13 He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.
If like Adam I have covered my transgressions, By hiding mine iniquity in my bosom,
When I kept silence, my bones wasted away Through my groaning all the day long. For day and night thy hand was heavy upon me: My moisture was changed `as' with the drought of summer. Selah I acknowledged my sin unto thee, And mine iniquity did I not hide: I said, I will confess my transgressions unto Jehovah; And thou forgavest the iniquity of my sin. Selah
If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us. If we confess our sins, he is faithful and righteous to forgive us our sins, and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. If we say that we have not sinned, we make him a liar, and his word is not in us.
For though thou wash thee with lye, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord Jehovah. How canst thou say, I am not defiled, I have not gone after the Baalim? see thy way in the valley, know what thou hast done: `thou art' a swift dromedary traversing her ways;
And while I was speaking, and praying, and confessing my sin and the sin of my people Israel, and presenting my supplication before Jehovah my God for the holy mountain of my God; yea, while I was speaking in prayer, the man Gabriel, whom I had seen in the vision at the beginning, being caused to fly swiftly, touched me about the time of the evening oblation. And he instructed me, and talked with me, and said, O Daniel, I am now come forth to give thee wisdom and understanding. At the beginning of thy supplications the commandment went forth, and I am come to tell thee; for thou art greatly beloved: therefore consider the matter, and understand the vision.
Have mercy upon me, O God, according to thy lovingkindness: According to the multitude of thy tender mercies blot out my transgressions. Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin. For I know my transgressions; And my sin is ever before me. Against thee, thee only, have I sinned, And done that which is evil in thy sight; That thou mayest be justified when thou speakest, And be clear when thou judgest. Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity; And in sin did my mother conceive me.
saying, I have sinned in that I betrayed innocent blood. But they said, What is that to us? see thou `to it'. And he cast down the pieces of silver into the sanctuary, and departed; and he went away and hanged himself.
Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye cleanse the outside of the cup and of the platter, but within they are full from extortion and excess. Thou blind Pharisee, cleanse first the inside of the cup and of the platter, that the outside thereof may become clean also. Woe unto you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! for ye are like unto whited sepulchres, which outwardly appear beautiful, but inwardly are full of dead men's bones, and of all uncleanness. Even so ye also outwardly appear righteous unto men, but inwardly ye are full of hypocrisy and iniquity.
and they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said unto them, Ye offspring of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bring forth therefore fruit worthy of repentance: and think not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, that God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham. And even now the axe lieth at the root of the trees: every tree therefore that bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.
Go, and proclaim these words toward the north, and say, Return, thou backsliding Israel, saith Jehovah; I will not look in anger upon you; for I am merciful, saith Jehovah, I will not keep `anger' for ever. Only acknowledge thine iniquity, that thou hast transgressed against Jehovah thy God, and hast scattered thy ways to the strangers under every green tree, and ye have not obeyed my voice, saith Jehovah.
He singeth before men, and saith, I have sinned, and perverted that which was right, And it profited me not:
yet if they shall bethink themselves in the land whither they are carried captive, and turn again, and make supplication unto thee in the land of them that carried them captive, saying, We have sinned, and have done perversely, we have dealt wickedly; if they return unto thee with all their heart and with all their soul in the land of their enemies, who carried them captive, and pray unto thee toward their land, which thou gavest unto their fathers, the city which thou hast chosen, and the house which I have built for thy name: then hear thou their prayer and their supplication in heaven thy dwelling-place, and maintain their cause;
And they shall confess their iniquity, and the iniquity of their fathers, in their trespass which they trespassed against me, and also that, because they walked contrary unto me, I also walked contrary unto them, and brought them into the land of their enemies: if then their uncircumcised heart be humbled, and they then accept of the punishment of their iniquity; then will I remember my covenant with Jacob; and also my covenant with Isaac, and also my covenant with Abraham will I remember; and I will remember the land.
Then Pharaoh called for Moses and Aaron in haste; and he said, I have sinned against Jehovah your God, and against you. Now therefore forgive, I pray thee, my sin only this once, and entreat Jehovah your God, that he may take away from me this death only.
And Jehovah said unto Cain, Where is Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: am I my brother's keeper?
but declared both to them of Damascus first and at Jerusalem, and throughout all the country of Judaea, and also to the Gentiles, that they should repent and turn to God, doing works worthy of repentance.
I will arise and go to my father, and will say unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of thy hired servants. And he arose, and came to his father. But while he was yet afar off, his father saw him, and was moved with compassion, and ran, and fell on his neck, and kissed him. And the son said unto him, Father, I have sinned against heaven, and in thy sight: I am no more worthy to be called thy son. But the father said to his servants, Bring forth quickly the best robe, and put it on him; and put a ring on his hand, and shoes on his feet: and bring the fatted calf, `and' kill it, and let us eat, and make merry: for this my son was dead, and is alive again; he was lost, and is found. And they began to be merry.
Hatred stirreth up strifes; But love covereth all transgressions.
Then he said, I have sinned: yet honor me now, I pray thee, before the elders of my people, and before Israel, and turn again with me, that I may worship Jehovah thy God.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Proverbs 28
Commentary on Proverbs 28 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 28
Pr 28:1-28.
1. A bad conscience makes men timid; the righteous are alone truly bold (Pr 14:26; Ps 27:1).
2. Anarchy producing contending rulers shortens the reign of each.
but by a man … prolonged—or, "by a man of understanding—that is, a good ruler—he who knows or regards the right, that is, a good citizen, shall prolong (his days)." Good rulers are a blessing to the people. Bad government as a punishment for evil is contrasted with good as blessing to the good.
3. A poor man, &c.—Such, in power, exact more severely, and so leave subjects bare.
4. They that forsake … wicked—Wrongdoers encourage one another.
5. (Compare Joh 7:17). Ignorance of moral truth is due to unwillingness to know it.
6. (Compare Pr 10:6). Riches cannot compensate for sin, nor the want of them affect integrity.
7. (Compare Pr 17:25).
riotous men—or, "gluttons" (Pr 23:20, 21).
8. usury … unjust gain—(Compare Margin). The two terms, meaning nearly the same, may denote excessive interest. God's providence directs the proper use of wealth.
9. (Compare Pr 15:8; 21:27).
hearing—that is, obeying. God requires sincere worshippers (Ps 66:18; Joh 4:24).
10. (Compare Pr 26:27).
11. A poor but wise man can discover (and expose) the rich and self-conceited.
12. great glory—or, cause for it to a people, for the righteous rejoice in good, and righteousness exalts a nation (Pr 14:34).
a man … hidden—that is, the good retire, or all kinds try to escape a wicked rule.
13. (Compare Ps 32:3-5). Concealment of sin delivers none from God's wrath, but He shows mercy to the humble penitent (Ps 51:4).
14. feareth—that is, God, and so repents.
hardeneth his heart—makes himself insensible to sin, and so will not repent (Pr 14:16; 29:1).
15. The rapacity and cruelty of such beasts well represent some wicked men (compare Ps 7:2; 17:12).
16. The prince … understanding—that is, He does not perceive that oppression jeopards his success. Covetousness often produces oppression, hence the contrast.
17. doeth violence … blood, &c.—or, that is oppressed by the blood of life (Ge 9:6), which he has taken.
to the pit—the grave or destruction (Pr 1:12; Job 33:18-24; Ps 143:7).
stay him—sustain or deliver him.
18. (Compare Pr 10:9; 17:20). Double dealing is eventually fatal.
19. (Compare Pr 10:4; 20:4).
vain persons—idle, useless drones, implying that they are also wicked (Pr 12:11; Ps 26:4).
20. maketh haste … rich—implying deceit or fraud (Pr 20:21), and so opposed to "faithful" or reliable.
21. respect of persons—(Pr 24:23). Such are led to evil by the slightest motive.
22. (Compare Pr 28:20).
evil eye—in the general sense of Pr 23:6, here more specific for covetousness (compare Pr 22:9; Mt 20:15).
poverty … him—by God's providence.
23. (Compare Pr 9:8, 9; 27:5). Those benefited by reproof will love their monitors.
24. (Compare Mt 15:4-6). Such, though heirs, are virtually thieves, to be ranked with highwaymen.
25. of a proud heart—literally, "puffed up of soul"—that is, self-confident, and hence overbearing and litigious.
made fat—or, "prosperous" (Pr 11:25; 16:20).
26. (Compare Pr 3:6-8).
walketh wisely—that is, trusting in God (Pr 22:17-19).
27. (Compare Pr 11:24-26).
hideth his eyes—as the face (Ps 27:9; 69:17), denotes inattention.
28. The elevation of the wicked to power drives men to seek refuge from tyranny (compare Pr 28:12; 11:10; Ps 12:8).