Proverbs 14:11

Pro 14:11 The house of the wicked shall be overthrown: but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.

Ver. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown.] As Phoca’s high walls were, because sin was at the bottom: "Brimstone also shall be scattered on his habitation"; {Job 18:15} as it befell Dioclesian, whose house was wholly consumed with fire from heaven; wherewith himself also was so terrified, that he died within a while after. {a}

But the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish.] The wicked have "houses," and are called the "inhabitants of the earth." {Rev 12:12} The upright have "tabernacles," or tents that were transportative and taken down at pleasure; here they "have no continuing city," no mansion place; and yet what they have shall flourish: "Our bed is green, the beams of our house are cedar, and our rafters of fir." {Son 1:16-17} See 2Sa 23:5.

{a} Euseb. de vit. Const., lib. v.

John Trapp, A Commentary or Exposition upon All the Books of the Old and New Testament (1647–1656) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

14:11 Although a house is typically more stable than a tent, wickedness destroys and tears down, while godliness builds up (14:1).

Tyndale Open Study Notes — © Tyndale Open Resources, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

Note, 1. Sin is the ruin of great families: The house of the wicked, though built ever so strong and high, shall be overthrown, shall be brought to poverty and disgrace, and at length be extinct. His hope for heaven, the house on which he leans, shall not stand, but fail in the storm; the deluge that comes will sweep it away. 2. Righteousness is the rise and stability even of mean families: Even the tabernacle of the upright, though movable and despicable as a tent, shall flourish, in outward prosperity if Infinite Wisdom see good, at all events in graces and comfort, which are true riches and honours.

Matthew Henry's Commentary on the Whole Bible (1708–1710) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(Compare Pro 12:7). The contrast of the whole is enhanced by that of house and tabernacle, a permanent and a temporary dwelling.

Jamieson, Fausset & Brown — Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible (1871) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

(11) The house of the wicked shall be overthrown.—Observe the contrast between the “house” and “tabernacle” (tent); the slighter one shall stand, while the more strongly built one shall perish. (Comp. Pro_3:33.)

A Bible Commentary for English Readers, edited by Charles John Ellicott (1878–1897) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The house of the wicked shall be overthrown,.... Houses built to perpetuate their names and eternize their memory; and which, though built high and stately, strong and firm, yet by one accident or another shall come to ruin, when they imagined they would continue for ever, and their dwelling places to all generations, Psa 49:11; or their families shall become extinct, none to be their heirs and inherit their estates, and transmit their name to posterity; or the substance of their house, their riches and wealth, especially that gotten dishonestly, shall waste away: and in a spiritual sense the house or hope of such, as to eternal salvation, being built on the sand, or something of their own, their external duties, or an outward profession of religion, shall not stand; though they lean upon it and would hold it fast, but it shall fall, and great shall be the fall of it; and particularly the apostate church of Rome, that synagogue of Satan, that habitation of devils, that hold of every foul spirit, and cage of every unclean bird, shall be overthrown with an utter overthrow, shall fall and never rise more, Rev 18:2;

but the tabernacle of the upright shall flourish: their low and mean cottages, which are put up quickly, like tents movable from place to place, yet shall be established, Pro 15:25; their families shall become numerous like a flock of sheep, Psa 107:41; and their substance increase; they shall flourish in worldly things and grow rich, or however in spirituals, in girls and grace; shall flourish in the courts of the Lord, and tabernacles of the most High, like palm trees and cedars; for the allusion is to the flourishing of trees, Psa 92:13; especially they will be in such flourishing circumstances in the latter day, when antichrist will be destroyed, and when the tabernacle of God will be with men, Psa 72:8.

John Gill's Exposition of the Whole Bible (1746–1763) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API.

The house; their dwelling and family.

The tabernacle; which is a weak, and poor, and unstable thing, soon reared up, and soon taken down, and is here opposed to the large, and strong, and magnificent house of wicked men.

Matthew Poole's English Annotations on the Holy Bible (1683–1685) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

11. Overthrown — Smitten, destroyed. Compare Pro_12:7. House…

tabernacle — By metonymy for family, household. Compare Job_8:15; Job_15:34; Job_18:14-15; Pro_3:33; Pro_12:7; Pro_21:12; Zec_5:4; Mat_7:27.

Daniel D. Whedon (gen. ed.), Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1874–1909) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

The house... the tabernacle. The house of the wicked, which they build and beautify and love, and which they look upon as a lasting home, shall perish; the hope which they founded upon it shall come to a speedy end; (Pro_12:7) but the righteous rear only a tent on earth, as becomes those who are strangers and pilgrims; and yet this abode is more secure, the hopes founded upon it are more lasting, for it continues unto everlasting life. The text in its first sense probably means that sinners take great pains to increase their material prosperity, and to leave heirs to carry on their name and family, but Providence defeats their efforts: good men do their duty in their state of life, try to please God and benefit their neighbour, leaving anxious care for the future, and God prospers them beyond all that they thought or wished. (comp. Pro_3:33) Shall flourish. The word applies metaphorically to the growth, vigour, and increase of a family under the blessing of God. Septuagint, "The tents of the upright shall stand." There is a cognate proverb at Pro_12:7.

The Pulpit Commentary (1880–1919), ed. H.D.M. Spence-Jones & Joseph S. Exell — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

11 The house of the wicked is overthrown;

But the tent of the upright flourishes.

In the cogn. proverb, Pro 12:7, line 2 begins with וּבית, but here the apparently firmly-founded house is assigned to the godless, and on the contrary the tent, easily destroyed, and not set up under the delusion of lasting for ever, is assigned to the righteous. While the former is swept away without leaving a trace behind (Isa 14:23), the latter has blossoms and shoots (הפריח as inwardly transitive, like Job 14:9; Psa 92:14); the household of such remains not only preserved in the same state, but in a prosperous, happy manner it goes forward and upward.

Keil & Delitzsch — Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament (1861–1891) — public domain (CC PDM 1.0). Text via the HelloAO Bible API. (Old Testament only.)

The feeblest state of the upright is more stable than the prosperity of the wicked. They build a house. The earth is their home, where they would settle, and take their rest. The upright — knowing the uncertainly of earth, and seeking a better house — only set up a tabernacle (Heb 11:9 ) — weak and trembling. Yet the house is overthrown, and the tabernacle flourishes. (Pro 3:33 ; Pro 12:7 .) The strongest support of man totters. (Job 8:15 . Psa 49:12 .) The support of God to the weakest is Omnipotence. (Isa 40:29 ; Isa 41:10 .) The eye of sense seems however to see the contrary — the flourishing of the wicked, and the overthrow of the upright. And a sore trial is it to the servant of God. (Jer 12:1 .) But "we must walk by faith, not by sight." (2Co 5:7 .) "The sanctuary" — the word of God — will explain. (Psa 73:16-17 . Job 18:14-21 .) Wait awhile. The great day will set all in order before us, and show that "the Judge of all the earth doeth right." (Gen 18:25 . Psa 58:11 .) Meanwhile let us leave him to do his own work, and to fulfil his own word in his own time.

Charles Bridges, An Exposition of the Book of Proverbs (1846) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

v. 11. The house of the wicked shall be overthrown, no matter how permanent they believe it to be; but the tabernacle of the upright, their tent, their temporary dwelling, for they do not regard it as their permanent home, shall flourish, the blessing of the Lord resting upon it.

Paul E. Kretzmann, Popular Commentary of the Bible (1921–1924) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

the tent

The word "tent" represents everything that happens within it. AT: "the household" (See: Metonymy)

flourish

The word "flourish" means vigorous blooming of flowers and so represents anything that grows strongly. AT: "to do well and last long" or "to be healthy" or "to be very successful" (See: Metaphor)

There is a way that seems right to a man

The word "way" represents the conduct of life a person follows. AT: "People think that the way they are living is the right way" (See: Metaphor)

translationWords

house

righteous

evil

tent

die

unfoldingWord translationNotes — © Distant Shores Media and the Door43 World Missions Community, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0. Source: git.door43.org/Door43/en_tn.