Proverbs — Chapter 28
Loading ESV text...
1The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.
2For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
3A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
4They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.
5Evil men understand not judgment: but they that seek the LORD understand all things.
6Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness, than he that is perverse in his ways, though he be rich.
7Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son: but he that is a companion of riotous men shameth his father.
8He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor.
9He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer shall be abomination.
10Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray in an evil way, he shall fall himself into his own pit: but the upright shall have good things in possession.
11The rich man is wise in his own conceit; but the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
12When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory: but when the wicked rise, a man is hidden.
13He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.
14Happy is the man that feareth alway: but he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
15As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear; so is a wicked ruler over the poor people.
16The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor: but he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.
17A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person shall flee to the pit; let no man stay him.
18Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved: but he that is perverse in his ways shall fall at once.
19He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread: but he that followeth after vain persons shall have poverty enough.
20A faithful man shall abound with blessings: but he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be innocent.
21To have respect of persons is not good: for for a piece of bread that man will transgress.
22He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye, and considereth not that poverty shall come upon him.
23He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour than he that flattereth with the tongue.
24Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression; the same is the companion of a destroyer.
25He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife: but he that putteth his trust in the LORD shall be made fat.
26He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool: but whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
27He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
28When the wicked rise, men hide themselves: but when they perish, the righteous increase.
1The wicked flee when no man pursueth; But the righteous are bold as a lion.
2For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof; But by men of understanding [and] knowledge the state [thereof] shall be prolonged.
3A needy man that oppresseth the poor Is [like] a sweeping rain which leaveth no food.
4They that forsake the law praise the wicked; But such as keep the law contend with them.
5Evil men understand not justice; But they that seek Jehovah understand all things.
6Better is the poor that walketh in his integrity, Than he that is perverse in [his] ways, though he be rich.
7Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son; But he that is a companion of gluttons shameth his father.
8He that augmenteth his substance by interest and increase, Gathereth it for him that hath pity on the poor.
9He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law, Even his prayer is an abomination.
10Whoso causeth the upright to go astray in an evil way, He shall fall himself into his own pit; But the perfect shall inherit good.
11The rich man is wise in his own conceit; But the poor that hath understanding searcheth him out.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; But when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
13He that covereth his transgressions shall not prosper: But whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall obtain mercy.
14Happy is the man that feareth alway; But he that hardeneth his heart shall fall into mischief.
15[As] a roaring lion, and a ranging bear, [So is] a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16The prince that lacketh understanding is also a great oppressor; [But] he that hateth covetousness shall prolong his days.
17A man that is laden with the blood of any person Shall flee unto the pit; let no man stay him.
18Whoso walketh uprightly shall be delivered; But he that is perverse in [his] ways shall fall at once.
19He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread; But he that followeth after vain [persons] shall have poverty enough.
20A faithful man shall abound with blessings; But he that maketh haste to be rich shall not be unpunished.
21To have respect of persons is not good; Neither that a man should transgress for a piece of bread.
22he that hath an evil eye hasteth after riches, And knoweth not that want shall come upon him.
23He that rebuketh a man shall afterward find more favor Than he that flattereth with the tongue.
24Whoso robbeth his father or his mother, and saith, It is no transgression, The same is the companion of a destroyer.
25He that is of a greedy spirit stirreth up strife; But he that putteth his trust in Jehovah shall be made fat.
26He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool; But whoso walketh wisely, he shall be delivered.
27He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack; But he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse.
28When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; But when they perish, the righteous increase.
1The wicked person fled, though no one was pursuing, but the righteous person can be as confident as a lion.
2When a country is rebellious it has many princes, but by someone who is discerning and knowledgeable order is maintained.
3A poor person who oppresses the weak is like a driving rain without food.
4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law contend with them.
5Evil people do not understand justice, but those who seek the Lord understand it all.
6A poor person who walks in his integrity is better than one who is perverse in his ways even though he is rich.
7The one who keeps the law is a discerning child, but a companion of gluttons brings shame to his parents.
8The one who increases his wealth by increasing interest gathers it for someone who is gracious to the needy.
9The one who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
10The one who leads the upright astray in an evil way will himself fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.
11A rich person is wise in his own opinion, but a discerning poor person can evaluate him properly.
12When the righteous rejoice, great is the glory, but when the wicked rise to power, people are sought out.
13The one who covers his transgressions will not prosper, but whoever confesses them and forsakes them will find mercy.
14Blessed is the one who is always cautious, but whoever hardens his heart will fall into evil.
15Like a roaring lion or a roving bear, so is a wicked ruler over a poor people.
16The prince who is a great oppressor lacks wisdom, but the one who hates unjust gain will prolong his days.
17The one who is tormented by the murder of another will flee to the pit; let no one support him.
18The one who walks blamelessly will be delivered, but whoever is perverse in his ways will fall at once.
19The one who works his land will be satisfied with food, but whoever chases daydreams will have his fill of poverty.
20A faithful person will have an abundance of blessings, but the one who hastens to gain riches will not go unpunished.
21To show partiality is terrible, for a person will transgress over the smallest piece of bread.
22The stingy person hastens after riches and does not know that poverty will overtake him.
23The one who reproves another will in the end find more favor than the one who flatters with the tongue.
24The one who robs his father and mother and says, “There is no transgression,” is a companion to the one who destroys.
25The greedy person stirs up dissension, but the one who trusts in the Lord will prosper.
26The one who trusts in his own heart is a fool, but the one who walks in wisdom will escape.
27The one who gives to the poor will not lack, but whoever shuts his eyes to them will receive many curses.
28When the wicked gain control, people hide themselves, but when they perish, the righteous increase.
1The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.
2In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.
3A needy man who oppresses the poor is like a driving rain which leaves no crops.
4Those who forsake the law praise the wicked; but those who keep the law contend with them.
5Evil men don’t understand justice; but those who seek Yahweh understand it fully.
6Better is the poor who walks in his integrity, than he who is perverse in his ways, and he is rich.
7Whoever keeps the law is a wise son; but he who is a companion of gluttons shames his father.
8He who increases his wealth by excessive interest gathers it for one who has pity on the poor.
9He who turns away his ear from hearing the law, even his prayer is an abomination.
10Whoever causes the upright to go astray in an evil way, he will fall into his own trap; but the blameless will inherit good.
11The rich man is wise in his own eyes; but the poor who has understanding sees through him.
12When the righteous triumph, there is great glory; but when the wicked rise, men hide themselves.
13He who conceals his sins doesn’t prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them finds mercy.
14Blessed is the man who always fears; but one who hardens his heart falls into trouble.
15As a roaring lion or a charging bear, so is a wicked ruler over helpless people.
16A tyrannical ruler lacks judgment. One who hates ill-gotten gain will have long days.
17A man who is tormented by life blood will be a fugitive until death; no one will support him.
18Whoever walks blamelessly is kept safe; but one with perverse ways will fall suddenly.
19One who works his land will have an abundance of food; but one who chases fantasies will have his fill of poverty.
20A faithful man is rich with blessings; but one who is eager to be rich will not go unpunished.
21To show partiality is not good; yet a man will do wrong for a piece of bread.
22A stingy man hurries after riches, and doesn’t know that poverty waits for him.
23One who rebukes a man will afterward find more favor than one who flatters with the tongue.
24Whoever robs his father or his mother, and says, “It’s not wrong.” He is a partner with a destroyer.
25One who is greedy stirs up strife; but one who trusts in Yahweh will prosper.
26One who trusts in himself is a fool; but one who walks in wisdom is kept safe.
27One who gives to the poor has no lack; but one who closes his eyes will have many curses.
28When the wicked rise, men hide themselves; but when they perish, the righteous thrive.
Summary
Proverbs on justice, leadership, and confession — the wicked flee when no one pursues, he who conceals his transgressions will not prosper but whoever confesses and forsakes them will find mercy.
Authorship & Background
- Boldness of the Righteous vs. Flight of the Wicked (v.1)
- Confession vs. Concealment of Sin (v.13)
- The Danger of Self-Trust (v.26)
- Faithfulness vs. Haste to Be Rich (vv.20, 22)
- The Fear That Never Rests (v.14)
- Righteous and Wicked Governance (vv.2, 12, 15-16, 28)
- Generosity vs. Greed (vv.8, 22, 25, 27)
Map & Geography
- No specific geographic locations are referenced in this chapter.
Commentary
- Enduring Word (David Guzik): enduringword.com Guzik emphasizes the contrast between guilt and righteousness in
- v.1: the wicked man's flight is not from an external enemy but from his own conscience. A guilty soul is its own tormentor. On
- v.13, Guzik connects confession and forsaking as inseparable — confession without repentance is merely acknowledging facts; true confession involves turning away from the sin. He notes that
- v.26 is a direct assault on human autonomy: "The heart is not a reliable guide. It was not designed to lead; it was designed to follow — to follow God's wisdom, not its own inclinations."
- Charles Spurgeon: "He that covereth his sins shall not prosper. You may patch up a fair reputation; you may wear the mask of hypocrisy with considerable skill; but 'shall not prosper' — that is God's verdict on your concealment. A man may as well try to hide a fire in his bosom as to conceal his sin from God. But 'whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy.' Mark well those two words — confesseth AND forsaketh. It is not enough to tell God about your sins if you intend to return to them tomorrow. Confession without forsaking is a mockery. But where both meet, mercy comes — rich, free, sovereign mercy."
Reflection
- 1. What are you running from? (v.1). The wicked flee imaginary pursuers because guilt never rests. If you live with a nagging fear, an inability to be still, a compulsion to stay busy or distracted — ask whether unconfessed sin is the hidden cause. A clear conscience before God is the foundation of genuine boldness.
- 2. Stop covering, start confessing (v.13). The instinct to hide sin is as old as Eden (Genesis 3:7-8). But covering never heals — it only delays and compounds the reckoning. What sin are you managing instead of confessing? Confession requires naming it specifically before God. Forsaking requires a plan to walk differently. Mercy awaits both.
- 3. Fear always (v.14). Cultivate a holy vigilance — not paranoia, but the reverential awareness that sin is always crouching at the door (Genesis 4:7). The man who says "I could never fall" is already falling. Spiritual safety lies in spiritual caution. Never presume upon grace; never assume you are above temptation.
- 4. Never trust your heart as your guide (v.26). The modern mantra "follow your heart" is called foolishness in Scripture. Your heart is a broken compass. It tells you what you WANT, not what is WISE. Every major decision should be filtered through Scripture, counsel, and prayer — not through feelings. Walking wisely means overriding your heart with God's Word.
- 5. Faithfulness over speed (v.20). Do not sacrifice integrity for efficiency. The faithful man builds slowly and blesses others; the man in a hurry cuts corners and compromises character. Where are you rushing? Where has the desire for quick results tempted you to shortcut God's process? Slow, faithful obedience compounds into abundance.