Proverbs 11:9 (NKJV) — 9 The hypocrite with his mouth destroys his neighbor, But through knowledge the righteous will be delivered.

The destructive mouth. The Book of Proverbs repeatedly discusses the power of words both for good and evil. The hypocrite’s major weapon is his mouth. A hypocrite is a pretender. For example, he pretends to love his neighbor, especially to his face, but behind his neighbor’s back he gossips, slanders, and spreads rumors. The righteous person is not at the mercy of the hypocrite, however. He can be delivered through right knowledge, specifically the knowledge of God’s Word. A person who has a knowledge of the Word of God will know what to do, how to do it, and when to do it in order to be delivered.

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Once again, I am grateful to the Pentecostal Publishing House for posting about my new book, The Holy Spirit: A Commentary. You can access the post by clicking on the link below.

The Holy Spirit | A Book Excerpt by Daniel Segraves

Proverbs 11:8 (NKJV) — 8 The righteous is delivered from trouble, And it comes to the wicked instead.

A stand-in for the righteous. Though trouble may appear inevitable, the righteous person will ultimately be delivered from it. The righteous person will be replaced in that troubled situation by a wicked person.

Proverbs 21:18 (NKJV) — 18 The wicked shall be a ransom for the righteous, And the unfaithful for the upright.

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Proverbs 11:7 (NKJV) — 7 When a wicked man dies, his expectation will perish, And the hope of the unjust perishes.

No hope for the wicked dead. While they live, wicked people may harbor lofty ambitions; they may have great dreams and plans. But death is final for the wicked. There is no hope in hell. There will be no goal setting, no positive thinking for the wicked in eternity.

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Proverbs 11:6 (NKJV) — 6 The righteousness of the upright will deliver them, But the unfaithful will be caught by their lust.

The source of deliverance. The theme of Proverbs 11:3, 5 continues here. The righteous will find that their righteousness results in deliverance from destruction, while the evil desires of the wicked will result in their fall.

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Proverbs 11:5 (NKJV) — 5 The righteousness of the blameless will direct his way aright, But the wicked will fall by his own wickedness.

How destinies are determined. This is a companion verse to Proverbs 11:3. Those who are righteous will be able to make the important decisions of life. The principles by which they live will guide them. In the same manner, wicked persons will make decisions based upon their wickedness, which will ultimately destroy them.

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Proverbs 11:4 (NKJV) — 4 Riches do not profit in the day of wrath, But righteousness delivers from death.

No genuine profit in riches. Riches may serve to make life softer and easier on this earth, but they will be of no value in the day of judgment. The Supreme Judge of the universe cannot be bribed. The only thing that will profit on that day will be righteousness. All humanity will stand before God equally on the basis of their deeds, not their wealth. (See Revelation 20:12-13.)

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Proverbs 11:3 (NKJV) — 3 The integrity of the upright will guide them, But the perversity of the unfaithful will destroy them.

The guiding quality. Many decisions sinners worry and fret over for days can be made in a moment by a person with integrity. Life is not as complicated as it seems; there are a limited number of principles at work. When a principle is compromised, a person with integrity will know automatically not to get involved in the situation.

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Proverbs 11:2 (NKJV) — 2 When pride comes, then comes shame; But with the humble is wisdom.

After pride, shame. The proud person will surely be brought to shame. Wisdom will not be found with the proud, but with the humble. But while we should not think of ourselves more highly than we ought, we should not continually berate or belittle ourselves as is that were humility.

Romans 12:3 (NKJV) — 3 For I say, through the grace given to me, to everyone who is among you, not to think of himself more highly than he ought to think, but to think soberly, as God has dealt to each one a measure of faith.

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