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11 A false balance is an abomination to the LORD,
but a just weight is his delight.
When pride comes, then comes disgrace,
but with the humble is wisdom.
The integrity of the upright guides them,
but the crookedness of the treacherous destroys them.
Riches do not profit in the day of wrath,
but righteousness delivers from death.
The righteousness of the blameless keeps his way straight,
but the wicked falls by his own wickedness.
The righteousness of the upright delivers them,
but the treacherous are taken captive by their lust.
When the wicked dies, his hope will perish,
and the expectation of wealth perishes too.
The righteous is delivered from trouble,
and the wicked walks into it instead.
With his mouth the godless man would destroy his neighbor,
but by knowledge the righteous are delivered.
When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices,
and when the wicked perish there are shouts of gladness.
By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
but by the mouth of the wicked it is overthrown.
Whoever belittles his neighbor lacks sense,
but a man of understanding remains silent.
Whoever goes about slandering reveals secrets,
but he who is trustworthy in spirit keeps a thing covered.
Where there is no guidance, a people falls,
but in an abundance of counselors there is safety.
Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer harm,
but he who hates striking hands in pledge is secure.
A gracious woman gets honor,
and violent men get riches.
A man who is kind benefits himself,
but a cruel man hurts himself.
The wicked earns deceptive wages,
but one who sows righteousness gets a sure reward.
Whoever is steadfast in righteousness will live,
but he who pursues evil will die.
Those of crooked heart are an abomination to the LORD,
but those of blameless ways are his delight.
Be assured, an evil person will not go unpunished,
but the offspring of the righteous will be delivered.
Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout
is a beautiful woman without discretion.
The desire of the righteous ends only in good,
the expectation of the wicked in wrath.
One gives freely, yet grows all the richer;
another withholds what he should give, and only suffers want.
Whoever brings blessing will be enriched,
and one who waters will himself be watered.
The people curse him who holds back grain,
but a blessing is on the head of him who sells it.
Whoever diligently seeks good seeks favor,
but evil comes to him who searches for it.
Whoever trusts in his riches will fall,
but the righteous will flourish like a green leaf.
Whoever troubles his own household will inherit the wind,
and the fool will be servant to the wise of heart.
The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life,
and whoever captures souls is wise.
If the righteous is repaid on earth,
how much more the wicked and the sinner!
(ESV)
Proverbs 11 Commentary
by Hank Workman
“When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, and the hope of strong men perishes. The righteous is delivered from trouble, but the wicked takes his place. With his mouth the godless man destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.”
Proverbs 11:7-9
There are simply those who dwell in the House of the Negative. What I mean by this is all they ever see is the negativity of life; they voraciously pick at things and people. They’re never happy. Sadly these dwellers are found within the Body of Christ. Oh all people, we who have been delivered by grace, given opportunity to live for Him in hope and joy can still lean toward negative thought on every level. As with all things in our hearts, eventually, that negativity comes tumbling out of the mouth. Usually, anyone in their wake or one that is the object of such thought will be slammed by it.
The transformation of Christ is done through the power of the Holy Spirit. Part of that overhaul by Him is working tediously on our character and thought. As the Spirit was promised by Jesus to be the Counselor and would be the giver of great gifts to be used not for ourselves but toward the Glory of God. When we are broken the sweet perfume of his gifts spills out. God works in our brokenness and can bring beautiful things from it. But the base point is where the darkness of our heart rests.
Our mouth is either a weapon or a tool. We either hurt relationships we’re in or we build them up. Sadly, it’s much easier to destroy from the words we speak than to create hope and purpose. And most have received more destructive comments than those who construct faith and promise in another. Every individual you meet today is either a demolition site or a construction zone. Your words make a difference. Our hearts must be tuned to Christ by His Spirit each day. We must be open to His working on these behavior patterns or we will not even see changes in our own lives and thought.
Will we use weapons for destruction by what we state or tools for construction?
Proverbs 11 Commentary
by Brad Boyles
God provides many illustrations in Scripture explaining that He deals with people based on how they deal with others.
“One person gives freely, yet gains more; another withholds what is right, only to become poor. 25 A generous person will be enriched, and the one who gives a drink of water will receive water. 26 People will curse anyone who hoards grain, but a blessing will come to the one who sells it.”
Proverbs 11:24-26 HCSB
Everything is a gift. To hoard material or spiritual gifts for ourselves is not what God intended. We see that clearly in verse 24. The paradox obviously is that when you give, whether that be time, money, love, etc., there is vulnerability and sacrifice. Those who hoard their gifts will be left wanting more. It is an endless cycle of greed. If there was anyone who could speak to this point, it would be Solomon.
“These proverbs should shape our attitudes toward wealth: it should be shared. Stinginess may lead to poverty. Generosity has the opposite effect. Selfishness is foolish because it only creates enemies and dishonors God.”
Nelson’s Commentary