Proverbs 28

Chap. XXVIII. Ver. 1-28. General observations on the advantages of the righteous over the wicked.—The wicked man is a coward, “he fleeth when no man pursueth;” and yet, like most cowards, when he gets into power, he is a tyrant, like “a roaring lion and a ranging bear:” yea, he is like “a sweeping rain,” which destroys the fruits of the earth, and “leaveth no food.” On the other hand, “the righteous is bold as a lion;” but his boldness groweth not to impiety; “he confesseth and forsaketh his sin, and feareth alway” to offend his Maker. A great part of this chapter may be considered as referring to Scripture politics; “For (or by) the transgression of a land,” that is, of a people, they become divided into many petty states, under separate chiefs; “but by a man (or men) of understanding, the state may (notwithstanding) be prolonged.”

When it is said, (ver. 14.) “Happy is the man that feareth alway,” we must not consider it as a blessing either upon the timid or cowardly, but upon the prudent and cautious: unless we apply it to the fear of God, and then it means a reverential fear of offending the Almighty. Henry has some excellent remarks upon the 21st verse: “To have respect of persons is not good;” from which we shall extract the outline only. 1. “It is a fundamental error (says he) in the administration of judgment, to consider the parties concerned more than the merits of the cause; so as to favour one because he is a gentleman, or my countryman, or my friend, &c. 2. Those that are partial will be paltry. Having broken through the bounds of equity, at first, perhaps, for some great sum, they will at length stoop to receive any paltry bribe, here called contemptuously ‘a morsel of bread.’”