Proverbs 29:8
Turning Away Wrath
1. Solomon has repeatedly brought up the subject of government officials and others bringing about good or evil in the land.
a. Prov. 28:12 – The effect of wicked vs. righteous rulers
b. Prov. 28:28 – The effect of wicked rulers
c. Prov. 29:2 – The righteous in authority or the wicked bearing rule affects the wellbeing of the people.
d. Vs. 4 – The king establishing the land by justice; it’s good for the land.
e. Vs. 5 – The danger flattery brings to others – a snare.
f. Vs. 6 – When evil is tolerated, it brings a snare.
g. Vs. 7 – The righteous consider the cause of the poor in the land.
h. Vs. 8 – Scornful men bring a city into a snare.
2. Verse eight continues with the same theme.
1. This expression is translated variously because of the term translated “snare.”
a. It is clearly not the word translated snare in vs. 6.
b. The word translated “snare” in vs. 8 means to “blow” on something… or to breath out.
• It is used of snorting at an enemy (Ps. 10:5)
• It is used of sneering or causing winds to blow.
• It came to mean to excite; to inflame, as in blowing up a flame or kindling a fire.
c. Many translations understand the term to be “to blow” as one would blow on a fire to fan the flames – hence, meaning to stir up trouble… to enflame.
d. Darby translated this “Scornful men set the city in a flame…”
e. The NET, NKJV, ESV all translated it to mean inflame.
2. Taking that meaning of the word, Solomon is speaking about fanning the flames of discord and anger in a city.
a. In any city or country, there are bound to be various groups with differing interests and different and sometimes conflicting ideologies.
b. There are often differing views taken by the wealthy as opposed to the poor (the 99% vs. the 1%).
c. There are often differing views on issues between the farmers and the merchants… the business owners and the workers.
d. In other words, in cities and countries both ancient and modern, the potential to stir up trouble and fan the flames of division and anger has always been present.
e. It is easy to turn one group against the other and to cause their differences to be enflamed—even unto wrath and outrage!
3. This proverb tells us what KIND of men stir up trouble in the city: scornful men!
a. Scornful defined: Bragging; arrogant talkers; those who speak words of derision and ridicule; mockers.
b. The book of Proverbs mentions the scorner often:
• Prov. 19:28 – “An ungodly witness scorneth judgment.” Sometimes scorners mock judgment or justice.
• Prov. 21:24 – “Proud and haughty scorner is his name, who dealeth in proud wrath.” He is proud, thinking he knows better than the laws of the land.
• Prov. 14:6 – “A scorner seeketh wisdom, and findeth it not.” Wisdom seems to elude scorners. They are not wise.
• Prov. 22:10 – “Cast out the scorner, and contention shall go out; yea, strife and reproach shall cease.” When the scorner is gone, the contention ceases. There is no one left to fan the flames of division and controversy.
c. This is the kind of person who fans the flame of controversy and trouble in a city or in a country.
• Prov. 15:12 – “A scorner loveth not one that reproveth him: neither will he go unto the wise.”
• Since the scorner thinks himself to be smarter than everyone else, he will not be corrected; he will not listen to counsel.
• That’s why Solomon’s advice is to cast out the scorner. That’s the only way to cause the scorning to stop.
4. Our country is about to go off a fiscal cliff and we have politicians that seem to mock the system.
a. Rather than working together for the good of the city (country) they seem bent on fanning the flames of anger and wrath towards each other.
b. The end result could be disastrous for everybody.
c. There will always be opposing viewpoints in any country. There will always be different views on the best way to govern… the best way to deal with the poor… the best way to use our national resources.
d. Scornful men will seek to fan the flames of wrath and division.
e. This could lead to a civil war… to riots and violence in the streets… to bloodshed and destruction, which isn’t good for either side in the city (or country).
1. On the other hand, WISE men will turn away wrath (intense anger).
a. Wise men will seek peace. They will seek to calm the anger and wrath in the land.
b. Wise men will not fan the flames of violence or wrath. Wise men will seek peace and unity.
c. Wisdom seeks to have cooler heads prevail.
d. Wise men will acknowledge that both sides in the city have to live together, even if they disagree on certain issues or laws to pass.
e. Both sides in the city have to live within the same city walls.
f. They may differ on what the land should be used for; what to do with the water; what laws to pass; etc. But like it or not, they all live within the same walls and had better get used to each other.
2. Wise men in the city prevent the city from (figuratively) going up in flames by “turning away wrath.”
a. Prov.15:1 – wise men turn away wrath by means of a “soft answer.”
• They do not use caustic language that inflames or divides.
• They use a softer speech that allows for genuine conversation and exchange of ideas and views so that an agreement might be reached.
• The scorner stirs up anger; the wise men turn away anger and wrath.
• A “soft answer” says nothing about the content of the answer, but rather it speaks about the “manner” of delivery. (Not harsh; sharp; angry; biting; or scathing, but soft and gentle.)
b. True wisdom speaks truth gently.
• Jas. 3:17-18 – “But the wisdom that is from above is first pure, then peaceable, gentle, and easy to be intreated, full of mercy and good fruits, without partiality, and without hypocrisy. 18And the fruit of righteousness is sown in peace of them that make peace.”
• This is the kind of wisdom that turns away wrath rather than stirs up wrath.
• This works for groups in a city or a country as well as for individuals at work, at home, or in the local church.
3. In Solomon’s day, kings ruled. Their word was law.
a. Thus, there would not only be differences among the various groups within the land, but there would also be different responses to the king and his authority over them.
b. Not everyone in the city (country; city-state) would agree with the king and his rules.
c. There were often opposing views on how to deal with the royal edicts. Not all royal edicts were sensible. Some kings were foolish and their expectations were often unrealistic.
d. This left the people divided on how to cope with the laws of the land.
e. One group scorned and mocked the ruler. They stirred up violence and rebellion.
f. Another group (wise men) may have disliked the royal edict as much as anyone—but their approach was very different.
g. The wise men in the land would seek to turn away wrath. They tried to convince their fellow-citizens NOT to revolt… not to rebel… not to turn to violence and uncontrolled anger.
h. They tried to convince their fellow-citizens to follow a peaceful course in dealing with the problems that arose.
4. This proverb is set in a public arena – the city – and makes a contrast between two kinds of men (leaders?) in the city – those who stir up trouble and those who stir up peace.
a. Matt. 5:9 – Jesus said, “Blessed are the peacemakers: for they shall be called the children of God.”
b. Let’s be peacemakers rather than troublemakers.