Chapter Eleven

1–11. On the significance of justice in relation to one’s neighbors and on the destructiveness of injustice. 12–15. Against talkativeness, inclination to slander, lack of judgment in counsel, and frivolous pledges. 16–23. The different conduct and opposite fruits of the righteous and the wicked. 24–26. Against stinginess and lack of compassion. 27–31. Only the fruits of godliness are lasting.

Proverbs 11:1. False scales are an abomination to the Lord, but a just weight is pleasing to Him. Proverbs 11:2. When pride comes, disgrace follows; but with the humble is wisdom. [A righteous man in his death leaves remorse; but the destruction of the wicked is sudden and joyful.] Proverbs 11:3. The integrity of the upright will guide them, but the crookedness of the treacherous will destroy them. Proverbs 11:4. Riches will not help in the day of wrath, but righteousness will save from death. Proverbs 11:5. The righteousness of the blameless makes their path straight, but the wicked fall by their own wickedness. Proverbs 11:6. The righteousness of the upright will save them, but the treacherous will be caught by their own greed. Proverbs 11:7. When a wicked man dies, his hope perishes, and the expectation of the godless comes to nothing. Proverbs 11:8. The righteous is delivered from trouble, and in his place comes the wicked. Proverbs 11:9. With his mouth the hypocrite destroys his neighbor, but through knowledge the righteous are delivered. Proverbs 11:10. When it goes well with the righteous, the city rejoices; and when the wicked perish, there is jubilation. Proverbs 11:11. By the blessing of the upright a city is raised up, but by the mouth of the wicked it is torn down. The warning against the use of false scales and exhortation to conscientiousness in this matter (v. 1, cf. Prov 20:10) constitutes a repetition of the law’s ordinance (Deut 25:13-16); the frequent repetition of this rule was demanded by the common violations of it, especially in trade (Sir 26:27). The Wise One reinforces his teaching with the thought of an All-knowing and All-just God. Concerning the destructiveness of pride (v. 2), the Wise One speaks often (see Prov 16:18), as also concerning the benefit of the opposite virtue—humility (cf. Prov 3:34), which, according to the context of this passage (v. 2), is both wisdom and glory. The Seventy add here—in Slavonic: «a righteous man in dying left remorse, easy indeed and mocked was the destruction of the wicked»—expressing the thought that the opposite moral disposition of the righteous and wicked during life is accompanied by or results in a fundamentally different character both of death itself and of the posthumous memory of the one and the other. V. 3 continues the thought of v. 2 concerning the superiority of uprightness and righteousness over the deceit and wickedness of the ungodly—even for mere outward prosperity. V. 4 reinforces the thought of v. 2 of chapter X: not only wealth accumulated by unrighteous means and methods (Prov 10:2), but wealth in general will not benefit the wicked; salvation lies only in righteousness—salvation precisely «in the day of wrath,» that is, of God’s anger and judgment (cf. Ezek 7:19; Zeph 1:18; Sir 5:10). Vv. 5–6 are perfectly parallel both to each other and to v. 3 (cf. also Prov 10:3; Wis 5:15), expressing the opposition of the life’s lot of the righteous and wicked, corresponding to their opposite moral condition. From the distinctive features of the spiritual disposition of the righteous and wicked is explained, by vv. 7–8, their opposite fate, both in life and after death: the righteous man, valuing above all communion with God, passing into the life hereafter, in this very conviction of his has firm and good hope in the mercy of the Lord (cf. Prov 10:28); on the other hand, the wicked man, during life wholly devoted to earthly goods and neglecting communion with God, dying loses those earthly goods to which he was passionately attached (Ps 48:18), understands at last the true worth of spiritual goods, and in this belated understanding lies for him the source of new torments. The righteous man’s deliverance during life from grief, which instead falls upon the wicked (v. 8), had examples often in biblical history (according to the Book of Esther, the destruction awaiting the Jews in Mordecai’s case actually befell the nations and Haman Esth 7-9; according to the prophet Daniel, the wicked slanderers of this prophet perished instead of him Dan 6:25)—constituted rather a pious theocratic belief of God’s chosen people (cf. Isa 43:3) than a fact of experience, which indeed (experience) will always give far more examples of the opposite kind. On the basis of this passage could arise the conviction that public opinion always rejoices in the happiness of the righteous and delights in the ruin of the wicked (vv. 10–11, cf. Esth 8:15), though reality, of course, presents many phenomena contrary to that. In any case, the presence in a city of righteous people is a guarantee of the welfare of the society (cf. Gen 18:24 and following).

Proverbs 11:12. A foolish man shows contempt for his neighbor, but a discerning man holds his peace. Proverbs 11:13. A gossip reveals secrets, but a faithful person keeps a matter hidden. Proverbs 11:14. Where there is no guidance, people fall, but success comes with many advisers. Proverbs 11:15. Whoever puts up security for a stranger will surely suffer, but whoever refuses to strike hands in pledge is safe. There follows a series of teachings of varied content, partly concerning personal moral life (vv. 12–13), partly connected with social (v. 15) and state (v. 14) matters. Namely, there is condemnation both of the haughty, contemptuous attitude toward one’s neighbor, which usually serves as a sign of the foolish pride (v. 12a cf. Prov 14:21), and of the frivolous attitude toward the honor and good name of one’s neighbor, expressed in the spreading of rumors and talk serving to discredit him (v. 13a, cf. Lev 19:16; Jer 9:3); praised, by contrast, are modesty and taciturnity (12b) and faithfulness in keeping an entrusted secret (13b, cf. Sir 19:10). Concerning popular governance, the presence of many counselors with the king is approved (v. 14, cf. Prov 15:22), understood of course if they are people of deep wisdom and good conscience. In v. 15 is repeated the warning already given in Prov 6:1 against thoughtless pledging, and practical caution in this matter is approved.

Proverbs 11:16. A kind woman gains honor [for her husband, and a woman who hates righteousness is the height of disgrace. The lazy are always in poverty,] but the diligent gain wealth. Proverbs 11:17. The merciful person does good to his own soul, but the cruel person brings trouble on himself. Proverbs 11:18. The wicked man earns deceptive wages, but one who sows righteousness reaps a certain reward. Proverbs 11:19. Righteousness leads to life, but whoever pursues evil pursues it toward their own death. Proverbs 11:20. The perverse in heart are an abomination to the Lord, but those of blameless conduct are his delight. Proverbs 11:21. Be sure of this: The wicked will not go unpunished, but the offspring of the righteous will be saved. Proverbs 11:22. Like a gold ring in a pig’s snout is a beautiful woman who lacks good judgment. Proverbs 11:23. The desire of the righteous is only good; the expectation of the wicked is wrath. The mutual relationship of the two halves of v. 16 according to the Hebrew-Masoretic text and the Vulgate appears unclear and can be better understood according to the LXX text (Slavonic, Russian Synodal), which has between these two sentences two others, the first of which contains the opposite of the first thought of the verse, and the other the opposite of its second half. The whole verse 16 according to the LXX reads: Γυνὴ εὐχάριστος ἐγείρει ἀνδρὶ δοξαν, θρόνος δε ἀτιμίας γυνὴ μισοῦσα δίκαια πλούτου ὀκνηροί ἐνδεεῖς γίνονται, οἱ δὲ ἀνδρεῖοι ἐρείδονται πλούτω. Slavonic and Russian Synodal literally translate the reading of the LXX, with words not present in the Hebrew text enclosed in brackets in Russian. Instead of this antithetic parallelism, the Vulgate is closer to the Hebrew text—it gives synthetic or comparative parallelism: mulier gratiosa inveniet gloriam et robusti habebunt divitias. The reading of the Seventy for v. 16 deserves preference over the Masoretic text and the Vulgate. The thought of the verse is: goods, even external ones, are acquired through human effort. In the following verses (17 and onward) is developed the thought that the goods of life are achieved precisely through moral effort, through a godly religious-moral disposition of man. Namely, as a source of man’s well-being is named first of all charity (v. 17, cf. v. 25), then righteousness (vv. 18–19), reverent integrity before God (vv. 20–21). At the same time the opposite vices: mercilessness, deception, cruelty, impiety, appear as sources of destruction for those who commit these vices. This is the thought, repeated so often in the Book of Proverbs, concerning the correspondence of man’s earthly lot to his religious-moral worth (cf. Gal 6:8; 1 Tim 4:8). In v. 22, in a figurative comparison, is expressed the thought of the impropriety of elegance or, in general, of good for moral ugliness, which from the joining of refined surroundings becomes even more starkly manifest its worthlessness (v. 22 is an example of the so-called emblematic proverb). V. 23 presents as it were a concluding generalization of the preceding thoughts—concerning the opposition of the life’s strivings and hopes of the righteous and wicked.

Proverbs 11:24. One person gives freely, yet gains even more; another withholds unduly, but comes to poverty. Proverbs 11:25. A generous person will prosper; whoever refreshes others will be refreshed. Proverbs 11:26. Whoever hoards grain, the people will curse, but blessing rests on the head of one who is willing to sell. Highly valuing generosity and charity, the Wise One removes here a possible concern of the charitable—that of impoverishment—by pointing to God’s special providence for the charitable, among whom with the greater development of generosity there increases well-being (vv. 24–25, cf. Ps 111:9; 2 Cor 9:9); on the other hand, excessive stinginess (v. 24b), and especially immoderate greed, combined with cruel indifference to one’s neighbor’s need (v. 26a), do not create human well-being. In v. 26a is meant the case of national famine, when it happens that a greedy merchant deliberately holds back and does not put his grain reserves up for sale in order to have a great profit afterward: the fate of such avaricious and merciless people is a curse from the people (cf. Sir 5:4). In the LXX text and Slavonic, this thought is reinforced by means of an addition standing here at the beginning of v. 26: ὁ συνέχων σῖτον ὑπολείποιτο αὐτόν τοῖς ἕθνεσι, Slavonic: «he that withholds grain leaves it to the nations»—that is, in case of possible invasion of the country by enemies, the avaricious grain merchants, who had refused their countrymen necessary bread, would themselves become victims of plunder by foreign conquerors.

Proverbs 11:27. Whoever seeks good finds favor, but evil comes to one who pursues it. Proverbs 11:28. Whoever trusts in his riches will fall, but the righteous will thrive like leaves. The thought of v. 27 with a slight variation was expressed above—in Prov 10:24, and that of v. 28—in v. 2 of the same chapter. The comparison of the righteous man’s well-being to a flourishing tree (v. 28) is found more than once in Scripture (Ps 1:3; Isa 66:14).

Proverbs 11:29. Whoever brings ruin on his family will inherit only wind, and the fool will be servant to the wise. “Will inherit only wind,” that is, will be left with nothing (cf. Isa 26:18; Hos 8:7); the wasteful and foolish man, as a consequence of poverty and ruin (Lev 25:39), will be compelled to become the servant of one who is more prudent, which, according to the Wise One’s view, is in the order of things (Prov 17:2).

Proverbs 11:30. The fruit of the righteous is a tree of life, and the one who is wise wins souls. Proverbs 11:31. If the righteous receive their due on earth, how much more the ungodly and the sinner. The fruits of righteousness—life with its goods (v. 30, cf. Prov 3:18)—convince everyone of the reality of the moral order of the world. All the more undeniable is the terrible retribution upon the wicked (v. 31). V. 31 according to the LXX reading is literally repeated in 1 Pet 4:18 regarding Christian society. * * * The further words: διμιουλκῶν σῖτον δημοκάταρτος—are not in the accepted Greek text, but they are found in codices 2:23, 161 in Holmes, in the works of St. Basil the Great and John Chrysostom.