Proverbs 19:28

Pro 19:28 An ungodly witness scorneth judgment: and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.

Ver. 28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment.] As if he were out of the reach of God’s rod. And because "judgment is not presently executed, therefore his heart is set in him to do wickedly," {Ecc 8:11 Psa 50:21} he looks upon God as an abettor of his perjury. His mouth devoureth iniquity, as some savoury morsel. But know they not that there will be bitterness in the end? Let them but mark what follows.

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.

Pro 19:28. An ungodly witness scorneth judgment — Hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there, nor to that sacred and solemn work, of executing judgment, but, in spite of all, gives in a false testimony. And the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity — Uttereth it with as great greediness, delight, and ease, as they swallow down delicious meats and drinks; or, is as eager to commit it in word and deed, as if it were as necessary to their well-being as the food they eat.

Joseph Benson's Commentary on the Old and New Testaments (1811–1818) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

Taketh a pleasure and delight therein, as gluttons and drunkards in delicate meats and drinks.

Geneva Bible (1599) marginal notes — public domain. Text via Bolls.life.

Here is a description of the worst of sinners, whose hearts are fully set in them to do evil. 1. They set that at defiance which would deter and detain them from sin: An ungodly witness is one that bears false witness against his neighbour, and will forswear himself to do another a mischief, in which there is not only great injustice, but great impiety; this is one of the worst of men. Or an ungodly witness is one that profanely and atheistically witnesses against religion and godliness, whose instructions seduce from the words of knowledge (Pro 19:27); such a one scorns judgment, laughs at the terrors of the Lord, mocks at that fear, Job 15:26. Tell him of law and equity, that the scriptures and an oath are sacred things, and not to be jested with, that there will come a reckoning day; he laughs at it all, and scorns to heed it. 2. They are greedy, and glad of that which gives them an opportunity to sin: The mouth of the wicked eagerly devours iniquity, drinks it in like water, Job 15:16.

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

ungodly witness--(Compare Margin), one false by bad principles (compare Pro 6:12).

scorneth judgment--sets at naught the dictates of justice.

devoureth--literally, "swalloweth," as something delightful.

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

(28) An ungodly (worthless) witness scorneth judgment.—Despises the orders of the Law to avoid perjury (Exo_20:16; Lev_5:1). (Comp. 1Ki_8:31).

The mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity.—As a dainty morsel. (Comp. Pro_18:8.)

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

28. ungodly] Rather, worthless. See Pro_6:12, note.

The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges (gen. ed. J. J. S. Perowne; Cambridge University Press, 1878–1918) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword module.

An ungodly witness scorneth judgment,.... Or, "a witness of Belial" (z). A false witness is not awed by the place of judgment where he is; nor by the judge before whom he is; nor by the law, the rule of judgment, nor by the punishment of perjury; he scorns all these, and scoffs at them, and proceeds in bearing a false testimony: or he covers that which is right and just, and eludes judgment by specious and sophistic arguments and pretences. Or this may be understood of a false teacher, that scorns the rule of judgment, or colours over things, to make them plausible, and seem to be agreeable to it;

and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity; greedily, and with pleasure commits it; as a hungry man takes in his food; or a thirsty man drinks down water: and in like manner are false doctrines imbibed by men of perverse minds.

(z) "testis Belijahal", Montanus, Tigurine version, Baynus.

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

Ungodly witness - literally, “Witness of Belial,” “worthless,” “untruthful.”

Devoureth iniquity - Seizes on it eagerly, as a dainty, lives on it.

Albert Barnes' Notes on the Bible (1834–1885) — public domain. Text from a community e-Sword/MySword module.

Scorneth judgment; hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there, nor to that sacred and solemn work of executing judgment, but in spite of all gives in a false testimony.

Devoureth iniquity; uttereth with as great greediness, and delight, and ease, as they swallow down delicious meats and drinks. Compare Job 15:16.

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

28. An ungodly witness — One not of God, untruthful.

Scorneth judgment — Mocketh, derideth it. He hath no concern that justice be done.

Devoureth iniquity — Greedily, as a dainty morsel.

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

An ungodly (worthless) witness scorneth judgment; derides the Law which denounces perjury and compels a witness to speak truth, (Exo_20:16 Lev_5:1) and, as is implied he bears false testimony, thus proving himself "a witness of Belial," according to the Hebrew term. Septuagint, "He who becometh security for a foolish child outrages judgment." The mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity; swallows it eagerly as a toothsome morsel. (Pro_18:8) So we have in Job_15:16,"A man that drinketh iniquity like water". see on Pro_26:6) Such a man will lie and slander with the utmost pleasure, living and battening on wickedness. Septuagint, "The mouth of the impious drinketh judgments (kriseiv )," i.e. boldly transgresses the Law.

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

Scorneth - Hath no reverence to the place of justice, nor to the presence of God there. Devoureth - Utters it with greediness and delight.

John Wesley, Explanatory Notes Upon the Whole Bible (1754–1765) — public domain. Text via the GEBible commentary corpus.

28 A worthless witness scoffeth at right;

And the mouth of the godless swalloweth up mischief.

The Mosaic law does not know the oath of witnesses; but the adjuring of witnesses to speak the truth, Lev 4:1, places a false statement almost in the rank of perjury. The משׁפּט, which legally and morally binds witnesses, is just their duty to state the matter in accordance with truth, and without deceitful and malicious reservation; but a worthless witness (vid., regarding בּליּעל, Pro 6:12) despiseth what is right (יליץ with accus.-obj. like Pro 14:9), i.e., scornfully disregards this duty. Under 28b Hitzig remarks that בלע only in Kal means to devour, but in Piel, on the contrary, to absorb = annihilate; therefore he reads with the lxx and Syr. דּין justice instead of און mischief: the mouth of the wicked murders that which is right, properly, swallows down his feeling of right. But בּלּע interchanges with בּלע in the sense of swallowing only, without the connected idea of annihilation; cf. כּבלּע for the continuance [duration] of a gulp = for a moment, Num 4:20 with Job 7:29; and one can thus understand 28b without any alteration of the text after Job 15:16; cf. Pro 20:12-15, as well as with the text altered after Isa 3:12, by no means so that one makes און the subject: mischief swallows up, i.e., destroys, the mouth of the wicked (Rashi); for when "mouth" and "to swallow" stand connected, the mouth is naturally that which swallows, not that which is swallowed (cf. Ecc 10:12 : the mouth of the fool swallows, i.e., destroys, him). Thus 28b means that wickedness, i.e., that which is morally perverse, is a delicious morsel for the mouth of the godless, which he eagerly devours; to practise evil is for him, as we say, "ein wahrer Genuss" [a true enjoyment].

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.)

Justly is the man called a witness of Belial. Satan himself hath suborned him for his own malicious purposes.†1 Scorning, instead of regarding judgment, his testimony is worthless. He has "cast the law behind his back." He devours iniquity with greediness, feeds upon it as his proper food, and, sinning without remorse, he is always ready to trade in his deceit, either for gain or revenge.

But in this greedy devouring he has swallowed the hook with the bait. For such scorners judgments are prepared. For such fools as thus "make a mock of sin" (Pro 14:9 ) — stripes are ready for their backs, often inflicted by men, the instruments of God. Scorners are warned "lest their bands be made strong" (Isa 28:22 ) for judgment, which, however they may despise, they cannot resist. Can thine heart endure, or can thine hands be strong, in the day that I shall deal with thee? Who shall dwell with the devouring fire? Who shall dwell with everlasting burnings? It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.†2 Oh! that thoughtless, light-minded young persons would lay such words to heart! When they join in the laugh of their more hardened companions, and learn from them to scorn judgment, in spite of the accusings of a conscience not yet silenced; let them tremble, lest from "standing in the way of sinners," they may go on to "sit in the seat of the scornful" (Psa 1:1 ), and may even exceed their companions in despising the threatenings of God.

And when under these slighted judgments, who is to blame for them? ’Our sin’ — saith Bishop Hall — ’is our own, and the wages of sin is death. He that doth the work, earns the wages. So then the righteous God is cleared both of our sin and our death. Only his justice pays us what our evil deeds deserve. What a wretched thing is a willful sinner, that will needs be guilty of his own death!’†3 Blessed — blessed day! should it ever see him bemoaning himself thus — "Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a bullock unaccustomed to the yoke; turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art the LORD my God." (Jer 31:18 .)

Footnotes:

†1 1Ki 21:13 . Such was the keen description of the Roman Satirist —

Tam facile et pronum est Superos contemnere testes, &c.

Juven. Sat. xiii. 75.

†2 Eze 22:14. Isa 33:14 . Heb 10:31 .

†3 Works, viii. 156.

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

v. 28. An ungodly witness, one who is worthless, vain, and wicked in the sight of God, scorneth judgment, scoffing at the righteous punishment which is threatened; and the mouth of the wicked devoureth iniquity, he desires mischief most passionately, he cannot get enough.

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

the mouth of the wicked swallows iniquity

This speaks of how wicked people enjoy doing evil by saying that they swallow iniquity as easily as they swallow food. AT: "the wicked enjoy doing evil as much as they enjoy eating food" (See: Metaphor)

the mouth of the wicked swallows

The phrase "the mouth of the wicked" represents wicked people. AT: "wicked people swallow" or "the wicked swallow" (See: Synecdoche)

the wicked

This refers to wicked people. AT: "the wicked person" (See: Nominal Adjectives)

Condemnation is ready for mockers and flogging for

The words "condemnation" and "flogging" may be expressed as verbs. AT: "Yahweh is ready to condemn mockers and to flog" (See: Abstract Nouns)

flogging for the backs of fools

The words "is ready" are understood from the previous phrase and may be repeated. AT: "flogging is ready for the backs of fools" or "he is ready to flog the backs" (See: Ellipsis)

flogging

beating with a whip or stick

translationWords

corrupt witness

mock

just

evil

iniquity

condemn

fool

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

A godless witness testifies judgment He testifies against a man [with] the rhetoric of the judgments of tortures and death.

but violence will devour the mouth of the wicked The violence will swallow him up.

Rashi on the Tanakh — English translations: “The Judaica Press complete Tanach with Rashi, translated by A. J. Rosenberg” (CC BY 4.0); “Pentateuch with Rashi's commentary by M. Rosenbaum and A.M. Silbermann, 1929-1934” (public domain); “The Metsudah Tanach series, Lakewood, N.J” (CC BY 4.0); and “The Book of Joshua, Metsudah Publications, 1997” (CC BY 4.0). Text via Sefaria.