Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Proverbs 11:11
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
11. the blessing of the upright ] This may mean either the blessing enjoyed by them, their prosperity (as in Pro 11:10); or the blessing bestowed by them, by their prayers and presence (Gen 18:26; Gen 39:5).
Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges
The blessing of the upright – Probably the prayers which he offers for the good of the city in which he dwells, and which avail to preserve it from destruction (compare Gen 18:23-33); or the blessing which God gives the upright.
Fuente: Albert Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
Pro 11:11
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted.
A political maxim
To the morals of men is imputed the public prosperity or misfortunes. By upright is meant, men of sufficient abilities for the stations which they fill, and of piety and resolution enough to discharge the duties of their places.
1. When righteous magistrates are in authority, good laws are enacted, and impartially administered; virtue meets with its encouragements and vice with its due restraints and punishments.
2. The faithful dispensers of the sincere Word of God must needs contribute very much to the happiness of the place where they live. Those who propagate the knowledge of God, and excite men to glorify Him, must in reason be esteemed the instruments of mens felicity.
3. Every upright man, of what station soever, is a blessing to the place where he lives, if he have so much of a public spirit and principle of humanity in him as to desire his neighbours prosperity as well as his own; and if he be ready upon all reasonable occasions to do good offices to others, such a man is a good member of any civilised community.
The other part of the text deals with a contrary cause and effect.
1. At the tribunals of justice, in trials of right and wrong, an unjust sentence has often proceeded from the mouth of a partial judge, a corrupt jury, or a false witness.
2. In dispensing the Divine Word, and treating of the mysteries and doctrines of religion, it is of most destructive consequences to the people, if the mouth of the wicked have the handling of them; for then the people will be sure to be divided by that religion which was designed to unite them, and be emboldened to disobey God by the authority of His own misinterpreted Word. Pure religion is certainly the very best cement of civil society, as mightily enforcing the duties of unity, peace, and love among men: but religion corrupted in the doctrines of faith and practice carries with it the seeds of endless strife and contention, and ministers occasion to continual debates and animosities.
3. In the daily affairs and transactions of common life, the mouth of the wicked does much towards destroying the public good. If this be well demonstrated, it is a fair warning to all cities which are concerned for their own preservation, that they be very careful to increase the upright, and diminish the number of the wicked among them. Let us then exert ourselves, upon all just occasions, in the cause of truth, to the extermination of all that is contrary to it. So shall we both entitle ourselves and those whom we shall reduce from error to the gracious protection of God in this life present, and to His everlasting salvation in that which is to come. (W. Reading, M.A.)
A good man a blessing to the city
When Hezekiah wrought that which was good and right and truth before God, the Lord saved Jerusalem from the hand of every enemy, and made the city prosperous (2Ch 32:22; 2Ch 32:30.) But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
The men of Sodom and Gomorrah were foul of mouth; it was an open sepulchre; and, because of their sins, God overthrew the two cities (Gen 19:25).
Fuente: Biblical Illustrator Edited by Joseph S. Exell
By the blessing of the upright, where with they bless the city, to wit, by their sincere prayers, and wise and wholesome counsels.
By the mouth of the wicked; by their curses, and oaths, and blasphemies, and wicked and pernicious counsels, whereby they both provoke God, and mislead men to their own ruin.
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole
11. By the blessingimplyingactive benevolence.
Fuente: Jamieson, Fausset and Brown’s Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted,…. That is, either by the blessings with which they are blessed; and these are either temporal or spiritual: when good men are blessed with temporal blessings, the place where they live is the better it; and especially the poor, for they do not eat their morsel alone; and where there are many of these, and in prosperous circumstances, it is the exaltation and glory of a city taken in a literal sense; and which is the more blessed for their sakes, as well as they themselves are a blessing to it: and as the upright are blessed with spiritual blessings, with blessings indeed, with the gifts and graces of the Spirit of God; when they are fruitful and flourishing in grace, the city or church of God is in an exalted state: or rather this is to be understood of the blessings with which the upright bless others; and may be interpreted of the blessed deeds or good works which they do, and which are profitable to men; or of their blessed counsel and advice which they give on emergent occasions, and which proves salutary, and for the good of the city; or rather for their blessed prayers which they put up for the peace and prosperity of it, and which succeed. So by the blessing of the Gospel of Christ, or by the blessed doctrines of his apostles, those upright and sincere ministers of the word, the city of the living God was greatly exalted in their times; as it also was in the times of Constantine, and at the reformation; and this now is a reason why the city rejoices at its going well with the righteous, whether in temporals or spirituals. So Aben Ezra thinks the words have a connection with the former;
but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked; by the corrupt communication which proceeds out of their months; by their obscene and filthy talk the inhabitants of a place are corrupted; evil communications corrupt good manners; by their swearing and cursing, their oaths and imprecations, by their lying and perjury, they bring the judgments of God upon a city, to the overthrow of it. So by false doctrines, as the faith of particular persons is subverted, so whole cities, or visible congregated churches, have been corrupted and destroyed, as with the Arian heresy and others.
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible
11 By the blessing of the upright a city is exalted,
But by the mouth of the godless it is broken down.
This verse is related, in the way of confirming it, to Pro 11:10. The lxx, which omits Pro 11:4, here omits 10b and 11a, and combines 10a and 11b into one proverb ( vid., Lagarde). The meaning is clear: “by the benedictions and pious prayers of the upright a city rises always to a higher eminence and prosperity; while, on the contrary, the deceitful, arrogant, blasphemous talk of the godless brings ruin to it” (Fl.). The nearest contrast to “by the blessing of the upright” would be “by the cursing of the wicked,” but not in the sense of the poet, who means to say that the city raises itself by the blessing of the upright, and on the contrary, when godless men are exalted, then by their words (whose blessing is no better than their curse) it comes to ruin. (= ) occurs only four times in Proverbs, and in Job 29:7.
Fuente: Keil & Delitzsch Commentary on the Old Testament
(11) By the blessing of the upright.Especially by their prayers, which, like Abraham (Gen. 18:23, sqq.), and the Jews of the captivity (Jer. 29:7; Ezr. 6:10) they offer for those with whom they live.
By the mouth of the wickedi.e., by the cursing, deceit, and fraud with which his mouth is filled (Psa. 10:7).
He that is void of wisdom despiseth his neighbour.A warning against rash judgments (Mat. 7:1-2). It displays a want of intelligence, very noticeable in uneducated people, not to be able to understand other peoples difficulties; but a man of understanding holdeth his peace, not being rash to condemn, as well knowing that he may be mistaken in his estimate of another, and of the wisest course to be pursued.
Fuente: Ellicott’s Commentary for English Readers (Old and New Testaments)
11. By the blessing of the upright Meaning, probably, the blessing which they are to the city by their example, prudent advice, devotion to the public welfare, prayers, etc.
City is exalted Built up, enlarged, raised to a flourishing condition.
Mouth of the wicked What they utter, their blasphemies, evil counsels, impious maxims and teachings; also, sometimes, by traitorous communications with an enemy. One influential sinner in a city destroys much good.
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
Pro 11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Pro 11:11
In contrast, a wicked man is cursed in every area of his life. When he is given dominion over others, he brings these same curses into the lives of those around him. A good example of this is the stories of the wicked reigns of the kings of Israel and Judah. The most extreme example is how King Manasseh brought a divine sentence of judgment upon the nation of Israel for which there was not remedy.
2Ki 24:3-4, “Surely at the commandment of the LORD came this upon Judah, to remove them out of his sight, for the sins of Manasseh, according to all that he did; And also for the innocent blood that he shed: for he filled Jerusalem with innocent blood; which the LORD would not pardon.”
Pro 11:10-11 Comments – Leadership Pro 11:10-11 form a couplet in the sense that they both speak of leadership over a city.
Fuente: Everett’s Study Notes on the Holy Scriptures
v. 11. By the blessing of the upright,
Fuente: The Popular Commentary on the Bible by Kretzmann
Pro 11:11 By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted: but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
Ver. 11. By the blessing of the upright the city is exalted. ] This is given in as a reason of that public joy in the welfare of the just, because they are of public spirits, and will by their good deeds, good doctrines, good counsels, and good prayers, promote the public good to their utmost. Catonis mores eraut – toti genitum se credere mundo. a Saints are “clouds” Heb 12:1 that water the earth, as a common blessing.
But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.
a Lucan.
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)
overthrown; or ruined.
Fuente: Companion Bible Notes, Appendices and Graphics
Pro 11:11
Pro 11:11
“By the blessing of the upright, the city is exalted; But it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked.”
This is an emphatic reiteration of the previous verse. “A town prospers when it has the blessing of upright men, but the words of evil men can destroy it.
Pro 11:11. Pro 29:8 says, Scoffers set a city in a flame (mighty cities, after being conquered, were often burned-Jos 6:24; Jos 8:19); But wise men turn away wrath (by submitting rather than resisting an over-powering enemy-Jer 27:4-11).
Fuente: Old and New Testaments Restoration Commentary
the blessing: Pro 14:34, Pro 29:8, Gen 41:38-42, Gen 45:8, 2Ch 32:20-22, Job 22:30, Ecc 9:15
it: 2Sa 20:1, Est 3:8-15, Est 9:1-16, Jam 3:6
Reciprocal: 2Ki 2:12 – My father 2Ki 13:14 – O my father Pro 10:32 – but
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge
Pro 11:11. By the blessing of the upright Namely, by their sincere prayers, and wise, wholesome counsels, wherewith they bless their country; the city is exalted In dignity, power, and all kinds of prosperity; but it is overthrown by the mouth of the wicked By their curses, oaths, blasphemies, and wicked, pernicious counsels, whereby they both provoke God, and mislead men to their own ruin.
Fuente: Joseph Bensons Commentary on the Old and New Testaments
"Henrietta Mears used to say, ’God made the country, man made the city, but the devil made the small town.’" [Note: Larsen, p. 113.]