Proverbs 28:2
WEB
In rebellion, a land has many rulers, but order is maintained by a man of understanding and knowledge.
BSB
A land in rebellion has many rulers, but a man of understanding and knowledge maintains order.
KJV
For the transgression of a land many are the princes thereof: but by a man of understanding and knowledge the state thereof shall be prolonged.
Matthew Henry
Hebrew interlinear
H6588
n-m — revolt
Derivation: from 6586;
a revolt (national, moral or religious)
KJV: rebellion, sin, transgression, trespass.
n.m — transgression
פֶּ֫שַׁע n.m. transgression
H776
n-f — earth, land
Derivation: from an unused root probably meaning to be firm;
the earth (at large, or partitively a land)
KJV: × common, country, earth, field, ground, land, × natins, way, + wilderness, world.
n. f — earth
אֶ֫רֶץ n. f. & (seld.) m. earth, land
1.
a. earth, whole earth (opp. to a part)
b. earth, opp. to heaven, sky
c. earth = inhabitants of earth
2. land =
a. country, territory
b. district, region
c. trial territory
d. piece of ground
e. specif. land of Canaan, or Israel
f. = inhabitants of land
g. used even of Shᵉʼôl
3.
a. ground, surface of ground
b. soil, as productive
4. אֶרֶץ in phrases
a. people of the land
b. in measurements of distance
c. the country of the plain, level or plain country
d. land of the living
e. end(s) of the earth
5. pl. אֲרָצוֹת is almost wholly late; it denotes lands, countries, often in contrast to Canaan, lands of the nations, etc.
H7227
a n-m — abundant
Derivation: by contracted from 7231;
abundant (in quantity, size, age, number, rank, quality)
KJV: (in) abound(-undance, -ant, -antly), captain, elder, enough, exceedingly, full, great(-ly, man, one), increase, long (enough, (time)), (do, have) many(-ifold, things, a time), (ship-)master, mighty, more, (too, very) much, multiply(-tude), officer, often(-times), plenteous, populous, prince, process (of time), suffice(-lent).
n.m — chief
רַב 49 n.m. chief
adj — much
רַב 429 adj. much, many, great
1. (oft. opp. מְעַט)
a.
(1). much: of substances
(2). esp. of collectives, numerous
b. pl. many
c. רַב as subst. coll. pers.
d. cstr. = abounding in
e. מִן comp. = more numerous than
f. רַב = abundant, enough
g. as adv. much, exceedingly
2. less oft. great
H8269
n-m — head
Derivation: from 8323;
a head person (of any rank or class)
KJV: captain (that had rule), chief (captain), general, governor, keeper, lord,(-task-)master, prince(-ipal), ruler, steward.
n.m — chieftain
שַׂר 420 n.m. chieftain, chief, ruler, official, captain, prince
H120
n-m — ruddy, human being, mankind
Derivation: from 119;
ruddy i.e. a human being (an individual or the species, mankind, etc.)
KJV: × another, hypocrite, common sort, × low, man (mean, of low degree), person.
n.m — Adam
אָדָם 560 n.m. Gn 1:27 man, mankind
1. a man = human being
2. coll. man, mankind
3. n.pr.m. Adam, first man (without art.)
4. n.pr.loc. city in Jordan valley (as built?)
H995
v — separate, distinguish, understand
Derivation: a primitive root;
to separate mentally (or distinguish), i.e.(generally) understand
KJV: attend, consider, be cunning, diligently, direct, discern, eloquent, feel, inform, instruct, have intelligence, know, look well to, mark, perceive, be prudent, regard, (can) skill(-full), teach, think, (cause, make to, get, give, have) understand(-ing), view, (deal) wise(-ly, man).
vb — discern
בִּין vb. discern
Qal
1. perceive
2. understand, know (with mind)
3. observe, mark, give heed to, distinguish, consider (with attention)
4. have discernment, insight, understanding
Niph. be intelligent, discreet, discerning, distinguish, have understanding
Po. he attentively considereth him
Hiph.
1. understand
2. give heed to, attend to, observe, discern
3. give understanding, make understand, teach
Hithp.
1. shew oneself attentive, consider diligently
2. get understanding, understand
3. shew oneself to have understanding
H3045
v — know, seeing, observation, care, recognition, instruction, designation, punishment
Derivation: a primitive root;
to know (properly, to ascertain by seeing); used in a great variety of senses, figuratively, literally, euphemistically and inferentially (including observation, care, recognition; and causatively, instruction, designation, punishment, etc.)
KJV: acknowledge, acquaintance(-ted with), advise, answer, appoint, assuredly, be aware, (un-) awares, can(-not), certainly, comprehend, consider, × could they, cunning, declare, be diligent, (can, cause to) discern, discover, endued with, familiar friend, famous, feel, can have, be (ig-) norant, instruct, kinsfolk, kinsman, (cause to let, make) know, (come to give, have, take) knowledge, have (knowledge), (be, make, make to be, make self) known, be learned, lie by man, mark, perceive, privy to, × prognosticator, regard, have respect, skilful, shew, can (man of) skill, be sure, of a surety, teach, (can) tell, understand, have (understanding), × will be, wist, wit, wot.
vb — know
יָדַע 943 vb. know
Qal
1.
a. know, learn to know
b. perceive
c. perceive and see; find out and discern
d. discriminate, distinguish
e. know by experience
f. recognize, admit, acknowledge, confess
g. consider
h. not know = not expect
2. know a person, be acquainted with
3. know a person carnally, of sexual intercourse
4.
a. know how, to do a thing, be able to do it
b. be skilful in
5. abs. have knowledge, be wise
Niph.
1. be made known, be or become known, of things
2. make oneself known of pers.
3. be perceived
4. be instructed
Pi. cause to know
Pu. known
Hiph. make known, declare
Hoph. made known
Hithp. make oneself known
H3651
adv — set upright, just, rightly, so
Derivation: from 3559;
properly, set upright; hence (figuratively as adjective) just; but usually (as adverb or conjunction) rightly or so (in various applications to manner, time and relation; often with other particles)
KJV: after that (this, -ward, -wards), as... as, (for-) asmuch as yet, be (for which) cause, following, howbeit, in (the) like (manner, -wise), × the more, right, (even) so, state, straightway, such (thing), surely, there (where) -fore, this, thus, true, well, × you.
forasmuch as
כִּי עַל כֵּן forasmuch as
adj — right
כֵּן adj. right, veritable, honest
1. right
2. veritable, true
3. pl. concr. honest (men)
adv — so
כֵּן adv. so
H748
v — be, make, long
Derivation: a primitive root;
to be (causative, make) long (literally or figuratively)
KJV: defer, draw out, lengthen, (be, become, make, pro-) long, (out-, over-) live, tarry (long).
vb — be long
[אָרַךְ, אָרֵךְ] vb. be long, almost alw. of time
Qal be long
Hiph.
1. trans. prolong
2. intrans. grow long, continue long
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Verse 2
Proverbs 28:2
Note, 1. National sins bring national disorders and the disturbance of the public repose: For the transgression of a land, and a general defection from God and religion to idolatry, profaneness, or immorality, many are the princes thereof, many at the same time pretending to the sovereignty and contending for it, by which the people are crumbled into parties and factions, biting and devouring one another, or many successively, in a little time, one cutting off another, as Kg1 16:8, etc., or soon cut off by the hand of God or of a foreign enemy, as Kg2 24:5, etc. As the people suffer for the sins of the prince,
Delirant reges, plectuntur Achivi -
Kings play the madmen, and their people suffer for it,
so the government sometimes suffers for the sins of the people. 2. Wisdom will prevent or redress these grievances: By a man, that is, by a people, of understanding, that come again to themselves and their right mind, things are kept in a good order, or, if disturbed, brought back to the old channel again. Or, By a prince of understanding and knowledge, a privy-counsellor, or minister of state, that will restrain or suppress the transgression of the land, and take the right methods of healing the state thereof, the good estate of it will be prolonged. We cannot imagine what a great deal of service one wise man may do to a nation in a critical juncture.
Cross-references: 1Kgs 16:8 · 2Kgs 24:5