Proverbs 11:1-4

Introduction

Covetousness will cause us to change the rules into our favor.

v.1

Proverbs 11:1 NASB95

1 A false balance is an abomination to the Lord, But a just weight is His delight.

Proverbs 11:1 BHS/WHM 4.2

1 מֹאזְנֵ֣י מִ֭רְמָה תּוֹעֲבַ֣ת יְהוָ֑ה וְאֶ֖בֶן שְׁלֵמָ֣ה רְצוֹנֹֽו׃

Micah 6:11–12 NASB95

11 “Can I justify wicked scales And a bag of deceptive weights? 12 “For the rich men of the city are full of violence, Her residents speak lies, And their tongue is deceitful in their mouth.

Amos 8:1–6 NASB95

1 Thus the Lord God showed me, and behold, there was a basket of summer fruit. 2 He said, “What do you see, Amos?” And I said, “A basket of summer fruit.” Then the Lord said to me, “The end has come for My people Israel. I will spare them no longer. 3 “The songs of the palace will turn to wailing in that day,” declares the Lord God. “Many will be the corpses; in every place they will cast them forth in silence.” 4 Hear this, you who trample the needy, to do away with the humble of the land, 5 saying, “When will the new moon be over, So that we may sell grain, And the sabbath, that we may open the wheat market, To make the bushel smaller and the shekel bigger, And to cheat with dishonest scales, 6 So as to buy the helpless for money And the needy for a pair of sandals, And that we may sell the refuse of the wheat?”

Leviticus 19:35–37 NASB95

35 ‘You shall do no wrong in judgment, in measurement of weight, or capacity. 36 ‘You shall have just balances, just weights, a just ephah, and a just hin; I am the Lord your God, who brought you out from the land of Egypt. 37 ‘You shall thus observe all My statutes and all My ordinances and do them; I am the Lord.’ ”

POINT:

Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs Moral Integrity and God’s Judgment (11:1–4)

MORAL INTEGRITY AND GOD’S JUDGMENT. Type: Chiastic (11:1–4)

11:1–4 Verse 1 describes God’s abhorrence of fraud, and v. 4 answers it with the promise that the wrongfully gained wealth of the wicked will do them no good in the day of judgment. Between these verses vv. 2–3 assert that humility and integrity, rather than their opposites, are the best guides in life.

An implied pun links vv. 1b, 2a. God delights in “accurate weights” (weights that are as heavy as they should be and not lightened for purposes of fraud); the arrogant, however, have no dignity at all but only disgrace (literally “lightness”). Both false weights and arrogant people claim to be “heavier” than they really are. This series of proverbs implicitly links arrogance to fraud and deceit while linking humility to moral integrity. Sins do not come in isolation but in clusters. Someone who thinks only of self and has no regard for others can easily resort to cheating in business affairs.

Proverbs 20:23 NASB95

23 Differing weights are an abomination to the Lord, And a false scale is not good.

The action of falsifying standards against which things are weighed out and paid for accordingly is an abomination to the LORD.

“Abomination”

Devious intentions - 3:32

Seven things - 6:16

Perverse heart - 11:20

Lying - 12:22

Hypocritical worship - 15:8

Justifying the wicked - 17:15

A scoffer - 24:9

v.2

Proverbs 11:2 NASB95

2 When pride comes, then comes dishonor, But with the humble is wisdom.

Proverbs 11:2 BHS/WHM 4.2

2 בָּֽא־זָ֭דוֹן וַיָּבֹ֣א קָל֑וֹן וְֽאֶת־צְנוּעִ֥ים חָכְמָֽה׃

The next thing Solomon wants his sons to know: pride is a dishonor among men.

Humility demonstrates wisdom, which makes one honorable.

A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Book of Proverbs 2

2. Pride and humility

When pride comes, then comes disgrace,

But with the humble is wisdom.

Antithetic, ternary. Pride is here an overweening sense of one’s deserts, and the humble man is one who does not overestimate himself; the latter term is in the Heb. a different one from that so rendered in ψ 9:12(13) and elsewhere (which properly = pious); it occurs in Mic. 6:8 of humility before God, and might be so understood here; but the context suggests the more general sense, referring to relations between man and man: as the haughty man makes enemies, is opposed and overthrown, so the humble man is complaisant, avoids antagonisms and disgrace, and is therefore wise. Such appears to be the antithesis: wisdom involves the honor or peace which we might expect to be put over against the disgrace of the first cl. Wisdom here = good sense in worldly relations, though it may also involve acquaintance with and obedience to the law of God, as in chs. 1–9. The term pride occurs 1 Sam. 17:28; Ez. 7:10; Jer. 49:16 (and the adj. in Pss.). With this proverb cf. 13:10; 15:33; 16:18, 19; 18:12; 22:4, and the Eng. “pride will have a fall,” and for other parallels see Malan.—Instead of the humble the Lat. has humility, which gives a directer contrast to pride, though it is probably not the original Heb. reading.

Proverbs 13:10 NASB95

10 Through insolence comes nothing but strife, But wisdom is with those who receive counsel.

Proverbs 15:33 NASB95

33 The fear of the Lord is the instruction for wisdom, And before honor comes humility.

Proverbs 16:18–19 NASB95

18 Pride goes before destruction, And a haughty spirit before stumbling. 19 It is better to be humble in spirit with the lowly Than to divide the spoil with the proud.

Proverbs 18:12 NASB95

12 Before destruction the heart of man is haughty, But humility goes before honor.

Proverbs 22:4 NASB95

4 The reward of humility and the fear of the Lord Are riches, honor and life.

1 Peter 5:5–7 NASB95

5 You younger men, likewise, be subject to your elders; and all of you, clothe yourselves with humility toward one another, for God is opposed to the proud, but gives grace to the humble. 6 Therefore humble yourselves under the mighty hand of God, that He may exalt you at the proper time, 7 casting all your anxiety on Him, because He cares for you.

The proud overestimate themselves and undervalue people around them, even God.

Luke 18:9–17 NASB95

9 And He also told this parable to some people who trusted in themselves that they were righteous, and viewed others with contempt: 10 “Two men went up into the temple to pray, one a Pharisee and the other a tax collector. 11 “The Pharisee stood and was praying this to himself: ‘God, I thank You that I am not like other people: swindlers, unjust, adulterers, or even like this tax collector. 12 ‘I fast twice a week; I pay tithes of all that I get.’ 13 “But the tax collector, standing some distance away, was even unwilling to lift up his eyes to heaven, but was beating his breast, saying, ‘God, be merciful to me, the sinner!’ 14 “I tell you, this man went to his house justified rather than the other; for everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, but he who humbles himself will be exalted.” 15 And they were bringing even their babies to Him so that He would touch them, but when the disciples saw it, they began rebuking them. 16 But Jesus called for them, saying, “Permit the children to come to Me, and do not hinder them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. 17 “Truly I say to you, whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it at all.”

How do we keep from pride?

Romans 12:1–3 (NASB95)

1 Therefore I urge you, brethren, by the mercies of God, to present your bodies a living and holy sacrifice, acceptable to God, which is your spiritual service of worship. 2 And do not be conformed to this world, but be transformed by the renewing of your mind, so that you may prove what the will of God is, that which is good and acceptable and perfect. 3 For through the grace given to me I say to everyone among you not to think more highly of himself than he ought to think; but to think so as to have sound judgment, as God has allotted to each a measure of faith.

v.3

Proverbs 11:3 NASB95

3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them.

Proverbs 11:3 BHS/WHM 4.2

3 תֻּמַּ֣ת יְשָׁרִ֣ים תַּנְחֵ֑ם וְסֶ֖לֶף בּוֹגְדִ֣ים וְשָׁדֵּֽ֯ם׃

The innate condition of a man’s heart will direct their decisions; the upright will be guided. The treacherous will be destroyed.

Proverbs 2:7–12 NASB95

7 He stores up sound wisdom for the upright; He is a shield to those who walk in integrity, 8 Guarding the paths of justice, And He preserves the way of His godly ones. 9 Then you will discern righteousness and justice And equity and every good course. 10 For wisdom will enter your heart And knowledge will be pleasant to your soul; 11 Discretion will guard you, Understanding will watch over you, 12 To deliver you from the way of evil, From the man who speaks perverse things;

Once a person abandons wisdom, his own treacherousness will lead him to destruction.

Wisdom does not teach him.

He has abandoned his integrity.

Proverbs 13:6 NASB95

6 Righteousness guards the one whose way is blameless, But wickedness subverts the sinner.

Proverbs 3:16–18 NASB95

16 Long life is in her right hand; In her left hand are riches and honor. 17 Her ways are pleasant ways And all her paths are peace. 18 She is a tree of life to those who take hold of her, And happy are all who hold her fast.

Psalm 149:5 NASB95

5 Let the godly ones exult in glory; Let them sing for joy on their beds.

v.4

Proverbs 11:4 NASB95

4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.

Proverbs 11:4 BHS/WHM 4.2

4 לֹא־יוֹעִ֣יל ה֭וֹן בְּי֣וֹם עֶבְרָ֑ה וּ֝צְדָקָ֗ה תַּצִּ֥יל מִמָּֽוֶת׃

We have come full circle.

The riches of a man’s treacherous unbalanced weights will not rescue him in God’s judgment.