Proverbs 28

Proverbs 28 sets the righteous against the wicked, the humble against the proud, and the generous against the greedy. It deals especially with rulers who help or crush a people, and with the way wealth tests the heart. Its center is a simple call: walk with integrity, be honest about sin, and trust the LORD rather than yourself.

Proverbs 28:1

A guilty conscience makes a person jumpy. The wicked run when no one is chasing them, because fear lives inside. The righteous have nothing to hide and stand firm, bold like a lion. Real courage grows out of a clear conscience before God.

BSA: righteous (“those made right with God”): Boldness comes from being right with God, not from personal toughness.

See also: Leviticus 26:17; Psalm 53:5.

Proverbs 28:2

When a nation is rebellious, its leadership keeps breaking up and changing hands. Stability comes when a person of insight and knowledge leads. Moral rot at the bottom tends to produce disorder at the top, and wise leadership can keep a land steady.

BSA: order (“stability, continuity”): Good leadership gives a land lasting steadiness instead of constant upheaval.

Proverbs 28:3

A poor man who rises to power might be expected to pity the poor. Instead, if he squeezes them, he is like a flooding downpour. Rain should feed the crops, but this storm washes the harvest away. Oppression from one of their own is especially cruel.

BSA: oppresses (“presses upon, defrauds”): The oppression is a steady pressing down and cheating of the weak.

Proverbs 28:4

Our attitude toward God’s law shows in how we treat evil. Those who abandon it end up applauding wicked people, while those who keep it stand against them. Nobody is neutral toward evil for long.

BSA: law (“instruction, Torah”): The law is God’s instruction for living, not just a list of rules.

Proverbs 28:5

Evil people cannot grasp what is truly fair, because their desires bend their thinking. Those who seek the LORD come to understand all things rightly. Moral clarity is given to those who look to God.

BSA: seek (“search for, pursue”): Understanding comes to those who keep actively searching for God.

See also: John 7:17; 1 Corinthians 2:14-15.

Proverbs 28:6

The proverb sets honesty against money and says honesty is worth more. A poor person who lives with integrity is better off than a rich person whose life is crooked. Character lasts longer than wealth.

BSA: perverse (“twisted, distorted, false”): The rich man’s way is bent out of shape, like a road that does not go straight.

See also: Proverbs 19:1.

Proverbs 28:7

A wise son holds on to God’s instruction. Running with gluttons and riotous people brings shame on his parents. The company we keep shapes us and affects those who love us.

BSA: companion (“friend, associate”): Close friends shape a person’s character and reputation.

Proverbs 28:8

Growing rich by squeezing the needy with heavy interest does not last. God’s law forbade charging interest to a poor fellow Israelite. Such wealth is gathered for someone else, a kinder person who will use it for the poor. God has a way of redirecting stolen gain.

See also: Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:36-37.

Proverbs 28:9

If a person refuses to listen to God’s instruction, God finds even his prayers revolting. Prayer is not a way around obedience. God wants a listening ear before a speaking mouth.

BSA: detestable (“an abomination, disgusting”): A prayer from a stubborn heart is not merely ignored but offensive to God.

See also: Psalm 66:18; Isaiah 1:15.

Proverbs 28:10

Anyone who tempts good people into evil digs a trap and will fall into it himself. The blameless, by contrast, receive a good inheritance. Leading others astray is a serious sin, and it comes back on the one who does it.

BSA: pit (“hole, trap”): The trap he sets for others becomes his own.

See also: Proverbs 26:27; Matthew 18:6.

Proverbs 28:11

Wealth can make a person think he is clever, as though money proved his wisdom. But a poor person with real insight can examine him and see his flaws. Money is no measure of wisdom.

BSA: sees through (“searches, examines”): The poor man looks closely and finds out the truth about the rich man’s claims.

Proverbs 28:12

When righteous people prevail, the whole society shines and people celebrate openly. When the wicked take over, people go into hiding for safety. Who governs affects how freely everyone can live.

BSA: glory (“beauty, honor”): Good government brings a visible beauty and honor to a whole land.

Proverbs 28:13

Covering up sin does not work. Whoever hides it will not do well. Whoever admits it and turns from it finds mercy. God’s mercy is offered to us as we come clean. Confession must include a change of direction.

BSA: renounces (“forsakes, turns away from”): True confession includes actually leaving the sin behind.

See also: 1 John 1:9; Psalm 32:3-5.

Proverbs 28:14

Blessed is the person who keeps a tender, reverent heart before God and stays careful about sin. Someone who hardens his heart gets no such protection and ends in disaster. Humble reverence guards us; stubbornness invites ruin.

BSA: reverent (“fearing, having awe”): The fear of the LORD is awe before him, held continually.

Proverbs 28:15

A wicked ruler over people who cannot defend themselves is like a roaring lion or a charging bear. The people are prey. The picture shows how terrifying power is when it is used without conscience.

BSA: helpless (“poor, weak”): The people under the ruler are poor and powerless, so they cannot resist.

Proverbs 28:16

A ruler without understanding multiplies cruelty and corruption. A ruler who hates dishonest gain lives long. Lack of wisdom and love of greed go together, while integrity in leadership brings stability and blessing.

BSA: dishonest profit (“unjust, ill-gotten”): Hating unjust gain is the mark of a leader who lasts.

Proverbs 28:17

A person guilty of murder is hunted by his own guilt and runs toward the grave. The proverb says others should not help him escape justice. It affirms that human life is precious and that bloodshed must be answered.

BSA: Pit (“the grave, underworld”): His flight ends in death, the place where running stops.

See also: Genesis 9:6.

Proverbs 28:18

Integrity brings safety. A person who walks honestly is kept secure. The crooked person may seem to be doing well, but one day he will fall suddenly. God watches over the straight path.

BSA: perverse (“twisted, froward”): A twisted path looks clever but cannot hold up.

Proverbs 28:19

Steady, honest labor feeds a family. Chasing empty schemes and get-rich-quick dreams leaves a person poor. God’s way is faithful work in the place we have been given.

BSA: fantasies (“worthless, empty things”): These pursuits promise much but have nothing in them.

See also: Proverbs 12:11.

Proverbs 28:20

A trustworthy person is richly blessed. Someone in a rush to get rich will not escape the consequences, because speed usually means cutting corners. Faithfulness and quick greed pull in opposite directions.

BSA: eager (“hastening, making haste”): The hurry itself is the danger, because it leads to shortcuts.

See also: 1 Timothy 6:9-10.

Proverbs 28:21

Favoritism in judging is wrong. Yet people are so easily bought that someone will betray what is right for a bit of bread. Justice is spoiled when even small gains sway us.

BSA: partiality (“to have respect of persons, discern faces”): It means judging by who a person is rather than by what is right.

See also: Proverbs 24:23; James 2:1.

Proverbs 28:22

A stingy, envious person rushes after riches and never notices that poverty is coming for him. Grasping at wealth often loses it. God’s way of generosity is the wiser route.

BSA: hastens (“is in a rush, hurriedly”): The hurry blinds him to where he is really heading.

Hebrew: רַע עַיִן (ra ʿayin, H7451) — “evil of eye.” The Hebrew describes a stingy person as having an evil eye, meaning a grudging, greedy outlook.

Proverbs 28:23

Honest correction may sting at first. Later the person appreciates it more than flattery. The flatterer pleases for the moment but does no good. A true friend risks displeasing us for our benefit.

BSA: flatters (“deceives with smooth words”): Flattery is smooth speech that hides the truth.

See also: Proverbs 27:6.

Proverbs 28:24

Some take from their parents and say it is no sin, perhaps cheating them of an inheritance or support. The proverb says they stand with the destroyer. Wronging parents is no small matter, and excuses do not change the deed.

BSA: robs (“plunders, takes by force”): The taking may be forceful or sly, but it is still plunder.

See also: Exodus 20:12; Mark 7:10-13.

Proverbs 28:25

A greedy, grasping heart makes quarrels. The person who trusts the LORD is satisfied and thrives. When we rest in God’s provision, we have no need to fight over more.

BSA: trusts (“puts faith, has confidence”): Trust in God replaces the anxious grabbing that breeds conflict.

See also: Proverbs 3:5-6.

Proverbs 28:26

To rely on your own heart and judgment is foolish. Wisdom means walking in God’s ways and being willing to learn. Those who do so are brought safely through.

BSA: fool (“stupid, silly, rejecting God”): Self-trust is the fool’s mark because it leaves God out.

See also: Proverbs 3:7.

Proverbs 28:27

Whoever gives to the poor will not lack. Whoever pretends not to see them gathers many curses. God cares for the needy and keeps account of how we respond to them.

BSA: hides (“conceals, turns away”): Looking away on purpose is a deliberate refusal to help.

See also: Proverbs 19:17; 2 Corinthians 9:6-8.

Proverbs 28:28

This closes the chapter by returning to verse 12. When wicked people take power, others hide. When they are gone, the righteous multiply and flourish. Evil rule is temporary, and God’s people can hope for better days.

BSA: flourish (“increase, multiply, thrive”): When tyranny ends, the righteous grow in number and in strength.