Proverbs 21:7 Commentary and Bible Study

One of the tragic things about being lost, being unconverted, is that it is full of self-hurt. We hurt ourselves only. The picture is of bandits in the desert. ‘The robbery of the wicked.’ But these bandits incur no end of injury. The Hebrew word translated ‘destroy’ is - saw them, cut them severely. The robbery of the wicked shall cut them. Perhaps our translators have been a bit strong in saying ‘destroy’. Some modern translations go way off the track and say the robbery of the wicked shall sweep them away. The idea of a saw suggests to their mind that this must mean sweep them away. No, the robbery of the wicked shall harm them, shall cut them. Why? Well because there are guards on some of these camel trains and they fight back. And the brigand, the bandit has wounds to display from various attempts at taking caravans off the desert road. ‘The robbery of the wicked shall destroy them.’ Some large cities to protect their trade routes would send out militia and there would be conflicts. So being a bandit you do not get off scot-free in ancient times. You know you are going to incur injury, there is going to be conflict and there will be problems. The robbery of the wicked shall saw or cut or destroy them because they refuse to live proper, honest lives to do judgement. That is the proverb, that is what it means.