Proverbs 28:4

WEB

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked; but those who keep the law contend with them.

BSB

Those who forsake the law praise the wicked, but those who keep the law resist them.

KJV

They that forsake the law praise the wicked: but such as keep the law contend with them.

Matthew Henry

Verse 4

Proverbs 28:4

Note, 1. Those that praise the wicked make it to appear that they do themselves forsake the law, and go contrary to it, for that curses and condemns the wicked. Wicked people will speak well of one another, and so strengthen one another's hands in their wicked ways, hoping thereby to silence the clamours of their own consciences and to serve the interests of the devil's kingdom, which is not done by any thing so effectually as by keeping vice in reputation. 2. Those that do indeed make conscience of the law of God themselves will, in their places, vigorously oppose sin, and bear their testimony against it, and do what they can to shame and suppress it. They will reprove the works of darkness, and silence the excuses which are made for those works, and do what they can to bring gross offenders to punishment, that others may hear and fear.

Hebrew interlinear

בָֽםvamprep + suffix · pronominal · 3rd · masc · plur

H5800

עָזַבʻâzab/aw-zab'/

v — loosen, relinquish, permit

Derivation: a primitive root;

to loosen, i.e. relinquish, permit, etc.

KJV: commit self, fail, forsake, fortify, help, leave (destitute, off), refuse, × surely.

עָזַב

vb — restore

[עָזַב] vb. restore, repair (?);—Qal Ne 3:8

עָזַב

vb — leave

עָזַב 213 vb. leave, forsake, loose

Qal

1. leave, c. acc.

2. leave, abandon, forsake

3. let loose, set free, let go

Niph.

1. be left to

2. be forsaken, of house of God

Pu. (or Qal pass.) be deserted, of city

H8451

תּוֹרָהtôwrâh/to-raw'/

n-f — precept, statute, Decalogue, Pentateuch

Derivation: or תֹּרָה; from 3384;

a precept or statute, especially the Decalogue or Pentateuch

KJV: law.

תּוֹרָה

n.f — direction

תּוֹרָה n.f. direction, instruction, law

1. instruction

2. law (prop. direction)

3. custom, manner

H1984

הָלַלhâlal/haw-lal'/

v — be clear, shine, to make a show, boast, be, foolish, to rave, celebrate, stultify

Derivation: a primitive root;

to be clear (orig. of sound, but usually of color); to shine; hence, to make a show, to boast; and thus to be (clamorously) foolish; to rave; causatively, to celebrate; also to stultify

KJV: (make) boast (self), celebrate, commend, (deal, make), fool(-ish, -ly), glory, give (light), be (make, feign self) mad (against), give in marriage, (sing, be worthy of) praise, rage, renowned, shine.

הָלַל

vb — shine

[הָלַל] vb. shine

Qal when it, viz. his lamp, shone upon my head, fig. of God’s favour.

Hiph. flash forth light

הָלַל

vb — be boastful

[הָלַל] vb. be boastful, Pi. praise

Qal be boastful

Pi.

1. praise man or woman

2. usually praise י׳

3. appar. boast, make one’s boast

Pu. be praised

Hithpa. glory, boast, make one’s boast

Po‛el make into a fool, make a fool of

Po‛al of laughter I said, It is mad (folly)

Hithpo. act madly, or like a madman

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

H8104

שָׁמַרshâmar/shaw-mar'/

v — hedge, guard, protect, attend to

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to hedge about (as with thorns), i.e. guard; generally, to protect, attend to, etc.

KJV: beward, be circumspect, take heed (to self), keep(-er, self), mark, look narrowly, observe, preserve, regard, reserve, save (self), sure, (that lay) wait (for), watch(-man).

שָׁמַר

vb — keep

שָׁמַר 465 vb. keep, watch, preserve

Qal 425

1.

a. keep, have charge of

b. keep, guard, captives

c. hence, watch for, wait for

d. watch, observe

2.

a. keep, retain, of storing up (food)

b. keep within bounds, restrain

3.

a. observe, celebrate

b. keep sabbath

c. of other obligations

d. observe = follow dictates of (prudence, justice, kindness, wisdom)

4. sts. י׳ subj.

5. keep, reserve, weeks of harvest

Niph. 36

1. be on one's guard

2. keep oneself, refrain, abstain

3. be kept, guarded

Pi. those paying regard to false vanities

Hithp. I kept myself from

H1624

גָּרָהgârâh/gaw-raw'/

v — to grate, to anger

Derivation: a primitive root;

properly, to grate, i.e. (figuratively) to anger

KJV: contend, meddle, stir up, strive.

גָּרָה

vb — stir up

[גָּרָה] vb. only Pi. stir up strife, Hithp. engage in strife

Bible49 app

Get translation compare, commentary, and interlinear study — offline, on iPhone and Mac.

See Bible49