Summary: Hope and ambition dies when the wicked, godless and unjust person dies. The righteous will be able to overcome troubles, the wicked often goes into troubles caused his sinful mouth. The righteous is popular in the community, the wicked unpopular.
7 7 When the wicked dies, his hope perishes,
and the expectation of the godless comes to nought. (RSV)
7 7 Hopes placed in mortals die with them;
all the promise of[a] their power comes to nothing. (NIV)
7 7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish,
And the hope of the unjust perishes. (NKJV)
There seems to be differing meaning of NIV versus RSV/NKJV.
When a wicked, unjust and sinful man dies, everything ends. All his expectation, unfulfilled dreams (such as greater wealth, enlarge his business empire) will all stop. He also has got no hope, no eternal life in heaven.
Even as believers, we must remind ourselves that whatever we gather in this world (e.g. fame, riches, power, honour) and whatever we aspire and aim for, will all come in to an end when we die. For us believers, we have hope on our afterlife, in heaven. So let us gather treasures in this world as well as in heaven.
8 8 The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked gets into it instead.
9 9 With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered. (RSV)
8 The righteous person is rescued from trouble,
and it falls on the wicked instead.
and it falls on the wicked instead.
9 With their mouths the godless destroy their neighbors,
but through knowledge the righteous escape. (NIV)
but through knowledge the righteous escape. (NIV)
When the righteous is in trouble, he will be able to overcome it. When the righteous has problem, with wisdom and knowledge, he will be able to solve the problem.
God will save the righteous from distress. God saved Mordecai from Haman's gallows, saved Daniel from the lion in lion's den.
On the contrary, the wicked and godless gets into trouble easily. With mouth that lies, slanders, stir up up conflicts, the wicked and godless will often cause problems and tensions with friends and relatives.
10 10 When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices;
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
11 11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted, but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked. (RSV)
10 When the righteous prosper, the city rejoices;
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
when the wicked perish, there are shouts of joy.
11 Through the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. (NIV)
but by the mouth of the wicked it is destroyed. (NIV)
The good and righteous person is well favoured by the community. The success of of the good person is celebrated and honoured by the community. The good man is a public blessing. His good deeds will bless his friends and relatives, through prayer, his help, etc.
But the wicked and bad guy will be disliked by the community. When he dies or when he fails, the community will think "He deserves it because of his badness." The mouth of the bad guy will destroy his reputation and being him dishonour among the community. His mouth is full of lies, deceit, fraud, slander.
Saturday, Jan 18, 2014.
Michael Yeap.
NIV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+11&version=NIV
RSV: http://www. biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+11&version=RSV
NKJV: http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=proverbs+11&version=NKJV
Commentaries:
7) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.11.7
8) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.11.8
9) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.11.9
10) http://www.biblegateway.com/resources/matthew-henry/Prov.11.10-Prov.11.11
11)
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