Proverbs 14:16 Commentary and Bible Study

Although the proverb does not say that either of these two people receive admonition, this is implied. The reason why the fool rages is because somebody has tried to correct him or to rebuke him for his conduct. Men do not get angry at the voice of conscience speaking within them unless they think that it reflects the opinion of someone else. As usual, we have to import into one side of the comparison elements that are only present in the other side. The righteous man turns aside from evil, but the fool persists in evil, and it is in this sense that he is confident. He confidently pursues a path which he ought to see as full of danger, and he disregards the evil that he has been forewarned to expect. His rage arises because he deeply resents being corrected, and cannot bear that any should impose a moral standard on him. He will not have anyone to rule over him and rebels in his heart even against the authority of God. He is self-confident when he has least reason to be confident. Can he not see how powerful is the enemy of his soul, and how easily he has ensnared him in temptation? He ends up helping the tempter by warding off all contrary advice that might deliver him. But the wise man fears, and this is the wisest thing that he does. He fears and reveres God and his word, and therefore he fears to go down a path that God has warned him against. He fears the power of sin to trap him in its tentacles so that he becomes a prisoner of his own desires. He fears the consequences of sin that will destroy him without mercy and he fears not to have the Lord on his side. Therefore when warned he takes that warning extremely seriously, and does not delay acting on it. He fears sin more than the slight shame of admitting that he had started to go down the wrong path and turning back. He fears when he sees others who do not turn back and consequently make shipwreck of their faith. He fears because he knows his own weakness and instability, and he craves the stability that comes from God which alone is able to keep him through the turmoil of this life. He therefore will not listen to the wicked when they entice him to join them in departing from God.