Proverbs 11:14 - Printer Friendly

ESV: Where there is no guidance, a people falls, but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.

NIV: For lack of guidance a nation falls, but victory is won through many advisers.

NASB: Where there is no guidance the people fall, But in an abundance of counselors there is victory.

CSB: Without guidance, a people will fall, but with many counselors there is deliverance.

NLT: Without wise leadership, a nation falls; there is safety in having many advisers.

KJV: Where no counsel is, the people fall: but in the multitude of counsellors there is safety.

NKJV: Where there is no counsel, the people fall; But in the multitude of counselors there is safety.

This verse commends seeking advice from others; taking the step of conferring with other people makes one much more likely to reach a good conclusion. When people refuse to take good advice, and turn to "echo chambers," where all they hear are their own opinions being repeated, they are more vulnerable to lies and errors.

The word "guidance" here comes from a term applied to the steering of a ship. A ship without proper guidance is likely to crash onto rocks, collide with another ship, or run aground. In the same way, people without worthwhile advice (Proverbs 27:17) experience disaster. Old Testament kings surrounded themselves with counselors. Wise counselors gave good advice about confronting an enemy, but unwise counselors brought trouble to the king and the nation. The more wise counselors a believer can rely on, the stronger and richer his life is. He is steered in the right direction.

Occasionally, wise counsel may point out a person's weaknesses and his tendency to do the wrong thing. Proverbs 27:6 says, "Faithful are the wounds of a friend." Good advice is not always pleasant advice, but true friends will not merely tell a person what they want to hear. Giving bad advice just to make friends is the mark of a false teacher. Paul counsels Timothy to warn the church at Ephesus about the influence of such people (1 Timothy 4:1–3). He tells Timothy, "If you put these things before the brothers, you will be a good servant of Christ Jesus" (1 Timothy 4:6).

Many of the proverbs in this section deal with contrasts between those who are righteous and those who are wicked. Righteous people follow God's will, bring honor and blessing on themselves, and have hope. Evil people disobey God, bring trouble on others, are hated, and their lives lead to disaster.

This continues a long passage filled with Solomon's general, common-sense observations. As in chapter 10, Solomon presents a variety of contrasts. We see distinctions such as those between integrity and dishonesty, trust in wealth and trust in the Lord, wise and foolish talk, true riches and false riches, the blessing of the righteous and the harm caused by the wicked, and the respective rewards of the godly and those who are evil.

Proverbs is best understood in context with the books of Ecclesiastes and Job. In Proverbs, “wisdom” is given in short, simple, general terms. Ecclesiastes represents wisdom based on observation and experience. This often shows how the general principles of the book of Proverbs don’t apply in absolutely every circumstance. Job represents wisdom based on the experience of suffering and injustice. All three come to the conclusion that God does indeed know best, and the most sensible course of action is to follow His will.