NOTES ON PROVERBS 29:18

 

Proverbs 29:18  Where there is no³⁶⁹ vision,²³⁷⁷ the people⁵⁹⁷¹ perish:⁶⁵⁴⁴  but he that keepeth⁸¹⁰⁴ the law,⁸⁴⁵¹ happy is he. ⁸³⁵

Where:  at which place or places.[W]

there is … vision: From H2372; a sight (mentally), that is, a dream, revelation, or oracle.[S]  Vision, oracle, prophecy (divine communication).[CW]  Prophetic vision; oracle or prophecy.[WW]  Vision refers to the divine revelation received by the prophet.  Morality is based on adherence to God’s revealed will.[ASB]  A message from God given through a prophet; a prophetic vision (see 1 Samuel 3:1; Isaiah 1:1; Amos 8:11-12).[ZSB]

no:  As if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist; a non-entity; generally used as a negative particle.[S]  For lack of.[CW]

the [or, a] people:  From H6004; a people (as a congregated unit); specifically a tribe (as those of Israel); hence (collectively) troops or attendants; figuratively a flock.[S]

perish:  A primitive root; to loosen; by implication to expose, dismiss; figuratively absolve, begin.[S]  To be let loose, be loosened of restraint.[CW]  To throw off, to let loose; hence to uncover, to make naked; or, according to some, to give the reins.  [According to] Gesenius, to let go loose, unbridled, unchecked.  Margin “or, is made naked, stripped of their honour and defence”.[WW]  Possibly the people are “undisciplined/get out of hand”.[TW]  Become lawless.[KWSB]  Cast off restraint.[ASB]  Literally, “are unrestrained”.  Possibly an allusion to the sinful actions of the Israelites while Moses was on Mount Sinai (see Exodus 32:25).[ZSB]  The word means “open” or “exposed”.  That is, when people today reject or ignore the revealed Word of God, they are open and helpless to resist the humanistic and occultic doctrines of men and devils.[Henry Morris]

Where there is no vision, the people perish: Where Divine revelation, and the faithful preaching of the sacred testimonies, are neither reverenced nor attended, the ruin of that land is at no great distance.[Adam Clarke]  Where there is no setting forth of the will of God, whether by special revelation, as in old times (Psalm 74:9; Lamentations 2:9; Ezekiel 7:26), or by the ordinary ministrations of God’s ministers and God’s Word, as now, “the people perish”.  The Hebrew verb means “are dissipated”; also “revolt”, “become unbridled”, and so perish.  To this unbridled, and consequently ruinous state, is opposed in the parallel clause, “happy”, as “the law” stands in contrast to “no vision”.  Such did the Jews become, instead of their former happy state, when they rejected the word of the Lord; and consequently lost their kingdom and place.  The Hebrew means also “to be made naked”.  A people without God’s Word and God’s favour is stripped naked of its comely garments, and its defence against shame and injury (2 Chronicles 28:19; Exodus 32:25; Ephesians 6:14-17).  Those who take from the people the Word of God hand them over naked to Satan for [timely] destruction.[JFB]  Note Judges 21:25.

      Illustration:  Israel (1 Samuel 3:1; 1 Kings 12:28-32, 14:14-16).[B]

but [exhibiting contrast] he that keepeth:  A primitive root; properly to hedge about (as with thorns), that is, guard; generally to protect, attend to, etc.[S]  To guard, watch, protect; keep, preserve; to be kept secret, be hidden.[SS]  To keep in a safe, secure place; to guard; to look after.[WW]  A verb meaning to guard, observe, to preserve, hide.  The word refers to people’s maintaining things entrusted to them, especially to keeping the truths of God in both actions and mind.  God’s word is to be kept with our whole hearts.[WSD]  There is a concept of  “guarding with fidelity”.  It usually centers around observing the covenant of the law of the Lord.  Mortal men are responsible for observing the covenant and the precepts or law of God.[TW]  To observe and practice.[C]  To practice; to do or perform; to obey; to observe in practice; not to neglect or violate.[W]  Expresses the careful attention paid to the obligations of a covenant, to laws or to statutes.[KWSB]

the law:  From H3384; a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch [i.e., the five books of Moses in whole or in part].[S]  Regulation, teaching, instruction; often referring to the five books of Moses in whole and in part.[SS]  A feminine noun meaning instruction, direction, law, Torah, the whole law.[WSD]  Instruction, precept; human, as of parents; divine through the prophets.[WW]  From a word meaning “to teach”, is a term of rather general purport, denoting the instruction of God’s word.[JFB]  The word of God; the doctrines and precepts of God; or His revealed will.[W]  The whole doctrine of the word delivered by God to His church.[C]

but he [the people, and each individual in it] that keepeth [not merely heareth it] the law—Has, and observes, instruction (Proverbs 14:11, 34; Psalm 19:11; Luke 8:21).[JFB]

happy is he:  True happiness or blessing, is found only through “keeping”—that is, “guarding”—God’s Word, then obeying and proclaiming it.[Henry Morris]

      Illustrations:  Hezekiah (2 Chronicles 29); Josiah (2 Chronicles 34:33, 35:18; Jeremiah 22:16).[B]

Grasp Without Reach

     There is a difference between an ideal and a vision.  An ideal has no moral inspiration; a vision has.  The people who give themselves over to ideals rarely do anything.  A man’s conception of Deity may be used to justify his deliberate neglect of his duty.  Jonah argued that because God was a God of justice and mercy, therefore anything would be right.  I may have a right conception of God, and that may be the very reason why I do not do my duty.  But wherever there is a vision, there is also a life of rectitude because the vision imparts moral incentive.

     Ideas may lull to ruin.  Take stock of yourself spiritually and see whether you have ideals only or if you have vision.

                                        “Ah, but a man’s reach should exceed his grasp,

                                         Or what’s heaven for?”

     “Where there is no vision….”  When once we lose sight of God, we begin to be reckless, we cast off certain restraints, we cast off praying, we cast off the vision of God in little things, and begin to act on our own initiative.  If we are eating what we have out of our own hand, doing things on our own initiative, without expecting God to come in, we are on the downward path, we have lost the vision.  Is our attitude to-day an attitude that springs from our vision of God?  Are we expecting God to do greater things than He has ever done?  Is there a freshness and vigour in our spiritual outlook?

Oswald Chambers, MY UTMOST FOR HIS HIGHEST