Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 29:4
The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
4. receiveth ] The R.V., exacteth, is scarcely an improvement, for it is enough to “overthrow the land” that the king be open to receive gifts. The Heb., a man of offerings, will bear either sense. The rendering of R.V. marg., that imposeth tribute, sacrifices the contrast in the two members of the proverb, between the impartial administration of justice and the venality and corruption which are the curse of Oriental courts.
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
Verse 4. He that receiveth gifts] This was notoriously the case in this kingdom, before the passing of the Magna Charta, or great charter of liberties. Hence that article in it, Nulli vendemus justitiam; “We will not sell justice to any.” I have met with cases in our ancient records where, in order to get his right, a man was obliged almost to ruin himself in presents to the king, queen, and their favourites, to get the case decided in his favour.
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible
By judgment; by the free and impartial exercise of justice.
He that receiveth gifts, Heb. a man (for he would not vouchsafe to call him a king, as being unworthy of that name and office) of oblations or gifts, i.e. whose delight and common practice it is to take bribes, and sell justice.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
4. by judgmentthat is,righteous decisions, opposed to those procured by gifts (compare Pr28:21), by which good government is perverted.
landfor nation.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
The king by judgment establisheth the land,…. By executing, judgment and justice among his subjects, he establishes the laws of the land, and the government of it; he secures its peace and prosperity, and preserves his people in the possession at their properties and privileges; and makes them rich and powerful, and the state stable and flourishing, so that it continues firm to posterity; such a king was Solomon, 2Ch 9:8;
but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it; that, is, a king that does so; Gersom observes that he is not called a king, because such a man is not worthy of the name, who takes gifts and is bribed by them to pervert judgment and justice; whereby the laws of the nation are violated, and the persons and properties of his subjects become the prey of wicked men; and so the state is subverted and falls to ruin: it is in the original text, “a man of oblations” k; the word is generally used of the sacred oblations or offerings under the law; hence some understand it of a sacrilegious prince who of his own arbitrary power converts sacred things to civil uses. The Targum, Septuagint, Syriac and Arabic versions render it, a wicked and ungodly man; and the Vulgate Latin version, a covetous man; as such a prince must be in whatsoever light he is seen, whether as a perverter of justice through bribes, or as a sacrilegious man; though it may be rendered, “a man of exactions” l, for it is used of the oblation of a prince which he receives from his people, Eze 45:9; as Aben Ezra observes; and so it may be interpreted of a king that lays heavy taxes upon his people, and thereby brings them to distress and poverty, and the state to ruin.
k “vir oblationam”, Montanus, Baynus, Grotius, Gejerus, Schultens. l “Vir exactionum”, Mercerus; “qui levat exactiones”, Munster; “qui tributa imponit”, so some in Vatablus; “qui tribbuta extorquet”, Tigurine version.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
A series of six proverb follows, beginning with a proverb of the king:
4 A king by righteousness bringeth the land to a good condition;
But a man of taxes bringeth it down.
The Hiph. signifies to make it so that a person or matter comes to stand erect and stand fast ( e.g., 1Ki 15:4); , to tear down, is the contrary of building up and extending (Psa 28:5), cf. , opp. , of the state, Pro 11:11. By ‘ is meant the king, or a man of this kind; but it is questionable whether as a man of gifts, i.e., one who lets gifts be made to him (Grotius, Fleischer, Ewald, Bertheau, Zckler), or as a man of taxes, i.e., who imposes them (Midrash, Aben Ezra, Ralbag, Rosenmller, Hitzig). Both interpretations are possible, for ‘ means tax (lifting, raising = dedicating), free-will offerings, as well as gifts that are obligatory and required by the laws of nature. Since the word, in the only other place where it occurs, Eze 45:13-16, is used of the relation of the people to the prince, and denotes a legally-imposed tax, so it appears also here, in passing over from the religious sphere to the secular, to be meant of taxes, and that according to its fundamental conception of gifts, i.e., such taxes as are given on account of anything, such as the produce of the soil, manufactures, heritages. Thus also is to be understood Aquila’s and Theodotion’s , and the rendering also of the Venet. . A man on the throne, covetous of such gifts, brings the land to ruin by exacting contributions; on the contrary, a king helps the land to a good position, and an enduring prosperity, by the exercise of right, and that in appointing a well-proportioned and fit measure of taxation.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
4 The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
Here is, 1. The happiness of a people under a good government. The care and business of a prince should be to establish the land, to maintain its fundamental laws, to settle the minds of his subjects and make them easy, to secure their liberties and properties from hostilities and for posterity, and to set in order the things that are wanting; this he must do by judgment, by wise counsels, and by the steady administration of justice, without respect of persons, which will have these good effects. 2. The misery of a people under a bad government: A man of oblations (so it is in the margin) overthrows the land; a man that is either sacrilegious or superstitious, or that invades the priest’s office, as Saul and Uzziah–or a man that aims at nothing but getting money, and will, for a good bribe, connive at the most guilty, and, in hope of one, persecute the innocent–such governors as these will ruin a country.
Fuente: Matthew Henry’s Whole Bible Commentary
Stable Government
Verse 4 suggests that a just king or ruler establishes the country by the exercise of justice; but he who accepts bribes overthrows it, Vs 14; Pro 8:15; 2Ch 9:8; also see comment on Pro 15:27.
Fuente: Garner-Howes Baptist Commentary
(4) By judgment.Upright decisions.
He that receiveth gifts.To pervert justice (Pro. 15:27).
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
4. By judgment Administrative justice.
He that receiveth gifts “A man of exactions, or of oblations, exacts tribute.” Conant. “Is fond of bribes.” Zockler. The idea seems to be, that such a man sits upon the throne to receive oblations rather than to dispense justice that he makes himself a god to be appeased by offerings, and sells favours to the highest bidder. Such, indeed, was and is the character of many of the eastern despots. Nor has this form of iniquity been confined to the East. Dr. Clarke says: “I have met with cases in our ancient records where, in order to get his right, a man was obliged almost to ruin himself in presents to the king, queen, and their favourites.” One of the articles of the Magna Charta is:
Nulli vendemus justitiam; “We will sell justice to no one.” Under our system of government, and in our times, perhaps the most likely place to find the development of this evil is in the legislative department national and local. Legislators who receive, directly or indirectly, a compensation for their votes, are acting on the principle condemned in this proverb, and are contributing their share to the ruin of their country. Compare Eze 45:9.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 29:4. He that receiveth gifts i.e. He who rigorously exacteth tribute, or requires rich presents to be made to him. Houbigant renders the verse, The king who judgeth justly establisheth the land, he who exacteth gifts overturneth it.
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke
Pro 29:4 The king by judgment establisheth the land: but he that receiveth gifts overthroweth it.
Ver. 4. The king by judgment stablisheth the land. ] This one piece of Solomon’s politics hath much more good advice in it than all Lypsius’s Beehive, or Machiavel’s Spider web.
But he that receiveth gifts.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
he = a man. Hebrew. ‘ish. App-14.
receiveth gifts = is open to bribes.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 29:4
Pro 29:4
“The king by justice establisheth the land; But he that exacteth gifts overthroweth it.”
A policy of excessive taxation has usually been the primary cause of every fallen government in the history of the world. “A king by justice gives stability to a land, but he whose exactions are excessive ruins it. This rendition is applicable, not merely to excessive taxation, but to bribery by the `exaction of gifts.’ “By justice a king gives stability to the land, but one who exacts gifts ruins it.
Pro 29:4. A double contrast: by justice vs. exacteth gifts and establisheth the land vs. overthroweth it. When a king rules according to the laws of justice, things go well with both him and the land, for God blesses, and the people are happy. The bribe-taking king (he that exacteth gifts) overthrows it because such is not right, God is not pleased, and the people do not approve it.
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
king: Pro 29:14, Pro 16:12, Pro 20:8, 1Sa 13:13, 2Sa 8:15, 1Ki 2:12, Psa 89:14, Psa 99:4, Isa 9:7, Isa 49:8
he that receiveth gifts: Heb. a man of oblations, 2Ki 15:18-20, Jer 22:13-17, Dan 11:20, Mic 7:3
Reciprocal: 2Sa 16:1 – with a couple 1Ki 2:46 – the kingdom Pro 15:27 – but Isa 33:6 – wisdom Jer 22:15 – and do Act 24:26 – hoped
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 29:4. The king by judgment By the free and impartial exercise of justice; establisheth the land Restores his kingdom to a firm and good state, though it might before be in great disorder; but he that receiveth gifts Hebrew, , a man of oblations, or gifts, whose delight and common practice it is to take bribes and sell justice; overthroweth it
Subverts it utterly, though it might before be never so well settled.