Era 6 · The First KingsProverbs
Proverbs 28: The Righteous Are Bold as a Lion
The law, the poor, interest, confession, tyrants and haste to be rich
"The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion" (28:1).
"A poor man that oppresseth the poor is like a sweeping rain which leaveth no food" (28:3). Oppression by someone who knows poverty from the inside is especially destructive.
"He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor" (28:8).
"He that covereth his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth and forsaketh them shall have mercy" (28:13). "He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack: but he that hideth his eyes shall have many a curse" (28:27).
Interest and the law
Torah forbade charging interest to a fellow Israelite in need (Exodus 22:25; Leviticus 25:35–37; Deuteronomy 23:19–20 allows it from a foreigner). Neshekh ("bite") and tarbit ("increase") were common in the ancient Near East: Mesopotamian loans often carried 20% on silver and 33% on grain. 28:8 says wealth gathered by interest will end with someone generous to the poor. It concerns exploiting the needy in an agrarian economy; it does not settle questions about modern banking.
| Verse | The saying | Form | What to notice |
|---|---|---|---|
| 28:1 | The wicked flee when no man pursueth | Antithetic | Guilty conscience versus a lion's confidence |
| 28:2 | For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof | Antithetic | Political instability (many rulers in quick succession, as in the last decades of Israel: 2 Kings 15) |
| 28:3 | A poor man that oppresseth the poor | Comparison | A flash flood that destroys the crop |
| 28:4 | They that forsake the law praise the wicked | Antithetic | Torah as instruction or as the Law |
| 28:5 | Evil men understand not judgment | Antithetic | Seeking the LORD gives understanding of justice |
| 28:6 | Better is the poor that walketh in his uprightness | Comparative | Compare 19:1 |
| 28:7 | Whoso keepeth the law is a wise son | Antithetic | Gluttonous companions shame a father |
| 28:8 | He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance | Synthetic | Interest on loans to the poor |
| 28:9 | He that turneth away his ear from hearing the law | Synthetic | Even his prayer is an abomination |
| 28:10 | Whoso causeth the righteous to go astray | Antithetic | Falls into his own pit |
| 28:11 | The rich man is wise in his own conceit | Antithetic | A discerning poor man sees through him |
| 28:12 | When righteous men do rejoice, there is great glory | Antithetic | When the wicked rise, people hide |
| 28:13 | He that covereth his sins shall not prosper | Antithetic | Confession and forsaking; compare Psalm 32:3–5; 1 John 1:9 |
| 28:14 | Happy is the man that feareth alway | Antithetic | Reverent caution versus a hardened heart |
| 28:15 | As a roaring lion, and a ranging bear | Comparison | A wicked ruler over the poor |
| 28:16 | The prince that wanteth understanding is also a great oppressor | Antithetic | Hating unjust gain prolongs a reign |
| 28:17 | A man that doeth violence to the blood of any person | Synthetic | A murderer flees to the pit; let no one help him |
| 28:18 | Whoso walketh uprightly shall be saved | Antithetic | The crooked fall suddenly |
| 28:19 | He that tilleth his land shall have plenty of bread | Antithetic | Near-repeat of 12:11 |
| 28:20 | A faithful man shall abound with blessings | Antithetic | Haste to be rich is not innocent |
| 28:21 | To have respect of persons is not good | Synthetic | Bribery for a crust of bread |
| 28:22 | He that hasteth to be rich hath an evil eye | Synthetic | Greed blind to coming poverty |
| 28:23 | He that rebuketh a man afterwards shall find more favour | Comparative | Honest rebuke over flattery |
| 28:24 | Whoso robbeth his father or his mother | Synthetic | "It is no transgression": rationalized theft from parents (compare Mark 7:10–13) |
| 28:25 | He that is of a proud heart stirreth up strife | Antithetic | Trust in the LORD |
| 28:26 | He that trusteth in his own heart is a fool | Antithetic | Compare 3:5 |
| 28:27 | He that giveth unto the poor shall not lack | Antithetic | Hiding one's eyes from need |
| 28:28 | When the wicked rise, men hide themselves | Antithetic | Echoes v. 12; frames the chapter's political theme |
28:13 and confession
"He that covereth (mekhasseh) his sins shall not prosper: but whoso confesseth (modeh) and forsaketh them shall have mercy." Covering one's own sins is the opposite of covering another's offence in love (10:12; 17:9). The saying became central in Jewish teaching on repentance (teshuvah) and in Christian teaching on confession. It addresses wrongdoing one has committed; it is not a demand that people disclose private trauma or that victims make public statements.
Torah in Proverbs 28–29
Chapters 28–29 use torah more than any other part of the book (28:4, 7, 9; 29:18). Some scholars see a link with Deuteronomy and Hezekiah's reform (25:1); others note that torah in Proverbs often means a teacher's or parent's instruction (1:8; 3:1). In 28:4 and 28:9 the sense "God's law" is likely.
What the evidence shows
- Torah forbade interest on loans to needy Israelites.
- Mesopotamian loans commonly carried 20% interest on silver and 33% on grain. Standard rates in Old Babylonian sources (e.g. Hammurabi's laws); varied by period.
- Proverbs 28:8 condemns all modern interest.
Continue the journey
Journey of a PassageProverbs 28:8: Interest, unjust gain and the poor"He that by usury and unjust gain increaseth his substance, he shall gather it for him that will pity the poor." Two Hebrew words for interest, neshekh ("bite") and tarbit ("increase"), are those of Leviticus 25:36–37.More from this lesson
Why this matters to the rest of Scripture
- No interest from the poor.
- "I acknowledged my sin unto thee."
- "If we confess our sins."