Proverbs 28 Study Notes: Confessing Sin and Trusting the Lord
More sayings of Solomon contrast the guilty who run in fear with the courageous righteous and rank honest poverty above crooked wealth. They promise mercy to those who admit and forsake their sins, warn about cruel rulers and greedy haste, call self-trust folly, and note that people hide while the wicked hold power.
General
What does 28:13 say leads to finding mercy?
Answer: Admitting one's sins and turning away from them
The saying sets two responses to sin side by side. The person who covers up his wrongs will not succeed, but the one who admits them and forsakes them will be shown mercy (28:13). Mercy is not earned by hiding sin or making up for it; it comes to the one who honestly owns his sin before God and turns from it. In Psalm 32, David describes how his strength drained away while he kept silent, and how the LORD forgave him when he stopped hiding his wrongdoing and admitted it (Psalm 32:3-5). The New Testament gives the same promise: God, being faithful and just, forgives and cleanses those who admit their sins (1 John 1:9), while anyone who claims to have no sin is only fooling himself (1 John 1:8). Proverbs does not explain how a holy God can show such mercy; the wider Scripture answers that Christ Himself carried His people's sins in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), so God forgives the one who confesses without setting His justice aside.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Hiding sin brings no success, but admitting it and turning from it meets with mercy.
- Psalm 32:3-5 (BSB)“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David describes the misery of keeping silent about his sin and the forgiveness that followed when he admitted it to the LORD.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”John assures believers that God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse those who admit their sins.
- 1 John 1:8 (BSB)“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”John warns that claiming to be without sin is self-deception.
- 1 Peter 2:24 (BSB)“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.””Peter says Christ Himself carried our sins in His body on the cross.
Theological
According to 28:13, what is the path to receiving mercy?
Answer: Admitting one's sins and turning away from them
The antithesis sets concealment against confession joined with repentance: the one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, while the one who acknowledges and forsakes them obtains mercy (28:13). Mercy is never merited; it is received through honest confession and turning from sin. David's testimony in Psalm 32:3-5 traces the misery of unconfessed sin and the full forgiveness that followed acknowledgment. The same promise stands in the new covenant: God is faithful and righteous in forgiving the one who confesses (1 John 1:9), while denial of sin is self-deception (1 John 1:8). The proverb itself does not say how such mercy can be just; the wider Scripture answers that Christ bore His people's sins in His own body on the cross (1 Peter 2:24), so forgiveness rests on His substitution, not on the sinner's confession as a merit.
- Proverbs 28:13 (BSB)“He who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy.”Hiding sin brings no success, but admitting it and turning from it meets with mercy.
- Psalm 32:3-5 (BSB)“When I kept silent, my bones became brittle from my groaning all day long. For day and night Your hand was heavy upon me; my strength was drained as in the summer heat. Selah Then I acknowledged my sin to You and did not hide my iniquity. I said, “I will confess my transgressions to the LORD,” and You forgave the guilt of my sin. Selah”David describes the misery of keeping silent about his sin and the forgiveness that followed when he admitted it to the LORD.
- 1 John 1:9 (BSB)“If we confess our sins, He is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.”John assures believers that God is faithful and just to forgive and cleanse those who admit their sins.
- 1 John 1:8 (BSB)“If we say we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us.”John warns that claiming to be without sin is self-deception.
- 1 Peter 2:24 (BSB)“He Himself bore our sins in His body on the tree, so that we might die to sin and live to righteousness. “By His stripes you are healed.””Peter says Christ Himself carried our sins in His body on the cross.
General
According to 28:8, what finally happens to riches gained by charging interest?
Answer: They pass to someone who is generous to the needy
The man in 28:8 grows rich by charging interest, but his gain does not stay with him; in the end it is laid up for someone who is generous to the poor. God's law had told Israel not to charge interest when lending to a poor fellow Israelite (Exodus 22:25), and not to profit from a struggling countryman, out of reverence for God (Leviticus 25:36). The proverb shows God overruling such gain so that it serves the needy after all. Another saying likewise says that the sinner's wealth ends up with the righteous (13:22).
- Proverbs 28:8 (BSB)“He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.”Riches built by charging interest end up in the hands of someone generous to the poor.
- Exodus 22:25 (BSB)“If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.”The law told Israelites not to charge interest when lending to a poor fellow Israelite.
- Leviticus 25:36 (BSB)“Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.”The law forbade profiting from a needy countryman and grounded this in fearing God.
- Proverbs 13:22 (BSB)“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.”Another saying says the sinner's wealth is passed on to the righteous.
Theological
What reversal does 28:8 describe for riches gained through interest and usury?
Answer: They pass to someone who is generous to the needy
Wealth amassed by lending at interest is, in God's providence, stored up for a person generous to the needy (28:8). The saying presupposes Israel's law, which forbade charging interest to a poor fellow Israelite (Exodus 22:25) and profiting from a needy countryman, grounding the command in the fear of God (Leviticus 25:36). God overturns exploitative gain so that it ends up with someone who shows mercy to the needy, the same pattern found in 13:22, where what sinners gather is transferred to the righteous.
- Proverbs 28:8 (BSB)“He who increases his wealth by interest and usury lays it up for one who is kind to the poor.”Riches built by charging interest end up in the hands of someone generous to the poor.
- Exodus 22:25 (BSB)“If you lend money to one of My people among you who is poor, you must not act as a creditor to him; you are not to charge him interest.”The law told Israelites not to charge interest when lending to a poor fellow Israelite.
- Leviticus 25:36 (BSB)“Do not take any interest or profit from him, but fear your God, that your countryman may live among you.”The law forbade profiting from a needy countryman and grounded this in fearing God.
- Proverbs 13:22 (BSB)“A good man leaves an inheritance to his children’s children, but the sinner’s wealth is passed to the righteous.”Another saying says the sinner's wealth is passed on to the righteous.
General
True or False: 28:27 says that a person who is generous to the needy will end up in want himself.
Answer: False
This is false. The saying says the opposite: the generous giver will not lack, but the one who closes his eyes to their need will be cursed by many (28:27). Looking away from the needy is itself a failure, not a neutral choice. This describes how life generally goes under God's care rather than a promise of wealth. God's law told Israel not to harden their hearts or shut their hands toward a poor brother (Deuteronomy 15:7-8), and another saying treats kindness to the needy as lending to the LORD, who repays it (19:17).
- Proverbs 28:27 (BSB)“Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.”The generous giver lacks nothing, while the one who looks away from the needy draws many curses.
- Deuteronomy 15:7-8 (BSB)“If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.”God's law told Israel to open their hand to a poor brother instead of hardening their heart.
- Proverbs 19:17 (BSB)“Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.”Kindness to the poor is described as lending to the LORD, who repays.
Theological
True or False: 28:27 warns that generosity to the needy will leave the giver in want.
Answer: False
This is false. The one who gives to the needy will not lack, while the one who averts his gaze incurs many curses (28:27). Deliberate indifference to need is culpable. The saying describes God's ordinary providence, not a guarantee of material return. Deuteronomy 15:7-8 forbids hardening one's heart or shutting one's hand against a poor brother, and Proverbs 19:17 treats kindness to the needy as lending to the LORD, who repays.
- Proverbs 28:27 (BSB)“Whoever gives to the poor will not be in need, but he who hides his eyes will receive many curses.”The generous giver lacks nothing, while the one who looks away from the needy draws many curses.
- Deuteronomy 15:7-8 (BSB)“If there is a poor man among your brothers within any of the gates in the land that the LORD your God is giving you, then you are not to harden your heart or shut your hand from your poor brother. Instead, you are to open your hand to him and freely loan him whatever he needs.”God's law told Israel to open their hand to a poor brother instead of hardening their heart.
- Proverbs 19:17 (BSB)“Kindness to the poor is a loan to the LORD, and He will repay the lender.”Kindness to the poor is described as lending to the LORD, who repays.
General
In 28:1, what sends the wicked running, and how are the righteous described?
Answer: Nothing is chasing the wicked, and the righteous are fearless like a lion
The saying contrasts two kinds of people. The wicked run away even though nobody is after them, because a guilty conscience fills them with fear of danger that is not there. The righteous, meaning those who are right with God and live by His ways, have nothing to hide, so they are as fearless as a lion (28:1). Among the warnings attached to God's covenant with Israel, God said the disobedient would be so fainthearted that a leaf blown by the wind would send them fleeing (Leviticus 26:36). The psalmist describes the upright man as steady and unafraid of bad reports because he trusts the LORD (Psalm 112:7), and the council in Jerusalem marveled at the courage of two ordinary disciples, recognizing that they had spent time with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
- Proverbs 28:1 (BSB)“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”A guilty person runs from imagined danger, while the upright stand firm without fear.
- Leviticus 26:36 (BSB)“As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them.”Among the covenant curses, God warns that a faint heart would send the disobedient running at the rustle of a leaf.
- Psalm 112:7 (BSB)“He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.”The psalm describes the upright man as steady and unafraid of bad reports because he trusts the LORD.
- Acts 4:13 (BSB)“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”The council was amazed at the courage of two ordinary disciples who had been with Jesus.
Theological
What contrast does 28:1 draw between the wicked and the righteous?
Answer: Nothing is chasing the wicked, and the righteous are fearless like a lion
The antithetic saying sets the flight of the wicked, who run with no pursuer at all, against the lion-like boldness of the righteous (28:1). Guilt produces fear even without an outward threat, while a clear standing before God produces courage. The covenant curses already warned that the disobedient would be put to flight by a leaf stirred by the wind (Leviticus 26:36). The righteous man of Psalm 112:7 is unshaken by bad news because his heart rests on the LORD, and the apostles' courage before the council was traced to their having been with Jesus (Acts 4:13).
- Proverbs 28:1 (BSB)“The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.”A guilty person runs from imagined danger, while the upright stand firm without fear.
- Leviticus 26:36 (BSB)“As for those of you who survive, I will send a faintness into their hearts in the lands of their enemies, so that even the sound of a windblown leaf will put them to flight. And they will flee as one flees the sword, and fall when no one pursues them.”Among the covenant curses, God warns that a faint heart would send the disobedient running at the rustle of a leaf.
- Psalm 112:7 (BSB)“He does not fear bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.”The psalm describes the upright man as steady and unafraid of bad reports because he trusts the LORD.
- Acts 4:13 (BSB)“When they saw the boldness of Peter and John and realized that they were unschooled, ordinary men, they marveled and took note that these men had been with Jesus.”The council was amazed at the courage of two ordinary disciples who had been with Jesus.
General
True or False: According to 28:23, a flatterer eventually wins more favor than a person who gives an honest rebuke.
Answer: False
This is false. The saying says the reverse: the one who rebukes, or corrects, another person will in the end be more appreciated than the one who only offers smooth, flattering words (28:23). Correction may sting at first, but later it is valued, while flattery proves empty. The previous chapter says that a friend's painful blows can be trusted, but an enemy's kisses deceive (27:6), and David welcomes a rebuke from a righteous man as a kindness, like soothing oil on his head (Psalm 141:5).
- Proverbs 28:23 (BSB)“He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.”The one who corrects someone ends up more appreciated than the flatterer.
- Proverbs 27:6 (BSB)“The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”An earlier saying calls a friend's painful words trustworthy and an enemy's affection deceptive.
- Psalm 141:5 (BSB)“Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.”David welcomes correction from a righteous man as a kindness.
Theological
True or False: 28:23 teaches that the flatterer ultimately gains more favor than the one who rebukes.
Answer: False
This is false. The one who rebukes will afterward be valued above the flatterer (28:23). Faithful correction, though unwelcome at first, is later recognized as true kindness, while flattery is exposed as hollow. Proverbs 27:6 contrasts a friend's faithful wounds with an enemy's deceitful kisses, and in Psalm 141:5 David asks for the righteous man's rebuke, receiving it as a kindness.
- Proverbs 28:23 (BSB)“He who rebukes a man will later find more favor than one who flatters with his tongue.”The one who corrects someone ends up more appreciated than the flatterer.
- Proverbs 27:6 (BSB)“The wounds of a friend are faithful, but the kisses of an enemy are deceitful.”An earlier saying calls a friend's painful words trustworthy and an enemy's affection deceptive.
- Psalm 141:5 (BSB)“Let the righteous man strike me; let his rebuke be an act of loving devotion. It is oil for my head; let me not refuse it. For my prayer is ever against the deeds of the wicked.”David welcomes correction from a righteous man as a kindness.
General
In 28:15-16, how is a cruel ruler over defenseless people described?
Answer: As a savage beast, and one who lacks good judgment
These sayings describe rulers in Israel's setting. A cruel ruler over people who cannot defend themselves is compared to a fierce lion or an attacking bear, terrifying predators (28:15). A ruler without good sense becomes a harsh oppressor, but the ruler who hates crooked gain will live long (28:16). Power in the hands of a wicked or foolish ruler is dangerous to the weak. Long before, Jethro told Moses to appoint leaders who feared God and shunned dishonest gain (Exodus 18:21), and God's law required Israel's king to read His instruction throughout his life, to keep him from thinking himself above his countrymen (Deuteronomy 17:19-20).
- Proverbs 28:15-16 (BSB)“Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.”A cruel ruler is pictured as a fierce predator, and a ruler lacking sense is said to oppress; one who hates crooked gain lives long.
- Exodus 18:21 (BSB)“Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.”Moses' father-in-law counseled him to choose leaders who feared God and shunned dishonest gain.
- Deuteronomy 17:19-20 (BSB)“It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.”Israel's king was to read God's law daily so that he would not exalt himself over his countrymen.
Theological
What image and assessment does 28:15-16 give of a wicked ruler?
Answer: As a savage beast, and one who lacks good judgment
Within Israel's monarchy, an evil ruler over defenseless subjects is likened to a lion or bear on the attack (28:15), and a ruler lacking judgment is a great oppressor, while one who hates unjust gain prolongs his days (28:16). The predator image stresses how destructive wicked rule is to the defenseless. Jethro's criteria for Israel's leaders included aversion to dishonest gain (Exodus 18:21), and the law of the king required him to read the law continually so that his heart would not be lifted up above his brothers (Deuteronomy 17:19-20).
- Proverbs 28:15-16 (BSB)“Like a roaring lion or a charging bear is a wicked ruler over a helpless people. A leader who lacks judgment is also a great oppressor, but he who hates dishonest profit will prolong his days.”A cruel ruler is pictured as a fierce predator, and a ruler lacking sense is said to oppress; one who hates crooked gain lives long.
- Exodus 18:21 (BSB)“Furthermore, select capable men from among the people—God-fearing, trustworthy men who are averse to dishonest gain. Appoint them over the people as leaders of thousands, of hundreds, of fifties, and of tens.”Moses' father-in-law counseled him to choose leaders who feared God and shunned dishonest gain.
- Deuteronomy 17:19-20 (BSB)“It is to remain with him, and he is to read from it all the days of his life, so that he may learn to fear the LORD his God by carefully observing all the words of this instruction and these statutes. Then his heart will not be exalted above his countrymen, and he will not turn aside from the commandment, to the right or to the left, in order that he and his sons may reign many years over his kingdom in Israel.”Israel's king was to read God's law daily so that he would not exalt himself over his countrymen.
General
What do 28:12 and 28:28 say ordinary people do when wicked men gain power?
Answer: They go into hiding until the wicked are gone
When the righteous, meaning those who live rightly before God, win out, there is great splendor, but when wicked men gain the upper hand, people conceal themselves (28:12). The chapter's last verse repeats the thought: people take cover while the wicked hold power, but once the wicked die, the righteous thrive (28:28). Wicked rulers make ordinary life unsafe, yet their power does not last. The next chapter adds that the people groan under wicked rule (29:2), and an earlier saying pictures a glad city when the upright prosper and cries of gladness at the fall of the wicked (11:10).
- Proverbs 28:12 (BSB)“When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.”The victory of the upright brings splendor, but the rise of the wicked sends people into hiding.
- Proverbs 28:28 (BSB)“When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.”People take cover under wicked rulers, and the upright increase once those rulers are gone.
- Proverbs 29:2 (BSB)“When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”The next chapter says the people are glad under the upright and groan under wicked rule.
- Proverbs 11:10 (BSB)“When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”An earlier saying pictures a city celebrating when the upright prosper and the wicked die.
Theological
What response to the rise of wicked rulers do 28:12 and 28:28 describe?
Answer: They go into hiding until the wicked are gone
The triumph of the righteous brings great glory, but the ascent of the wicked drives people into concealment (28:12); the chapter closes by restating the point and adding its outcome, that at the downfall of the wicked the righteous thrive (28:28). Wicked power makes public life dangerous, yet under God's government it is temporary. Proverbs 29:2 speaks of the people groaning under wicked rule, and 11:10 of a glad city when the upright prosper and of cries of gladness at the fall of the wicked.
- Proverbs 28:12 (BSB)“When the righteous triumph, there is great glory, but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.”The victory of the upright brings splendor, but the rise of the wicked sends people into hiding.
- Proverbs 28:28 (BSB)“When the wicked come to power, people hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous flourish.”People take cover under wicked rulers, and the upright increase once those rulers are gone.
- Proverbs 29:2 (BSB)“When the righteous flourish, the people rejoice, but when the wicked rule, the people groan.”The next chapter says the people are glad under the upright and groan under wicked rule.
- Proverbs 11:10 (BSB)“When the righteous thrive, the city rejoices, and when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.”An earlier saying pictures a city celebrating when the upright prosper and the wicked die.
General
What do 28:6 and 28:11 teach about wealth and character?
Answer: Upright character outweighs riches, and wealth does not make one wise
Verse 6 is a better-than saying: it is better to be poor and live honestly than to be rich and crooked (28:6). Verse 11 adds that a rich man may think he is wise, but a poorer man with good judgment can see right through him (28:11). Neither verse says all poor people are good or all rich people are bad; the point is that character matters more than money, and riches do not prove wisdom. An earlier proverb makes nearly the same comparison, preferring the honest poor man to a fool with twisted speech (19:1), and another prefers a little with reverence for the LORD to vast riches with trouble (15:16).
- Proverbs 28:6 (BSB)“Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.”A poor man of integrity is ranked above a rich man whose ways are crooked.
- Proverbs 28:11 (BSB)“A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.”A wealthy man may think himself wise, but a poor man with insight is not fooled.
- Proverbs 19:1 (BSB)“Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.”An earlier saying prefers the honest poor man to a fool with twisted speech.
- Proverbs 15:16 (BSB)“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.”Another comparison ranks a little with reverence for the LORD above great treasure with trouble.
Theological
What value judgment do 28:6 and 28:11 make about wealth and character?
Answer: Upright character outweighs riches, and wealth does not make one wise
Verse 6 uses the better-than form to rank integrity with poverty above wealth with perverse ways (28:6), and verse 11 exposes the self-assessed wisdom of the rich, which a discerning poor man sees through (28:11). The verses do not equate poverty with righteousness or wealth with wickedness; they deny that wealth is a measure of either moral worth or wisdom. The same valuation appears in 19:1 and in 15:16, which prefers a small portion with reverence for God to vast treasure accompanied by turmoil.
- Proverbs 28:6 (BSB)“Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a rich man whose ways are perverse.”A poor man of integrity is ranked above a rich man whose ways are crooked.
- Proverbs 28:11 (BSB)“A rich man is wise in his own eyes, but a poor man with discernment sees through him.”A wealthy man may think himself wise, but a poor man with insight is not fooled.
- Proverbs 19:1 (BSB)“Better a poor man who walks with integrity than a fool whose lips are perverse.”An earlier saying prefers the honest poor man to a fool with twisted speech.
- Proverbs 15:16 (BSB)“Better a little with the fear of the LORD than great treasure with turmoil.”Another comparison ranks a little with reverence for the LORD above great treasure with trouble.
General
True or False: According to 28:9, the prayer of someone who refuses to listen to God's law is still pleasing to God.
Answer: False
This is false. The saying says that when a person refuses to listen to God's law, his very prayers become detestable, meaning disgusting and offensive to God (28:9). A person cannot shut out what God says and still expect God to welcome what he says to God. The psalmist confesses that holding on to sin in his heart would have kept the Lord from hearing him (Psalm 66:18). Through Isaiah, God told Judah that He would close His eyes to their many prayers because their hands were stained with blood (Isaiah 1:15). An earlier proverb makes the same contrast, setting the empty offerings of the wicked against the prayers of the upright, which please the LORD (Proverbs 15:8).
- Proverbs 28:9 (BSB)“Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.”A person who will not listen to God's instruction cannot expect his prayers to please God.
- Psalm 66:18 (BSB)“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”The psalmist says God would not have heard him had he held on to sin in his heart.
- Isaiah 1:15 (BSB)“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”God tells Judah He will not listen to their many prayers while their hands are stained with violence.
- Proverbs 15:8 (BSB)“The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.”An earlier saying sets the empty offerings of the wicked against the prayer of the upright, which God delights in.
Theological
True or False: 28:9 teaches that prayer remains acceptable to God even when the one praying refuses to hear His law.
Answer: False
This is false. Deliberately closing one's ear to God's law renders even prayer detestable to Him (28:9). Religious practice cannot be separated from a willingness to hear God's word; the one who will not listen to God cannot demand to be heard by God. Psalm 66:18 makes cherished sin a barrier to being heard, Isaiah 1:15 has God refusing to regard Judah's multiplied prayers while their hands are bloodstained, and Proverbs 15:8 contrasts the abhorrent offerings of evildoers with the upright's prayer, which is His delight.
- Proverbs 28:9 (BSB)“Whoever turns his ear away from hearing the law, even his prayer is detestable.”A person who will not listen to God's instruction cannot expect his prayers to please God.
- Psalm 66:18 (BSB)“If I had cherished iniquity in my heart, the Lord would not have listened.”The psalmist says God would not have heard him had he held on to sin in his heart.
- Isaiah 1:15 (BSB)“When you spread out your hands in prayer, I will hide My eyes from you; even though you multiply your prayers, I will not listen. Your hands are covered with blood.”God tells Judah He will not listen to their many prayers while their hands are stained with violence.
- Proverbs 15:8 (BSB)“The sacrifice of the wicked is detestable to the LORD, but the prayer of the upright is His delight.”An earlier saying sets the empty offerings of the wicked against the prayer of the upright, which God delights in.
General
True or False: 28:14 calls the person who keeps a continual reverence blessed, and warns that a hardened heart leads to trouble.
Answer: True
This is true. The saying pronounces a blessing on the person who stays reverent at all times, meaning he keeps a humble, God-fearing awe that takes God and His warnings seriously. In contrast, the person who makes his heart hard, becoming stubborn and unresponsive toward God, will fall into trouble (28:14). God says through Isaiah that He looks with favor on the humble, repentant person who trembles at His word (Isaiah 66:2). The psalmist warns God's people not to harden their hearts as Israel did in the wilderness (Psalm 95:8), and Hebrews urges believers to encourage one another every day so that no one is hardened by sin's deceit (Hebrews 3:12-13).
- Proverbs 28:14 (BSB)“Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.”Constant reverence for God is called blessed, while a hardened heart heads for disaster.
- Isaiah 66:2 (BSB)“Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.”God says He looks with favor on the humble and contrite who tremble at His word.
- Hebrews 3:12-13 (BSB)“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”The writer urges believers to encourage one another daily so none is hardened by sin's deceit.
- Psalm 95:8 (BSB)“do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,”The psalm warns God's people not to harden their hearts as Israel did in the wilderness.
Theological
True or False: 28:14 pronounces a blessing on continual reverence and warns that hardening the heart ends in calamity.
Answer: True
This is true. The beatitude of 28:14 belongs to the one who is continually reverent, living in humble awe before God, while the one who makes his heart stubborn ends in calamity. The contrast is between a tender, responsive heart and a stubborn one. God esteems the humble, contrite person who trembles at His word (Isaiah 66:2), Psalm 95:8 warns against hardening the heart as at Meribah and Massah, and Hebrews 3:12-13 applies that warning to the church, calling for daily mutual exhortation so that sin's deceit makes no one's heart hard.
- Proverbs 28:14 (BSB)“Blessed is the man who is always reverent, but he who hardens his heart falls into trouble.”Constant reverence for God is called blessed, while a hardened heart heads for disaster.
- Isaiah 66:2 (BSB)“Has not My hand made all these things? And so they came into being,” declares the LORD. “This is the one I will esteem: he who is humble and contrite in spirit, who trembles at My word.”God says He looks with favor on the humble and contrite who tremble at His word.
- Hebrews 3:12-13 (BSB)“See to it, brothers, that none of you has a wicked heart of unbelief that turns away from the living God. But exhort one another daily, as long as it is called today, so that none of you may be hardened by sin’s deceitfulness.”The writer urges believers to encourage one another daily so none is hardened by sin's deceit.
- Psalm 95:8 (BSB)“do not harden your hearts as you did at Meribah, in the day at Massah in the wilderness,”The psalm warns God's people not to harden their hearts as Israel did in the wilderness.
General
In 28:24, how is the person who takes from his parents and excuses it described?
Answer: As a partner of the one who brings ruin and destruction
Some might think taking from one's own family is not really stealing. But the saying says that whoever steals from his own parents and insists he has done nothing wrong is in the same company as a destroyer (28:24). Excusing the wrong does not make it any less serious. God's law commands honoring father and mother (Exodus 20:12), and Jesus rebuked religious leaders who allowed people to dedicate their money to God as an excuse to avoid supporting their parents (Mark 7:10-12).
- Proverbs 28:24 (BSB)“He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.”Stealing from one's own parents while denying any wrong is equated with destructive crime.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”God's law commands honoring father and mother.
- Mark 7:10-12 (BSB)“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother.”Jesus rebukes those who used a religious vow to avoid supporting their parents.
Theological
How does 28:24 assess the son who robs his parents while denying any wrongdoing?
Answer: As a partner of the one who brings ruin and destruction
The one who robs father or mother while claiming it is no transgression is reckoned a companion of the destroyer (28:24). Self-justification only compounds the offense against the command to honor one's parents (Exodus 20:12). Jesus exposed a similar evasion in the Corban practice, by which a vow to God was used to withhold support from parents (Mark 7:10-12).
- Proverbs 28:24 (BSB)“He who robs his father or mother, saying, “It is not wrong,” is a companion to the man who destroys.”Stealing from one's own parents while denying any wrong is equated with destructive crime.
- Exodus 20:12 (BSB)“Honor your father and mother, so that your days may be long in the land that the LORD your God is giving you.”God's law commands honoring father and mother.
- Mark 7:10-12 (BSB)“For Moses said, ‘Honor your father and your mother’ and ‘Anyone who curses his father or mother must be put to death.’ But you say that if a man says to his father or mother, ‘Whatever you would have received from me is Corban’ (that is, a gift devoted to God), he is no longer permitted to do anything for his father or mother.”Jesus rebukes those who used a religious vow to avoid supporting their parents.
General
What do 28:19-20 and 28:22 teach about how wealth is pursued?
Answer: Faithful, steady work is better than a hasty grab for riches
The farmer who works his own land has enough to eat, but the one who chases empty schemes ends up in poverty (28:19). A faithful man receives many blessings, but the one in a hurry to get rich will be punished (28:20). The stingy man who rushes after wealth does not realize that want is coming for him (28:22). These sayings describe how life generally goes under God's rule: steady, honest work is wise, while greedy haste leads to ruin. Proverbs gives a nearly identical saying elsewhere (12:11), and Paul warns that people who crave riches fall into traps and damaging cravings that destroy them (1 Timothy 6:9).
- Proverbs 28:19-20 (BSB)“The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.”Steady work on one's land brings food, while chasing empty schemes brings poverty; hurrying after riches brings punishment.
- Proverbs 28:22 (BSB)“A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.”A stingy man rushes after wealth, unaware that want is coming.
- Proverbs 12:11 (BSB)“The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment.”A nearly identical saying says the one who chases fantasies lacks sense.
- 1 Timothy 6:9 (BSB)“Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”Paul warns that craving riches traps people in desires that ruin them.
Theological
What contrast do 28:19-20 and 28:22 draw in the pursuit of wealth?
Answer: Faithful, steady work is better than a hasty grab for riches
Diligent labor on one's own land yields plenty, while chasing fantasies yields poverty (28:19); faithfulness abounds in blessing, while haste to be rich does not escape punishment (28:20); and the stingy man's pursuit of wealth leaves him blind to coming want (28:22). The sayings commend patient faithfulness and condemn greedy haste, describing how life ordinarily goes under God's government. Proverbs 12:11 nearly repeats verse 19, and 1 Timothy 6:9 warns that the desire to be rich ensnares people in senseless, damaging cravings that end in ruin.
- Proverbs 28:19-20 (BSB)“The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty. A faithful man will abound with blessings, but one eager to be rich will not go unpunished.”Steady work on one's land brings food, while chasing empty schemes brings poverty; hurrying after riches brings punishment.
- Proverbs 28:22 (BSB)“A stingy man hastens after wealth and does not know that poverty awaits him.”A stingy man rushes after wealth, unaware that want is coming.
- Proverbs 12:11 (BSB)“The one who works his land will have plenty of food, but whoever chases fantasies lacks judgment.”A nearly identical saying says the one who chases fantasies lacks sense.
- 1 Timothy 6:9 (BSB)“Those who want to be rich, however, fall into temptation and become ensnared by many foolish and harmful desires that plunge them into ruin and destruction.”Paul warns that craving riches traps people in desires that ruin them.
General
According to 28:25-26, what kind of person is a fool?
Answer: The one who places his confidence in himself
Verse 25 contrasts a greedy man, who stirs up conflict, with the person who relies on the LORD, who will prosper. Verse 26 then calls the self-reliant man a fool, while the person who lives wisely will be protected (28:25-26). Relying on one's own heart is foolish because the human heart is not trustworthy. The LORD says through Jeremiah that the human heart is more deceptive than anything and cannot be healed (Jeremiah 17:9), and He calls blessed the person who relies on Him (Jeremiah 17:7). Proverbs earlier urged wholehearted reliance on the LORD instead of leaning on one's own understanding (3:5-7).
- Proverbs 28:25-26 (BSB)“A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.”Greed stirs up conflict, but trust in the LORD brings success; relying on oneself is folly, while walking wisely keeps a person safe.
- Proverbs 3:5-7 (BSB)“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”The father urges trusting the LORD fully instead of relying on one's own understanding.
- Jeremiah 17:9 (BSB)“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”The LORD declares the human heart deceitful and beyond cure.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”The LORD calls blessed the one whose confidence is in Him.
Theological
According to 28:25-26, who is the fool?
Answer: The one who places his confidence in himself
Verse 25 sets greed, which stirs up strife, against reliance on the LORD, which prospers; verse 26 calls self-trust folly and promises safety to the person who lives by wisdom (28:25-26). Self-reliance is folly because the heart is corrupted by sin: Jeremiah 17:9 declares it supremely deceptive and incurable, while Jeremiah 17:7 pronounces blessed the person who relies on the LORD. Proverbs 3:5-7 had already set wholehearted reliance on the LORD against leaning on one's own understanding.
- Proverbs 28:25-26 (BSB)“A greedy man stirs up strife, but he who trusts in the LORD will prosper. He who trusts in himself is a fool, but one who walks in wisdom will be safe.”Greed stirs up conflict, but trust in the LORD brings success; relying on oneself is folly, while walking wisely keeps a person safe.
- Proverbs 3:5-7 (BSB)“Trust in the LORD with all your heart, and lean not on your own understanding; in all your ways acknowledge Him, and He will make your paths straight. Be not wise in your own eyes; fear the LORD and turn away from evil.”The father urges trusting the LORD fully instead of relying on one's own understanding.
- Jeremiah 17:9 (BSB)“The heart is deceitful above all things and beyond cure. Who can understand it?”The LORD declares the human heart deceitful and beyond cure.
- Jeremiah 17:7 (BSB)“But blessed is the man who trusts in the LORD, whose confidence is in Him.”The LORD calls blessed the one whose confidence is in Him.