2 Because of the sin of the land, its troubles are increased; but by a man of wisdom and knowledge they will be put out like a fire.
Now do not be troubled or angry with yourselves for sending me away, because God sent me before you to be the saviour of your lives. For these two years have been years of need, and there are still five more years to come in which there will be no ploughing or cutting of grain. God sent me before you to keep you and yours living on earth so that you might become a great nation. So now it was not you who sent me here, but God: and he has made me as a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and ruler over all the land of Egypt.
Nadab, the son of Jeroboam, became king over Israel in the second year that Asa was king of Judah; and he was king of Israel for two years.
In the twenty-sixth year that Asa was king of Judah, Elah, the son of Baasha, became king of Israel in Tirzah, and he was king for two years. And his servant Zimri, captain of half his war-carriages, made secret designs against him: now he was in Tirzah, drinking hard in the house of Arza, controller of the king's house in Tirzah. And Zimri went in and made an attack on him and put him to death, in the twenty-seventh year that Asa was king of Judah, and made himself king in his place. And straight away when he became king and took his place on the seat of the kingdom, he put to death all the family of Baasha: not one male child of his relations or his friends kept his life. So Zimri put to death all the family of Baasha, so that the word which the Lord said against him by the mouth of Jehu the prophet came about; Because of all the sins of Baasha, and the sins of Elah his son, which they did and made Israel do, moving the Lord, the God of Israel, to wrath by their foolish acts. Now the rest of the acts of Elah, and all he did, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel? In the twenty-seventh year of Asa, king of Judah, Zimri was king for seven days in Tirzah. Now the people were attacking Gibbethon in the land of the Philistines. And news came to the people in the tents that Zimri had made a secret design and had put the king to death: so all Israel made Omri, the captain of the army, king that day in the tents. Then Omri went up from Gibbethon, with all the army of Israel, and they made an attack on Tirzah, shutting in the town on every side. And when Zimri saw that the town was taken, he went into the inner room of the king's house, and burning the house over his head, came to his end, Because of his sin in doing evil in the eyes of the Lord, in going in the way of Jeroboam and in his sin which he made Israel do. Now the rest of the acts of Zimri, and the secret design he made, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel? Then there was a division among the people of Israel; half the people were for making Tibni, son of Ginath, king, and half were supporting Omri. But the supporters of Omri overcame those who were on the side of Tibni, the son of Ginath; and death came to Tibni and to his brother Joram at that time: and Omri became king in the place of Tibni. In the thirty-first year of Asa, king of Judah, Omri became king over Israel, and he was king for twelve years; for six years he was ruling in Tirzah. He got the hill Samaria from Shemer for the price of two talents of silver, and he made a town there, building it on the hill and naming it Samaria, after Shemer the owner of the hill. And Omri did evil in the eyes of the Lord, even worse than all those before him, Copying all the evil ways of Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, and all the sins he did and made Israel do, moving the Lord, the God of Israel, to wrath by their foolish ways. Now the rest of the acts which Omri did, and his great power, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel? So Omri went to rest with his fathers, and was put into the earth in Samaria; and Ahab his son became king in his place. In the thirty-eighth year that Asa was king of Judah, Ahab, the son of Omri, became king over Israel; and Ahab was king in Samaria for twenty-two years.
In the thirty-eighth year of Azaliah, king of Judah, Zechariah, son of Jeroboam, was king over Israel for six months. And he did evil in the eyes of the Lord, as his father had done, not turning away from the sin which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did and made Israel do. And Shallum, the son of Jabesh, made a secret design against him, and, attacking him in Ibleam, put him to death and became king in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Zechariah are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. This was what the Lord had said to Jehu, Your sons to the fourth generation will be kings of Israel. And so it came about. Shallum, the son of Jabesh, became king in the thirty-ninth year of Uzziah, king of Judah; and he was ruling in Samaria for the space of one month. Then Menahem, the son of Gadi, went up from Tirzah and came to Samaria, and attacking Shallum, son of Jabesh, in Samaria, put him to death and made himself king in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Shallum, and the secret design which he made, are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. Then Menahem sent destruction on Tappuah and all the people in it, and its limits, from Tirzah, because they would not let him come in; and he had all the women who were with child cut open. In the thirty-ninth year of Azariah, king of Judah, Menahem, the son of Gadi, became king over Israel, and was ruling in Samaria for ten years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord; he did not keep himself from the sin which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did and made Israel do. In his day, Pul, the king of Assyria, came up against the land; and Menahem gave Pul a thousand talents of silver so that he might let him keep the kingdom. And Menahem got the money from Israel, from all the men of wealth, fifty silver shekels from every man, to give to the king of Assyria. So the king of Assyria went back without stopping in the land. Now the rest of the acts of Menahem, and all he did, are they not recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel? And Menahem went to rest with his fathers; and Pekahiah his son became king in his place. In the fiftieth year of Azariah king of Judah, Pekahiah, the son of Menahem, became king over Israel in Samaria, ruling for two years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, not turning from the sin which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did and made Israel do. And Pekah, the son of Remaliah, his captain, made a secret design against him, attacking him in the king's great house in Samaria; and with him were fifty men of Gilead; and he put him to death and became king in his place. Now the rest of the acts of Pekahiah, and all he did, are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel. In the fifty-second year of Azariah, king of Judah, Pekah, the son of Remaliah, became king over Israel in Samaria, ruling for twenty years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, not turning from the sin which Jeroboam, the son of Nebat, did and made Israel do. In the days of Pekah, king of Israel, Tiglath-pileser, king of Assyria, came and took Ijon and Abel-beth-maacah and Janoah and Kedesh and Hazor and Gilead and Galilee and all the land of Naphtali; and he took the people away to Assyria. And Hoshea, the son of Elah, made a secret design against Pekah, the son of Remaliah, and, attacking him, put him to death and became king in his place, in the twentieth year of Jotham, the son of Uzziah. Now the rest of the acts of Pekah, and all he did, are recorded in the book of the history of the kings of Israel.
And Hezekiah the king, and Isaiah the prophet, the son of Amoz, made prayer because of this, crying out to heaven. And the Lord sent an angel who put to death all the men of war and the chiefs and the captains in the army of the king of Assyria. So he went back to his country in shame. And when he came into the house of his god, his sons, the offspring of his body, put him to death there with the sword. So the Lord gave Hezekiah and the people of Jerusalem salvation from the power of Sennacherib, the king of Assyria, and from all others, giving them rest on every side. And great numbers came to Jerusalem with offerings for the Lord, and things of great price for Hezekiah, king of Judah: so that he was honoured among all nations from that time. In those days Hezekiah was ill and near death; and he made prayer to the Lord, and the Lord in answer gave him a sign. But Hezekiah did not do as had been done to him; for his heart was lifted up in pride; and so wrath came on him and on Judah and Jerusalem. But then, Hezekiah, in sorrow for what he had done, put away his pride; and he and all Jerusalem made themselves low, so that the wrath of the Lord did not come on them in Hezekiah's life-time.
Then the people of the land took Jehoahaz, the son of Josiah, and made him king in Jerusalem in place of his father. Jehoahaz was twenty-three years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for three months. Then the king of Egypt took the kingdom from him in Jerusalem, and put on the land a tax of a hundred talents of silver and a talent of gold. And the king of Egypt made Eliakim his brother king over Judah and Jerusalem, changing his name to Jehoiakim. And Neco took his brother Jehoahaz away to Egypt. Jehoiakim was twenty-five years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for eleven years, and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord his God. Nebuchadnezzar, king of Babylon, came up against him, and took him away in chains to Babylon. And Nebuchadnezzar took away some of the vessels of the Lord's house, and put them in the house of his god in Babylon. Now the rest of the acts of Jehoiakim and the disgusting things he did, and all there is to be said against him, are recorded in the book of the kings of Israel and Judah; and Jehoiachin his son became king in his place. Jehoiachin was eighteen years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for three months and ten days, and he did evil in the eyes of the Lord. In the spring of the year King Nebuchadnezzar sent and took him away to Babylon, with the beautiful vessels of the house of the Lord, and made Zedekiah, his father's brother, king over Judah and Jerusalem. Zedekiah was twenty-one years old when he became king; he was ruling in Jerusalem for eleven years. He did evil in the eyes of the Lord, and did not make himself low before Jeremiah the prophet who gave him the word of the Lord.
Your purposes will come about, and light will be shining on your ways. For God makes low those whose hearts are lifted up, but he is a saviour to the poor in spirit. He makes safe the man who is free from sin, and if your hands are clean, salvation will be yours.
For the Lord, the Lord of armies, is about to take away from Jerusalem and from Judah all their support; their store of bread and of water; The strong man and the man of war; the judge and the prophet; the man who has knowledge of secret arts, and the man who is wise because of his years; The captain of fifty, and the man of high position, and the wise guide, and the wonder-worker, and he who makes use of secret powers. And I will make children their chiefs, and foolish ones will have rule over them. And the people will be crushed, every one by his neighbour; the young will be full of pride against the old, and those of low position will be lifted up against the noble. When one man puts his hand on another in his father's house, and says, You have clothing, be our ruler and be responsible for us in our sad condition: Then he will say with an oath, I will not be a helper, for in my house there is no bread or clothing: I will not let you make me a ruler of the people.
And your sons will be building again the old waste places: you will make strong the bases of old generations: and you will be named, He who puts up the broken walls, and, He who makes ready the ways for use.
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).