Proverbs 14:19 - Printer Friendly

ESV: The evil bow down before the good, the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

NIV: Evildoers will bow down in the presence of the good, and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

NASB: The evil will bow down before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

CSB: The evil bow before those who are good, and the wicked, at the gates of the righteous.

NLT: Evil people will bow before good people; the wicked will bow at the gates of the godly.

KJV: The evil bow before the good; and the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

NKJV: The evil will bow before the good, And the wicked at the gates of the righteous.

Often, it seems evil sits on the throne as king (Psalm 73:2–3; Habakkuk 1:2–4). And yet, from God's eternal perspective, all evil bows down before the righteous. The complete fulfillment of this awaits the return of Christ to rule the earth (Revelation 19:11–16). At that time, He will subject the nations to His rule (Revelation 12:5). Philippians 2:10 states "that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father."

When Jesus rules Earth, believers will reign with him (2 Timothy 2:12). Also, believers will judge the nations (1 Corinthians 6:2). Psalm 49:14 portrays the humbling of the wicked and the rule of the righteous. This verse states: "Like sheep [the unrighteous] are appointed for Sheol; death shall be their shepherd, and the upright shall rule over them in the morning."

Proverbs 14:15–35 continues Solomon's wise sayings, once again mostly contrasting the wicked and the upright. He points out that those who do evil, by rejecting God's wisdom (Proverbs 1:7) are foolish and have no security. Those who do God's will (Proverbs 3:5) are wise and have unfailing security.

This continues a series of literal "proverbs:" short statements of general-case wisdom. The first ten verses of this chapter contrast positive and negative traits related to work ethic, self-control, and seeking wisdom. Then come several verses contrasting the fate of the righteous with that of the wicked. The rest of this passage provides statements on a broad range of subjects.

Proverbs 14 continues King Solomon's wise sayings. In this chapter he discusses a variety of topics such as wisdom and folly, honesty and dishonesty, righteousness and evil, national security and national disgrace, personal security and destruction, the fear of the Lord, generosity, and wise servanthood. This series of astute comments will continue for several more chapters.

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.

Accessed 5/1/2024 11:46:20 PM