, “He who tilleth his land shall be satisfied with bread; but he who followeth vain persons shall be satisfied with poverty.” The one, by diligence, shall be filled with what is needful to his building up; the other, because of his folly and neglect, shall be filled with woe, and be as needy as his neighbor is wealthy. It is not chance that thus makes one to prosper, while the other fails. It is simply the difference between patient, steady-going adherence to duty, and the casting-off of restraint and following after the worthless. The two classes are everywhere about us.
In the spiritual realm they are likewise found. Two young men confess Christ. From the day of his conversion, one conscientiously separates himself from the world, in its various forms, and devotes himself to faithful tilling of the fields of Scripture. The result is, he grows in grace and in knowledge; his soul is fed; and, satisfied with bread himself, he has that which he can impart to the needy about him. The other, having the same opportunities, temporizes at first with the world, follows after its vain company, neglects his Bible, and becomes spiritually starved. At last he breaks down entirely in his discipleship, and never amounts to anything for God. It is a grave question if he ever was saved at all. People wonder at the difference between the two; but there is nothing perplexing to the man of God who notes their respective courses. A semi-worldling never develops into a Timothy. It is the faithful, uncompromising young man who becomes a power for God, and is satisfied with good things.
20 A faithful man shall abound with blessings:
But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be acquitted.
See notes on Proverbs 23:44Labor not to be rich: cease from thine own wisdom. (Proverbs 23:4); also 22:1, 16; 27:24. A faithful man is not likely to accumulate vast wealth in a world like this; but he will be rich in heavenly treasure and shall abound with blessings even in a temporal sense, for he who acts for God can count on God to act for him. If the getting of riches is made his life’s object he will not be acquitted when called to account for his methods and sharp practices. Fraudulent schemes may seem to triumph over steady-going industry, but the end will prove the value of the latter and the worthlessness of the former. To become rich quickly is almost certain evidence of injustice somewhere. The Christian may well shun such a course. It is far better to be comparatively poor, but to maintain a good conscience, than to make haste to be wealthy and lose the sense of communion with God. See Isaiah’s message to the conscienceless capitalists of his day, who seemed to know as much as money-lovers in our times, concerning the advantages to themselves, of the trust system (Isa. 5:8-108Woe unto them that join house to house, that lay field to field, till there be no place, that they may be placed alone in the midst of the earth! 9In mine ears said the Lord of hosts, Of a truth many houses shall be desolate, even great and fair, without inhabitant. 10Yea, ten acres of vineyard shall yield one bath, and the seed of an homer shall yield an ephah. (Isaiah 5:8‑10)). Notice verse 22 below.
21 To have respect of persons is not good:
Even for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
See notes on Proverbs 18:55It is not good to accept the person of the wicked, to overthrow the righteous in judgment. (Proverbs 18:5). Dishonest and thoroughly unprincipled, he who has respect of persons in judgment, looks only to his own gain, and will defeat the ends of justice for the merest trifle, if it be for his apparent advantage. For “pieces of bread” the false prophetesses of the scattered Israelites were showing respect of persons in their messages, when Ezekiel was commanded to prophesy against them (Ezekiel 13:17-1917Likewise, thou son of man, set thy face against the daughters of thy people, which prophesy out of their own heart; and prophesy thou against them, 18And say, Thus saith the Lord God; Woe to the women that sew pillows to all armholes, and make kerchiefs upon the head of every stature to hunt souls! Will ye hunt the souls of my people, and will ye save the souls alive that come unto you? 19And will ye pollute me among my people for handfuls of barley and for pieces of bread, to slay the souls that should not die, and to save the souls alive that should not live, by your lying to my people that hear your lies? (Ezekiel 13:17‑19)).
22 He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye,
And knoweth not that poverty shall come upon him.
See notes on Proverbs 20:2121An inheritance may be gotten hastily at the beginning; but the end thereof shall not be blessed. (Proverbs 20:21), and verse 20 above. An evil eye is a covetous eye, and bespeaks the state of the heart. Such a man, hasting to be rich, forgets the sure calamities which in God’s righteous government are certain to overtake him. Ponder Micah 6:1212For the rich men thereof are full of violence, and the inhabitants thereof have spoken lies, and their tongue is deceitful in their mouth. (Micah 6:12) and Matthew 19:23, 2423Then said Jesus unto his disciples, Verily I say unto you, That a rich man shall hardly enter into the kingdom of heaven. 24And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. (Matthew 19:23‑24).
23 He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favor
Than he that flattereth with the tongue.
24 Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith,
It is no transgression; The same is the companion of a destroyer.
See notes on Proverbs 19:13, 2613A foolish son is the calamity of his father: and the contentions of a wife are a continual dropping. (Proverbs 19:13)
26He that wasteth his father, and chaseth away his mother, is a son that causeth shame, and bringeth reproach. (Proverbs 19:26). The youth who (pretending that he was entitled to the possessions of his parents, or that he had no responsibility towards their care, when become a wage-earner), spent all on himself, and boldly declared his innocence of transgression, was acting like the veriest criminal who destroys what belongs to others. The Pharisees, with all their religiousness, were violating the letter and spirit of this word by their Corban lava (Mark 7:1111But ye say, If a man shall say to his father or mother, It is Corban, that is to say, a gift, by whatsoever thou mightest be profited by me; he shall be free. (Mark 7:11)).
25 He that is puffed up in soul exciteth contention:
But he that putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be made fat.
26 He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool:
But whoso walketh wisely shall be delivered.
See notes on Proverbs 13:1010Only by pride cometh contention: but with the well advised is wisdom. (Proverbs 13:10) and 18:12. A man who is puffed up in soul, readily stirs up strife. Haughty and self-confident, he boldly antagonizes persons more to be depended on than himself; and will give them no rest unless he be permitted to have his own way. Proud, haughty and self-reliant, never having learned the lesson of no confidence in the flesh, by his unbending spirit, and arbitrary ways, he will often cause untold mischief among the people of God. His course is the very opposite to that of one who has learned of Him who is meek and lowly in heart, and who can therefore be trusted with prosperity, and exemplifies in his life the fact that he is spiritually-minded and devoted to the Lord. He alone knows the human heart and He puts no reliance upon it whatever (Jer. 17:9, 109The heart is deceitful above all things, and desperately wicked: who can know it? 10I the Lord search the heart, I try the reins, even to give every man according to his ways, and according to the fruit of his doings. (Jeremiah 17:9‑10)). A man who walks humbly will walk wisely, and will be delivered from many a snare. See the Lord’s estimate of the heart as portrayed in John 2:23, 2523Now when he was in Jerusalem at the passover, in the feast day, many believed in his name, when they saw the miracles which he did. (John 2:23)
25And needed not that any should testify of man: for he knew what was in man. (John 2:25).
27 He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack:
But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
See notes on Proverbs 14:21; 21:1321He that despiseth his neighbor sinneth: but he that hath mercy on the poor, happy is he. (Proverbs 14:21)
13Whoso stoppeth his ears at the cry of the poor, he also shall cry himself, but shall not be heard. (Proverbs 21:13); and verse 8 above. It is one of the evidences of the interference of a benevolent providence in the affairs of men, that he who has pity upon the needy is never the loser thereby, while he who refuses to see their sad estate, and who hoards all his possessions for himself, finds them to be a cause of grief and anguish in the end. God makes Himself responsible to repay with interest all that is given to the poor. They are left in this world to test the hearts of those in more fortunate circumstances. A blessing is upon the philanthropic, and a curse upon the man who thinks only of his own enjoyment and leaves others suffer for need that he could relieve, had he the heart for it. See the rich young ruler (Luke 18:18-2718And a certain ruler asked him, saying, Good Master, what shall I do to inherit eternal life? 19And Jesus said unto him, Why callest thou me good? none is good, save one, that is, God. 20Thou knowest the commandments, Do not commit adultery, Do not kill, Do not steal, Do not bear false witness, Honor thy father and thy mother. 21And he said, All these have I kept from my youth up. 22Now when Jesus heard these things, he said unto him, Yet lackest thou one thing: sell all that thou hast, and distribute unto the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come, follow me. 23And when he heard this, he was very sorrowful: for he was very rich. 24And when Jesus saw that he was very sorrowful, he said, How hardly shall they that have riches enter into the kingdom of God! 25For it is easier for a camel to go through a needle's eye, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God. 26And they that heard it said, Who then can be saved? 27And he said, The things which are impossible with men are possible with God. (Luke 18:18‑27)). Compare with Proverbs 11:2525The liberal soul shall be made fat: and he that watereth shall be watered also himself. (Proverbs 11:25).
28 When the lawless rise, men hide themselves:
But when they perish, the righteous increase.
See verse 12 above. When evil men are in the place of power, life and property are alike insecure, and men of peace and quietness conceal themselves, dreading to be brought into public notice. But when the unrighteous are overthrown, the upright are everywhere visibly increased, having confidence in the safety of their households and goods. See the condition of the Israelites in the days of the Philistine domination, and their altered estate when Jonathan overthrew their wicked oppressors (1 Sam. 13:6; 14:226When the men of Israel saw that they were in a strait, (for the people were distressed,) then the people did hide themselves in caves, and in thickets, and in rocks, and in high places, and in pits. (1 Samuel 13:6)
22Likewise all the men of Israel which had hid themselves in mount Ephraim, when they heard that the Philistines fled, even they also followed hard after them in the battle. (1 Samuel 14:22)).