Proverbs 28:11 Commentary and Bible Study

Why is ‘a rich man wise in his own conceit’ or, as the Hebrew says, in his own eyes? Because as far as he is concerned, his riches prove that he has wisdom. He has made it in life by the only measure that counts in this world. Riches are the very definition of success, and to the worldling this also defines wisdom. Wisdom is not wisdom if it does not bring material gain. Wisdom is then evaluated entirely within the boundaries of this brief life, and no thought is given to the world to come. We understand wisdom to be the best means of reaching the best end, but to the one who does not believe in an afterlife, who does not look beyond the here and now, the best end is to be admired, to have property and earthly security. The translation of the Hebrew word ‘eyes’ as ‘conceit’ is accurate, because these eyes are full of conceit, admiring as they do his own achievements. But in the proverb, it is the poor man that searches him out. The poor man has none of the rich man’s advantages. By a worldly definition, he lacks wisdom, and yet he is able to do something which the rich man is incapable of doing. This is not a case of jealousy that cannot bear to have another person who is more successful than we are. If the poor man was in that state of mind, he would be subject to the same deception as the rich who he envies. This poor man has learned the secret of contentment and gives thanks to God for the little he has. He does not measure God’s love towards him by his earthly status. Instead he judges the human condition by a far loftier standard, and has an eternal perspective. By this he searches out the conceit of the rich. He discerns all the error in the thinking of the rich about his riches, and has something far more precious and more lasting than those who are successful by this world’s standards. He sees the blindness of this rich man towards spiritual things, and the poverty of his soul. He is grieved at the moral corner-cutting that made it possible to acquire these riches. He knows that the current happiness of the rich will turn into mourning when the truth comes to light. He knows that the rich have passed on their value system to their children and so multiplied the same unhappiness to the next generation. No, the poor man who understands does not envy such a person, but pities them.Conscience is at work in the poor to teach him contentment with what he has without resorting to evil means, and it allows him to see the true state of other men who obtain their treasure below without heed to God’s commandments.