Pro 29:9 | KingComments | STEP | By “scorners” ( ) we can think of corrupt leaders of the city (cf. ). They scoff at law and justice. They do not consult and they govern the city at their own whim. Promises they do not keep and they scoff at service to God. This disrupts society and sets a city aflame spiritually. The fire of rebellion and division breaks out and there is no one to quench it. They fuel the fire; they stir up strife. Scorners are a pest to society. The second line of verse, which begins with “but”, indicating that a contrast follows, states what “wise men” do. They do not stir up strife, but bring peace and harmony to society. By the peace they bring, they turn away the anger of God and men. We find an example in history of the rebellion of Sheba who takes refuge in a city. There is a wise woman there who prevents the destruction of the city ( ). It is a waste of time to try to settle a dispute with a fool ( ). There is no chance that a fool can reasonably pursue a lawsuit. You can expect two responses from him, which really do not contribute to the resolution of the dispute. One reaction is that he rages; he puts on big eyes of surprise and starts swearing. The other reaction is that he begins to roar with laughter because he finds the case brought against him so ridiculous. A fool follows his emotions and not his reason. He does not think, but immediately gives vent to the emotion that comes to him, whatever it may be. Sometimes he gets agitated, other times he laughs everything away. But he does not put things to rest. He lacks the intellect for that. Men of bloodshed mean men who have the deep desire to kill someone ( ). The hatred of “men of bloodshed” is directed against “the blameless”. We see this with Cain, who was such a man of bloodshed who hated the blameless. He murdered his pious brother ( ; ). Men of bloodshed cannot tolerate the pious. The darkness cannot tolerate the light but hates it. That is why the religious leaders killed the Lord Jesus. The “upright” are opposed to the men of bloodshed , which we see from the word “but” at the beginning of the second line of verse. They do not seek to take anyone’s life, but they seek the salvation of others, even as here of the man of bloodshed. The Lord Jesus taught us to do good to those who hate us ( ), that they may come to repentance. “A fool” is a slave to his thought life and feelings ( ). He has no control over them, but is controlled and lived by them. His mind is an open vessel into which everything enters without any filtering and from which everything also goes out without any filtering. He knows no brake. When he gets excited about something, he lets it be clearly heard. Unsolicited he gives his opinion about anything and everything, while he imagines that he knows what he is talking about. His lack of self-control leads him to utter the utmost nonsense, without being aware of it himself. “A wise man” does not let his impulses control him. He keeps his temper, he holds it back. Therefore he does not blurt out everything he thinks, but waits for the right moment. The self-control he possesses does not come from himself, but from Spirit. The fool does not have a Spirit-led life, the wise does.

‏ Proverbs 29:9

Raging Fools Against Quiet Sages

By “scorners” (Pro 29:8) we can think of corrupt leaders of the city (cf. Isa 28:14). They scoff at law and justice. They do not consult and they govern the city at their own whim. Promises they do not keep and they scoff at service to God. This disrupts society and sets a city aflame spiritually. The fire of rebellion and division breaks out and there is no one to quench it. They fuel the fire; they stir up strife. Scorners are a pest to society.

The second line of verse, which begins with “but”, indicating that a contrast follows, states what “wise men” do. They do not stir up strife, but bring peace and harmony to society. By the peace they bring, they turn away the anger of God and men. We find an example in history of the rebellion of Sheba who takes refuge in a city. There is a wise woman there who prevents the destruction of the city (2Sam 20:14-22).

It is a waste of time to try to settle a dispute with a fool (Pro 29:9). There is no chance that a fool can reasonably pursue a lawsuit. You can expect two responses from him, which really do not contribute to the resolution of the dispute. One reaction is that he rages; he puts on big eyes of surprise and starts swearing. The other reaction is that he begins to roar with laughter because he finds the case brought against him so ridiculous.

A fool follows his emotions and not his reason. He does not think, but immediately gives vent to the emotion that comes to him, whatever it may be. Sometimes he gets agitated, other times he laughs everything away. But he does not put things to rest. He lacks the intellect for that.

Men of bloodshed mean men who have the deep desire to kill someone (Pro 29:10). The hatred of “men of bloodshed” is directed against “the blameless”. We see this with Cain, who was such a man of bloodshed who hated the blameless. He murdered his pious brother (Gen 4:5-8; 1Jn 3:12-13). Men of bloodshed cannot tolerate the pious. The darkness cannot tolerate the light but hates it. That is why the religious leaders killed the Lord Jesus.

The “upright” are opposed to the men of bloodshed , which we see from the word “but” at the beginning of the second line of verse. They do not seek to take anyone’s life, but they seek the salvation of others, even as here of the man of bloodshed. The Lord Jesus taught us to do good to those who hate us (Lk 6:27), that they may come to repentance.

“A fool” is a slave to his thought life and feelings (Pro 29:11). He has no control over them, but is controlled and lived by them. His mind is an open vessel into which everything enters without any filtering and from which everything also goes out without any filtering. He knows no brake. When he gets excited about something, he lets it be clearly heard. Unsolicited he gives his opinion about anything and everything, while he imagines that he knows what he is talking about. His lack of self-control leads him to utter the utmost nonsense, without being aware of it himself.

“A wise man” does not let his impulses control him. He keeps his temper, he holds it back. Therefore he does not blurt out everything he thinks, but waits for the right moment. The self-control he possesses does not come from himself, but from Spirit. The fool does not have a Spirit-led life, the wise does.