Key Verse Spotlight
Proverbs 29:4 - Meaning and Application
Understand how this verse speaks to what you're facing and how to apply it today
Translation: World English Bible — Catholic Edition
" The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down. "
Proverbs 29:4
Verse in Context
Understanding the surrounding verses prevents misinterpretation:
2 When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan.
3 Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth.
4 The king by justice makes the land stable, but he who takes bribes tears it down.
5 A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet.
6 An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad.
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Create Free AccountBible Guided Commentary
This verse shows, first, the good that comes from wise government. A ruler should strengthen the land by keeping its basic laws, calming people’s minds, protecting their rights and property, and setting right what is lacking. He must do this with sound judgment, wise counsel, and steady justice, without showing favor to one person over another. Government like that brings peace and order to a people.
It also shows the ruin that comes from bad government. The phrase “a man of oblations” is found in the margin, and it points to someone who mishandles holy things. That may mean a person who is irreligious or overly religious in the wrong way, or one who takes over the priest’s work, like Saul and Uzziah, kings who sinned by doing what belonged to the priests. It can also mean a ruler who cares only about money, who lets guilty people go for a bribe, or who hurts innocent people in hope of gain. Such rulers bring a nation to ruin.
From This Chapter
Proverbs 29:1
"He who is often rebuked and stiffens his neck will be destroyed suddenly, with no remedy."
Proverbs 29:2
"When the righteous thrive, the people rejoice; but when the wicked rule, the people groan."
Proverbs 29:3
"Whoever loves wisdom brings joy to his father; but a companion of prostitutes squanders his wealth."
Proverbs 29:5
"A man who flatters his neighbor spreads a net for his feet."
Proverbs 29:6
"An evil man is snared by his sin, but the righteous can sing and be glad."
Proverbs 29:7
"The righteous care about justice for the poor. The wicked aren’t concerned about knowledge."
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