PRO 28

Proverbs 28:1

WEB

The wicked flee when no one pursues; but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

BSB

The wicked flee when no one pursues, but the righteous are as bold as a lion.

KJV

The wicked flee when no man pursueth: but the righteous are bold as a lion.

Matthew Henry

Verse 1

Proverbs 28:1

See here, 1. What continual frights those are subject to that go on in wicked ways. Guilt in the conscience makes men a terror to themselves, so that they are ready to flee when none pursues; like one that absconds for debt, who thinks every one he meets a bailiff. Though they pretend to be easy, there are secret fears which haunt them wherever they go, so that they fear where no present or imminent danger is, Psa 53:5. Those that have made God their enemy, and know it, cannot but see the whole creation at war with them, and therefore can have no true enjoyment of themselves, no confidence, no courage, but a fearful looking for of judgment. Sin makes men cowards.

Degeneres animos timor arguit -

Fear argues a degenerate soul.

- Virgil

Quos diri conscia facti mens habet attonitos -

The consciousness of atrocious crimes astonishes

and confounds.

- Juvenal

If they flee when none pursues, what will they do when they shall see God himself pursuing them with his armies? Job 20:24; Job 15:24. See Deu 28:25; Lev 26:36. 2. What a holy security and serenity of mind those enjoy who keep conscience void of offence and so keep themselves in the love of God: The righteous are bold as a lion, as a young lion; in the greatest dangers they have a God of almighty power to trust to. Therefore will not we fear though the earth be removed. Whatever difficulties they meet with in the way of their duty, they are not daunted by them. None of those things move me.

Hie murus aheneus esto, nil conscire sibi -

Be this thy brazen bulwark of defence,

Still to preserve thy conscious innocence.

- Hon.

Cross-references: Ps 53:5 · Job 20:24 · Job 15:24 · Deut 28:25 · Lev 26:36

Hebrew interlinear

H5127

נוּסnûwç/noos/

v — flit, vanish

Derivation: a primitive root;

to flit, i.e. vanish away (subside, escape; causatively, chase, impel, deliver)

KJV: × abate, away, be displayed, (make to) flee (away, -ing), put to flight, × hide, lift up a standard.

נוּס

vb — flee

נוּס 160 vb. flee, escape

Qal

1. flee

2. escape

3. take flight, depart, disappear

4. fly (to the attack) on horseback.

Po‛lel the breath of י׳ driveth at it, driveth it on

Hithpo‛l. in order to take flight before the bow

Hiph.

1. put to flight

2. drive hastily to a safe place

3. cause to disappear, hide

H369

אַיִןʼayin/ah'-yin/

np — nonentity

Derivation: as if from a primitive root meaning to be nothing or not exist;

a nonentity; generally used as a negative particle

KJV: else, except, fail, (father-) less, be gone, in(-curable), neither, never, no (where), none, nor, (any, thing), not, nothing, to nought, past, un(-searchable), well-nigh, without. Compare 370.

אַ֫יִן

subst — nothing

אַ֫יִן, אָ֑֫יִן cstr. אֵין subst. prop. nothing, nought

1. to nothing, as nothing

2. cstr. אֵין, very freq. as particle of negation, is not, are not, was not, were not

3. אֵין לְ׳, with subst., or pron., there is (was) not to … = … have, has, had, etc. not

4. in circumst. clauses

5. with inf. and ל׳, it is not to

6. with prefixes

H7291

רָדַףrâdaph/raw-daf'/

v — run after, gone by

Derivation: a primitive root;

to run after (usually with hostile intent; figuratively [of time] gone by)

KJV: chase, put to flight, follow (after, on), hunt, (be under) persecute(-ion, -or), pursue(-r).

רָדַף

vb — pursue

רָדַף 141 vb. pursue, chase, persecute

Qal 128

1.

a. pursue

b. lit. put to flight, chase

c. lit., the pursuers

d. chase, hunt

e. pursue

f. fig. persecute, harass

g. pursue, dog

2. fig. follow after, aim to secure

Niph. upon the neck (i.e. closely) we are pursued

Pi. pursue ardently

Pu. it shall be chased away like chaff of the mountains

Hiph. usu. they chased him

H7563

רָשָׁעrâshâʻ/raw-shaw'/

a — wrong, bad

Derivation: from 7561;

morally wrong; concretely, an (actively) bad person

KJV: condemned, guilty, ungodly, wicked (man), that did wrong.

רָשָׁע

adj — wicked

רָשָׁע 263 adj. wicked, criminal

H6662

צַדִּיקtsaddîyq/tsad-deek'/

a — just

Derivation: from 6663;

just

KJV: just, lawful, righteous (man).

צַדִּיק

adj — just

צַדִּיק 206 adj. just, righteous

H3715

כְּפִירkᵉphîyr/kef-eer'/

n-m — village, young lion

Derivation: from 3722;

a village (as covered in by walls); also a young lion (perhaps as covered with a mane)

KJV: (young) lion, village. Compare 3723.

כְּפִיר

n.m — young lion

כְּפִיר n.m. young lion

כְּפִירִים

villages

כְּפִירִים Ne 6:2, prob. = foregoing [כְּפִירָה] (𝔊 al. n. appell. = villages).

H982

בָּטַחbâṭach/baw-takh'/

v — hie, precipitately, trust, confident, sure

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to hie for refuge (but not so precipitately as 2620); figuratively, to trust, be confident or sure

KJV: be bold (confident, secure, sure), careless (one, woman), put confidence, (make to) hope, (put, make to) trust.

בָּטַח

vb — trust

בָּטַח vb. trust

Qal

I. trust

II. be confident

Hiph. cause to trust, make secure

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