Proverbs 13:2 Commentary and Bible Study

The second part of the proverb is translated by the ESV, ‘the desire of the treacherous is for violence’. The Hebrew has no verb here and the ESV supplies the verb ‘to be’, but the KJV does the most natural thing and takes the verb from the first half of the verse. Consequently the ESV sees the man as desiring violence, while the KJV sees him as the victim of violence. The context favours the second interpretation. Since the first half of the proverb is about the good which a man receives from the Lord, then it follows that the second half speaks of the evil that comes to him rather than something that he actively seeks after. In the first case his reward is a great blessing to him; in the second it is a curse which he has much reason to fear. We have had a section on the tongue already, and although there are several proverbs in the current section which refer to words, the theme which all the proverbs have in common is not speech, but the dangers which we face in life. A man’s words are said to be a source of good to him, or the cause of his good, but this is not always because his speech leads directly to good. Of course there are natural consequences which flow directly from our speech either for good or ill. An insulting man should not be surprised if others dislike him; a generous person is more likely to be well regarded. But the blessing which comes to him is first and foremost from the Lord who may reward him in spite of opposition or even persecution from men. The proverb is not concerned with anything as obvious as natural cause and effect. It is a blessing which comes through God’s secret providence, just as the violence in the second half of the proverb accrues to the treacherous by the justice of God. Besides, the second part of the proverb does not mention words, but speaks of the soul of the treacherous, which is scrutinised only by the Lord.