Deep Dive

Proverbs 28:10

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He who leads the upright along the path of evil will fall into his own pit, but the blameless will inherit what is good.

Commentaries

Excerpts gathered from published commentaries to ground the reading.

Keil-Delitzsch Old Testament Commentaryv. 10

A tristich beginning with a participle: He who misleads the upright into an evil way, He shall fall into his own pit; But the innocent shall inherit that which is good. In the first case, Pro 26:27 is fulfilled: the deceiver who leads astray falls himself into the destruction which he prepared for others, whether he misleads them into sin, and thus mediately prepares destruction for them, or that he does this immediately by enticing them into this or that danger; for בּדרך רע may be understood of the way of wicked conduct, as well as of the experience of evil, of being betrayed, robbed, or even murdered. That those who are misled are called ישׁרים, explains itself in the latter case: that they are such as he ought to show respect towards, and such as deserved better treatment, heightens the measure of his guilt. If we understand being morally led astray, yet may we not with Hitzig here find the "theory" which removes the punishment from the just and lays it on the wicked. The clause Pro 11:8 is not here applicable. The first pages of the Scripture teach that the deceiver does not by any means escape punishment; but certainly the deceiver of the upright does not gain his object, for his diabolical joy at the destruction of such an one is vain, because God again helps him with the right way, but casts the deceiver so much the deeper down. As the idea of דרך רע has a twofold direction, so the connections of the words may be genitival (via mali) as well as adjectival (via mala). בּשׁחוּתו is not incorrectly written for בּשׁוּחתו, for שׁחית occurs (only here) with שׁחוּת as its warrant both from שׁחה, to bend, to sink; cf. לזוּת under Pro 4:24. In line third, opposite to "he who misleads," stand "the innocent" (pious), who, far from seeking to entice others into the evil way…

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Matthew Henry Bible Commentaryv. 10

Here is, 1. The doom of seducers, who attempt to draw good people, or those who profess to be such, into sin and mischief, who take pride in causing the righteous to go astray in an evil way, in drawing them into a snare, that they may insult over them. They shall not gain their point; it is impossible to deceive the elect. But they shall fall themselves into their own pit; and having been not only sinners, but tempters, not only unrighteous, but enemies to the righteous, their condemnation will be so much the greater, Mat 23:14, Mat 23:15. 2. The happiness of the sincere. They shall not only be preserved from the evil way which the wicked would decoy them into, but they shall have good things, the best things, in possession, the graces and comforts of God's Spirit, besides what they have in reversion.

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Cross-references

Other passages the community most often connects to this one. Tap to read.

Proverbs 26:27rank 10

He who digs a pit will fall into it, and he who rolls a stone will have it roll back on him.

Matthew 6:33rank 5

But seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things will be added unto you.

Proverbs 15:6rank 5

The house of the righteous has great treasure, but the income of the wicked is trouble.

Psalms 37:11rank 5

But the meek will inherit the land and delight in abundant prosperity.

Proverbs 10:3rank 5

The LORD does not let the righteous go hungry, but He denies the craving of the wicked.

Revelation of John 2:14rank 4

But I have a few things against you, because some of you hold to the teaching of Balaam, who taught Balak to place a stumbling block before the Israelites so they would eat food sacrificed to idols and commit sexual immorality.

Galatians 2:4rank 4

This issue arose because some false brothers had come in under false pretenses to spy on our freedom in Christ Jesus, in order to enslave us.

I Samuel 26:19rank 3

Now please, may my lord the king hear the words of his servant: If the LORD has stirred you up against me, then may He accept an offering. But if men have done it, may they be cursed in the presence of the LORD! For today they have driven me away from sharing in the inheritance of the LORD, saying, ‘Go, serve other gods.’

Psalms 9:15rank 3

The nations have fallen into a pit of their making; their feet are caught in the net they have hidden.

Proverbs 21:20rank 3

Precious treasures and oil are in the dwelling of the wise, but a foolish man consumes them.

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