Proverbs 11:1-11

CHAPTER 11
TEXT Proverbs 11:1-11

1.

A false balance is an abomination to Jehovah;

But a just weight is his delight.

2.

When pride cometh, then cometh shame;

But with the lowly is wisdom.

3.

The integrity of the upright shall guide them;

But the perverseness of the treacherous shall destroy them.

4.

Riches profit not in the day of wrath;

But righteousness delivereth from death.

5.

The righteousness of the perfect shall direct his way;

But the wicked shall fall by his own wickedness.

6.

The righteousness of the upright shall deliver them;

But the treacherous shall be taken in their own iniquity.

7.

When a wicked man dieth, his expectation shall perish;

And the hope of iniquity perisheth.

8.

The righteous is delivered out of trouble;

And the wicked cometh in his stead.

9.

With his mouth the godless man destroyeth his neighbor;

But through knowledge shall the righteous be delivered.

10.

When it goeth well with the righteous, the city rejoiceth;

And when the wicked perish, there is shouting.

11.

By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted;

But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.

STUDY QUESTIONS OVER 11:1-11

1.

What is meant by balance (Proverbs 11:1)?

2.

Name two Bible characters whose perverseness brought their destruction (Proverbs 11:3).

4.

What is meant by the day of wrath (Proverbs 11:4)?

5.

Give a Biblical illustration of the righteousness of the perfect directing his way (Proverbs 11:5).

6.

How much is Proverbs 11:6 like Proverbs 11:5?

7.

What dies besides a wicked person's body (Proverbs 11:7)?

8.

What is meant by the wicked cometh in his stead (Proverbs 11:8)?

9.

Why would a man destroy his neighbor (Proverbs 11:9)?

10.

Illustrate both truths in Proverbs 11:10 with kings of the Old Testament.

11.

Does blessing mean prayers for the city or the blessings of God upon the righteous (Proverbs 11:11)?

12.

How could a city be overthrown by the mouth of the wicked (Proverbs 11:11)?

PARAPHRASE OF 11:1-11

1.

The Lord hates cheating and delights in honesty.

2.

Proud men end in shame, but the meek become wise.

3.

A good man is guided by his honesty; the evil man is destroyed by his dishonesty.

4.

Your riches won-'t help you on Judgment Day; only righteousness counts then.

5.

The upright are directed by their honesty; the wicked shall fall beneath their load of sins.

6.

The good man's goodness delivers him; the evil man's treachery is his undoing.

7.

When an evil man dies, his hopes all perish, for they are based upon this earthly life.

8.

God rescues good men from danger while letting the wicked fall into it.

9.

Evil words destroy. Godly skill rebuilds.

10.

The whole city celebrates a good man's successand also the godless man's death.

11.

The good influence of godly citizens causes a city to prosper, but the moral decay of the wicked drives it downhill.

COMMENTS ON 11:1-11

Proverbs 11:1. A perusal of this chapter will show that its sayings deal principally with honesty, integrity and uprightness in human relationships. A false balance was a set of dishonest scales. That God is concerned about honesty in business is evident from this verse and from Leviticus 19:35-36; Deuteronomy 25:13-16; Proverbs 20:10; Proverbs 20:23.

Proverbs 11:2. A double contrast: pride vs. lowly and shame vs. wisdom. Pulpit Commentary: Self-assertion and self-confidence shall meet with mortification and disgrace in the end.

Proverbs 11:3. A triple contrast: integrity vs. perverseness; the upright vs. the treacherous; and guide vs. destroy. The integrity of Joseph guided him with reference to Potiphar's wife (Genesis 39:7-12), and the perverseness of Absalom destroyed him (2 Samuel 15-18).

Proverbs 11:4. Clarke: Among men they can do all things; but they cannot purchase the remission of sins, nor turn aside the wrath of God when that is poured out. Observe this fact in 1 Peter 1:18; Proverbs 10:2; Ezekiel 7:19; Zephaniah 1:18. If one could gain the whole world, he could not redeem his lost soul by offering it to God at judgment (Mark 8:36-37). But righteousness has a great bearing on one's being delivered when God raises to punish (Genesis 7:1; 2 Peter 2:5; 2 Peter 2:7).

Proverbs 11:5. This saying is similar to Proverbs 11:3. We observe that a person spends a lifetime developing his righteousness, and all the while it is the directing force of his life. Remember the wickedness of Judas and the downfall it brought him (Matthew 26:14-16; Matthew 27:3-5).

Proverbs 11:6. One's righteousness that has directed him (Proverbs 11:5) also delivers him from many a destruction. A treacherous person is one bent on injuring another for his own sinful gain. But such are often taken in the plot they laid for others: Psalms 9:15; Proverbs 5:22; Ecclesiastes 10:8.

Proverbs 11:7. Compare with Proverbs 10:28. Get this lesson: there is nothing good beyond death for the wicked. Death dashes his earthly hopes to the ground, and eternity holds nothing good for him.

Proverbs 11:8. God's providential leadership and His answer of the righteous people's prayers brings about this deliverance (2 Kings 18:28 to 2 Kings 19:19, 2 Kings 19:35). On the wicked coming in his stead, Young translates: The righteous from distress is drawn out, And the wicked goeth in instead of him. American Bible Union version: The righteous was delivered out of trouble; And the wicked came into his place. Amplified speaks of the wicked getting into trouble instead of the righteous.

Proverbs 11:9. This verse well fits a court scene where the false witness can destroy his neighbor and where the faithful witness can deliver the innocent. Naboth was destroyed through false witnesses (1 Kings 21:1-13).

Proverbs 11:10. This verse and the one following have sayings about the city. Good kings were honored because of their successful reigns (2 Chronicles 32:33; 2 Chronicles 35:24-25); not so with the bad kings (2 Chronicles 24:25). Consider also Proverbs 28:12-18. There must have been much rejoicing when both Athaliah and Herod the Great died.

Proverbs 11:11. Proverbs 29:8 says, Scoffers set a city in a flame (mighty cities, after being conquered, were often burned-Joshua 6:24; Joshua 8:19); But wise men turn away wrath (by submitting rather than resisting an over-powering enemyJeremiah 27:4-11).

TEST QUESTIONS OVER 11:1-11

1.

The sayings in this chapter mainly have to do with what?

2.

How strongly does God express His feelings about dishonesty in business (Proverbs 11:1)?

3.

What precedes destruction?

4.

What precedes honor?

5.

How did Joseph's integrity guide him in the Potiphar's wife situation (Proverbs 11:2)?

6.

How did Absalom's perverseness destroy him (Proverbs 11:2)?

7.

What statement shows that righteousness is actually more powerful than riches (Proverbs 11:4)?

8.

How did Judas's wickedness bring about his downfall (Proverbs 11:5)?

9.

Who is a treacherous person? What often happens to them that they do not expect (Proverbs 11:6)?

10.

What happens to the wicked's hope at death (Proverbs 11:6)?

11.

How did Hezekiah's righteousness deliver him and Jerusalem out of trouble (Proverbs 11:7)?

12.

What is meant in Proverbs 11:8 by the wicked cometh in his stead?

13.

How can one's mouth destroy his neighbor (Proverbs 11:9)?

14.

Cite two rulers whose death must have brought rejoicing to their people (Proverbs 11:10).

15.

How could scoffers set their city aflame (Proverbs 11:11)?

16.

How would wise men often turn away wrath from their city (Proverbs 11:11)?