A wise man feareth, and departeth from evil: but the fool rageth, and is confident.

A wise (man) feareth, and departeth from evil - "feareth," lest he may offend God, and, through distrust of himself, keeps at the greatest distance from the contagion of sin.

But the fool rageth - against God, and against those who fear God and would recall him from sin. He is impatient at being checked in his course (so the Hebrew means in Deuteronomy 3:26; Psalms 78:21; cf. Proverbs 22:3). Gejer, translated [as the Hithpael of `aabar (H5674), to transgress], 'The fool makes himself to transgress;' 'sins of his own accord and with premeditation.' But the English version is the ordinary sense.

And is confident - in contrast to the wise man's 'fear' of sin and distrust of himself.

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