25 The fear of man is a cause of danger: but whoever puts his faith in the Lord will have a safe place on high.
And I say to you, my friends, Have no fear of those who may put the body to death, and are able to do no more than that.
It is better to have faith in the Lord than to put one's hope in man.
The name of the Lord is a strong tower: the upright man running into it is safe.
He who gives attention to the law of right will get good; and whoever puts his faith in the Lord is happy.
My God has sent his angel to keep the lions' mouths shut, and they have done me no damage: because I was seen to be without sin before him; and further, before you, O King, I have done no wrong.
At my first meeting with my judges, no one took my part, but all went away from me. May it not be put to their account. But the Lord was by my side and gave me strength; so that through me the news might be given out in full measure, and all the Gentiles might give ear: and I was taken out of the mouth of the lion.
Nebuchadnezzar made answer and said, Praise be to the God of Shadrach, Meshach, and Abed-nego, who has sent his angel and kept his servants safe who had faith in him, and who put the king's word on one side and gave up their bodies to the fire, so that they might not be servants or worshippers of any other god but their God.
But when Cephas came to Antioch, I made a protest against him to his face, because he was clearly in the wrong. For before certain men came from James, he did take food with the Gentiles: but when they came, he went back and made himself separate, fearing those who were of the circumcision. And the rest of the Jews went after him, so that even Barnabas was overcome by their false ways.
Hearing this, Pilate had a desire to let him go free, but the Jews said in a loud voice, If you let this man go, you are not Caesar's friend: everyone who makes himself a king goes against Caesar. So when these words came to Pilate's ear, he took Jesus out, seating himself in the judge's seat in a place named in Hebrew, Gabbatha, or the Stone Floor.
They said this because of their fear of the Jews: for the Jews had come to an agreement that if any man said that Jesus was the Christ he would be put out of the Synagogue.
He came to Jesus by night and said to him, Rabbi, we are certain that you have come from God as a teacher, because no man would be able to do these signs which you do if God was not with him.
Now Peter was seated in the open square outside the house: and a servant-girl came to him, saying, You were with Jesus the Galilaean. But he said before them all that it was false, saying, I have no knowledge of what you say. And when he had gone out into the doorway, another saw him and says to those who were there, This man was with Jesus the Nazarene. And again he said with an oath, I have no knowledge of the man. And after a little time those who were near came and said to Peter, Truly you are one of them; because your talk is witness against you. Then with curses and oaths he said, I have no knowledge of the man. And straight away there came the cry of a cock.
Then the disciples came and said to him, Did you see that the Pharisees were troubled when these words came to their ears?
And have no fear of those who put to death the body, but are not able to put to death the soul. But have fear of him who has power to give soul and body to destruction in hell.
It is good to take this in your hand and not to keep your hand from that; he who has the fear of God will be free of the two.
Every word of God is tested: he is a breastplate to those who put their faith in him.
<A Song of the going up.> Those whose hope is in the Lord are like the mountain of Zion, which may not be moved, but keeps its place for ever.
But I am poor and full of sorrow; let me be lifted up by your salvation, O Lord.
And he got up, fearing for his life, and went in flight, and came to Beer-sheba in Judah, parting there from his servant;
Not one living man or woman did David ever take back with him to Gath, fearing that they might give an account of what had taken place, and say, This is what David did, and so has he been doing all the time while he has been living in the land of the Philistines.
And David said to himself, Some day death will come to me by the hand of Saul: the only thing for me to do is to get away into the land of the Philistines; then Saul will give up hope of taking me in any part of the land of Israel: and so I may be able to get away from him.
And Saul said to Samuel, Great is my sin: for I have gone against the orders of the Lord and against your words: because, fearing the people, I did what they said.
And Aaron said, Let not my lord be angry; you have seen how the purposes of this people are evil. For they said to me, Make us a god to go before us: as for this Moses, who took us up out of the land of Egypt, we have no idea what has come to him. Then I said to them, Whoever has any gold, let him take it off; so they gave it to me, and I put it in the fire, and this image of an ox came out.
And Abraham said of Sarah, his wife, She is my sister: and Abimelech, king of Gerar, sent and took Sarah.
Now when he came near to Egypt, he said to Sarai, his wife, Truly, you are a fair woman and beautiful to the eye; And I am certain that when the men of Egypt see you, they will say, This is his wife: and they will put me to death and keep you. Say, then, that you are my sister, and so it will be well with me because of you, and my life will be kept safe on your account.
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Matthew Henry Commentary » Commentary on Proverbs 29
Commentary on Proverbs 29 Matthew Henry Commentary
Chapter 29
Pro 29:1
Here,
Pro 29:2
This is what was said before, ch. 28:12, 28.
Pro 29:3
Both the parts of this verse repeat what has been often said, but, on comparing them together, the sense of them will be enlarged from each other.
Pro 29:4
Here is,
Pro 29:5
Those may be said to flatter their neighbours who commend and applaud that good in them (the good they do or the good they have) which really either is not or is not such as they represent it, and who profess that esteem and that affection for them which really they have not; these spread a net for their feet.
Pro 29:6
Here is,
Pro 29:7
It is a pity but that every one who sues sub formâ pauperis-as a pauper, should have an honest cause (they are of all others inexcusable if they have not), because the scripture has so well provided that it should have a fair hearing, and that the judge himself should be of counsel, as for the prisoner, so for the pauper.
Pro 29:8
See here,
Pro 29:9
A wise man is here advised not to set his wit to a fool's, not to dispute with him, or by contending with him to think either of fastening reason upon him or gaining right from him: If a wise man contend with a wise man, he may hope to be understood, and, as far as he has reason and equity on his side, to carry his point, at least to bring the controversy to a head and make it issue amicably; but, if he contend with a foolish man, there is no rest; he will see no end of it, nor will he have any satisfaction in it, but must expect to be always uneasy.
Pro 29:10
Note,
Pro 29:11
Note,
Pro 29:12
Note,
Pro 29:13
This shows how wisely the great God serves the designs of his providence by persons of very different tempers, capacities, and conditions in the world, even,
Pro 29:14
Here is,
Pro 29:15
Parents, in educating their children, must consider,
Pro 29:16
Note,
Pro 29:17
Note,
Pro 29:18
See here,
Pro 29:19
Here is the description of an unprofitable, slothful, wicked servant, a slave that serves not from conscience, or love, but purely from fear. Let those that have such servants put on patience to bear the vexation and not disturb themselves at it. See their character.
Pro 29:20
Solomon here shows that there is little hope of bringing a man to wisdom that is hasty either,
Pro 29:21
Note,
Pro 29:22
See here the mischief that flows from an angry, passionate, furious disposition.
Pro 29:23
This agrees with what Christ said more than once,
Pro 29:24
See here what sin and ruin those involve themselves in who are drawn away by the enticement of sinners.
Pro 29:25
Here,
Pro 29:26
See here,
Pro 29:27
This expresses not only the innate contrariety that there is between virtue and vice, as between light and darkness, fire and water, but the old enmity that has always been between the seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent, Gen. 3:15.