"Whoso loveth wisdom rejoiceth his father; But he that keepeth company with harlots wasteth his substance."This proverb is only a slight variation from at least a dozen others that stress the same truth. "Licentiousness is put as the opposite of wisdom in Proverbs 2:10,16; 5:1-3; 6:23-24; 9:1,13. Additionally, the first line is found in Proverbs 10:1; 23:13,24; 27:11; and line two is similar to Proverbs 5:9-10."[1] read more
"The king by justice establisheth the land; But he that exacteth gifts overthroweth it."A policy of excessive taxation has usually been the primary cause of every fallen government in the history of the world. "A king by justice gives stability to a land, but he whose exactions are excessive ruins it."[2] This rendition is applicable, not merely to excessive taxation, but to bribery by the `exaction of gifts.' "By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who exacts gifts ruins it."[3] read more
"A man that flattereth his neighbor, Spreadeth a net for his steps.""One who flatters another seeks to deceive and usually has an ulterior motive."[4] One should always be suspicious of fulsome praise. read more
"In the transgression of an evil man there is a snare; But the righteous doth sing and rejoice.""The snare is that the sinner is caught and held fast by his sin. It becomes a habit which he is unwilling or unable to break."[5] The contrast here is not very obvious. "It means (1) either that the good man has a peaceful conscience free of the snare of sin, or (2) that, although the righteous man has also sinned, he has repented; God has forgiven him, and therefore he sings."[6] read more
"The righteous taketh knowledge of the cause of the poor; The wicked hath not understanding to know it.""The righteous man is concerned for the cause of the helpless, but the wicked understand no such concern."[7] There is no test that separates the wicked from the righteous as effectively as this one. The Christ himself said, "Blessed are ye poor"; and to ignore the rights and necessities of the poor, in all dispensations of God's love, is the invariable hallmark of the wicked. read more
"Scoffers set a city in a flame; But wise men turn away wrath.""Unscrupulous men kindle strife in a city; the sensible discourage party-spirit."[8] "Insolent men set the city in an uproar, but wise men assuage popular anger."[9] These three renditions give us three synonyms for the evil man in line one: "scoffers, unscrupulous, and insolent." read more
"If a wise man hath a controversy with a foolish man, Whether he be angry or laugh, there will be no rest.""The subject of the second line is uncertain; but the proverb seems to be a warning against a wise man's going to law with a fool."[10] "When an intelligent man brings a lawsuit against a fool, the fool only laughs and becomes loud and abusive."[11] "If a wise man has an argument with a fool, the fool only rages and laughs, and there is no quiet."[12] The RSV is superior here. read more
"The bloodthirsty hate him that is perfect; And as for the upright, they seek his life."The inherent antagonism between good men and bad men, between righteousness and wickedness, between God and sin appears here. "And Cain who was of the evil one slew his brother; and wherefore slew he him? because his works were evil and his brother's righteous" (1 John 3:12). The very goodness of righteous, God-fearing people is more than sufficient grounds for the murderous hatred of them by wicked people. read more
"A fool uttereth all his anger; But a wise man keepeth it back and stilleth it."The KJV has this: "A fool uttereth all his mind: but a wise man keepeth it in till afterward."[13] "This indicates that a wise man restrains his anger till he can give it proper vent."[14] "Stupid people express their anger openly, but sensible people are patient and hold it back."[15] We like this because it means that righteous people overcome their anger. read more
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Coffman Commentaries on the Bible - Proverbs 29:2
"When the righteous increase, the people rejoice; But when a wicked man beareth rule, the people sigh."See discussion of this and related proverbs under Proverbs 28:28. read more